By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The games were total contrasts, but they were both wins for Jacksonville. The Lady Red Devils swept Searcy with a dominant performance in Game 1, but had to rally from a two-run deficit to take the win in the nightcap.
Jacksonville needed an extra inning, and some incredible defensive play by sophomore second baseman Jennifer Bock to take a 3-2 win in eight innings after controlling the first game 5-1 on Wednesday at Dupree Park in Jacksonville.
Bailee Herlacher scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning off a fielder’s choice by Taylor Norsworthy.
Herlacher started the frame out at second base as part of the universal tiebreak rule, and stole third to set up the winning play.
“This is the second or third time this year that these young ladies stepped up and came back to win or tie it,” said Lady Red
Devil coach Tanya Ganey. “They have that attitude that they refuse to lose, and when you go into the bottom of the seventh thinking you can still win, it’s a big plus.”
The victory improved Jacksonville to 9-4 overall, and, at 7-2 in league play, remained one of only three teams in the 6A-East Conference race with two losses. The Lady Devils played a crucial doubleheader at Jonesboro yesterday in a game completed after Leader deadlines.
The Lady Lions had even more chances than their two runs, but a pair of heads-up double plays by Jennifer Bock in the second and third innings disposed of a number of potential Searcy runs. Both plays started with hard grounders to Bock, who made quick stops, and got the tag on runners headed for second before tossing it over to first baseman Norsworthy to retire the batter.
Herlacher and Bock scored the first two runs of Game 1 in the top of the first inning, and Jacksonville never looked back. The Lady Lions did manage to avoid a shutout by plating Kelsey Boggan off a double from Emilee McDonald, but the Lady Red Devils added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
The games were originally slated for the day before, but Tuesday afternoon downpours pushed the game back a day, and forced the Lady Devils to host on the field that the Lady Falcons of North Pulaski normally use.
Searcy grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top ofthe fifth inning of Game 2 with a two-run hit by freshman Amber Rollins that scored Nila Navarro and Olivia McConnaughhay.
Jacksonville’s chance to answer one of those runs in the bottom of the fifth was foiled when the field umpire ruled that Chyna Davis led off third illegally on a sacrifice fly. Instead of a score, the Lady Devils were pinned with another out, and a strikeout ended the threat.
The Lady Red Devils finally answered in the bottom of the sixth. Searcy pitcher Rollins gave up three straight one-out singles Bailee Herlacher, Bock and Jessica Lanier to load the bases.
Norsworthy went for the bunt to drive in the first run, but Rollins got the throw to the plate in time to tag Herlacher out. That put junior Paula Burr at the plate, who doubled down the right field line to bring home two runs and tie the game.
Lanier took the win in both games, but with significantly different numbers for each game. She struck out 10 while allowing only two hits and one unearned run in the first game, but fanned only four while giving up as many hits in the finale.
Rollins took the loss at the mound for Searcy, but the youngster showed good strength early. She allowed only two hits through five innings while striking out seven. Jacksonville racked up five hits in the final two frames of regulation.
Lanier went 2 of 3 in Game 2, and Herlacher finished 2 of 4. Burr was 1 of 3 with a double and two RBI.
“Jennifer [Bock] is doing an awesome job at second base, and she is also hitting well,” Ganey said. We have several players who have really stepped up — Paula Burr, Jessica Lanier and Chyna Davis are just a few of them. It seems like a different person steps up at different times when we need it.”
For Searcy, Rollins was 1 of 3 with two RBI.
