FRANKLIN, TILLERY LEAD LADY BEARCATS TO 20TH WIN

The Booneville Lady Bearcats wrapped up the regular season with pitcher Lexi Franklin throwing a no-hitter and recording her 400th career strike out and Roni Tillery hitting two home runs in an 11-0 win over Dardanelle.

Franklin struck out eight and faced the minimum 15 hitters in the run-rule shortened five inning game.

She issued a single walk away with two down in the third inning but that hitter was erased trying to steal.

It was 5-0 at that point with the last of those runs coming on a second inning solo home run by Tillery that hit the protective fence covering and left the playing area.

The lead grew to 6-0 in the third on an RBI single by Caroline Smithson and the Lady Bearcats added a run on a Layla Byrum triple to make it 7-0 through four.

Tate tripled to start the Lady Bearcat fifth. She scored on a single by Hayley Lunsford. Lunsford later scored on a passed ball and it was 9-0.

Karmen Kent would reach on an error to bring up Tillery who smashed one to right that hit in front of the fielder and kicked to the right field corner while Tillery chased Kent around the bases.

The Lady Bearcats had scored four first inning runs. Brooke Turner’s bases loaded double in accounted for the first three runs and a fourth run scored on a Lunsford ground ball before the side was retired.

The Lady Bearcats (20-1) will next play on Thursday in the semifinals of the District 3A-4 tournament against Charleston or the winner of tonight’s Cossatot-Cedarville game.