LADY BEARCATS TAKE SECOND IN THIRD ANNUAL TURNER MEMORIAL

Besides the Lady Bearcats, there were four teams in the 3rd annual Raymond Turner Memorial Tournament played at the Kiersey Complex over the weekend. The Lady Bearcats played them all.

Along the way Lexi Franklin surpassed the 900 strikeout mark and set a school record for homeruns in a season but the Lady Bearcats (17-7) faced them all and finished as the runner-up for the second straight year.

After a 2-0 loss to Mansfield in the first game of the day, a game in which the Lady Bearcats had a single base hit from Kylie Lunsford, Lexi Franklin combined with freshman Makinley Ensey to throw a one-hit, 9-0 shutout at Charleston in the first elimination game.

The Lady Bearcats scored eight times in the first inning.

Leading the way was Cam Parish who drove in three with a two hits, including a double, Peighton Montalvo, who had two hits. Franklin’s sister Raelynn, also reached on an error that score two runs.

The game of the day was a perfect game, 15 up and 15 set down by Franklin, 1-0 win over Perryville.

The Lady Bearcats won the game in the bottom of the fifth when a Roni Tillery bunt scored Ellie Smith (shown batting), who had walked, moved to second on an error, and to third on a passed ball.

The Lady Bearcats had a double play disrupt a first inning scoring opportunity and would have at least one runner in every inning before finally breaking through for the win.

The Lady Bearcats had six hit in the game, one each by the first six hitters in the lineup.

The win earned a date with Magnet Cove and then Franklin started doing it with her bat. Besides allowing just three hits and striking out 10 she hit a home run leading off the third.

By then the Lady Bearcats had built a 6-0 lead that would be the foundation of an 8-3 win.

Franklin had accounted for one of those runs with a fly ball, after a Tillery double had scored one. Montalvo singled home another run before the inning ended.

In the second Montalvo doubled with two down to score two and a throwing error got another run home.

After Franklin’s home run the Lady Bearcats scored again in the third when Addison Elmore came come on a single by Lunsford.

Magnet Cove scored three times in the bottom of the fourth before the final out was recorded and the time limit reached.

That got the Lady Bearcats a rematch with Mansfield, with Tillery in the circle.

She had an early 1-0 lead due to a Tillery home run but Mansfield took the lead in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs after two outs were recorded.

Franklin got one back with a solo home run, her school record eighth of the season, leading off the fourth to make it 4-2.

But the Lady Tigers again scored four runs after two were down in the bottom of the inning and won it 8-2.

Friday

On Friday Franklin threw a one-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts in an 11-0 conference win over Two Rivers. She also hit a home run and two doubles in the game and drove in five.

Parish had three hits, and both Hayley Taylor and Farrah Stringer had two hits against the Lady Gators.

It was scoreless through two and a half but the Lady Bearcats took control with a six run bottom of the third.

It was 7-0 when Franklin hit a grand slam to walk it off in the bottom of the fifth.

The Lady Bearcats were scheduled to face Cossatot River today but the game has been postponed to a yet to be determined date.