KENT, PARISH DRIVE IN THREE EACH, LADY BEARCATS TO MOVE INTO 3A-4 FINALS

Karmen Kent and Cameron Parish drove in three runs apiece Thursday as the Lady Bearcats beat Charleston 11-1 to reach the District 3A-4 finals.

Thursday’s game was played at Kelly Field in Fort Smith, home of Fort Smith Southside.

Tomorrow’s 3A-4 championship game against Hackett will be held at Rich Mountain Community College in Mena, the third location for games of the tournament hosted by Cossatot River.

Parish had her first RBI in the midst of the Lady Bearcats (14-11) jumping to a 5-0 first inning lead.

Lexi Franklin had driven in one with a single. Ellie Smith, aboard on an infield single, scored on a wild pitch, and Franklin stole home on a delay of a double steal. Parish drove in one with a single and Presley Walker reached on an error that scored a run.

A ground out ended the Lady Bearcat first, and started a streak of 10 straight batters being retired.

Roni Tillery beat out a hit to start the third and end the streak. Tillery stole second and scored on a single by Kent to make it 6-0.

It stayed that way until Tillery again opened the Lady Bearcat fifth with a single. Kylie Lunsford singled as well and both scored on a single by Kent to make it 8-0.

Charleston used a couple of Lady Bearcat errors and a walk to score a run but Franklin got out of the inning with the bases loaded with what would be the last of her 12 strikeouts.

It would be the last batter she faced because the Lady Bearcats ran the lead to 10 in the bottom of the inning to end the game.

Smith singled leading off the inning and, with one out, Franklin walked. A tapper to third resulted in the bases being loaded and Parish followed with a two run single to make it 10-1.

Lunsford delivered her second hit to make it 11-1 and end the game.