By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
In what amounted to a senior celebration for the Lady Red Devils and a state-tournament primer for both teams, Beebe downed Jacksonville 7-0 through five innings at Dupree Park on Monday.
Beebe took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning before pulling away with five runs in the top of the fifth inning.
“We needed a game like this,” Beebe coach Eric Chambers said. “We’ve got a lot of young kids. We have 11 freshmen and thee sophomores, so we need some game time. Just get them out there on the dirt and let them figure some stuff out. There were some good things we did, but hopefully some things we can do different next time we’re in that situation.”
Calah Hill led off with a single and got to second on an outfield error before scoring on another error on a bunt by Madelyn Poe, who later tagged up on a pop up to first base from cleanup hitter Makenzie Bingham.
The Lady Red Devils found hitting harder against the dominance of Beebe freshman pitcher Elle Reaves. Reaves struck out six batters and gave up three hits.
“Again, there’s a freshman – she throws the ball real hard,” Chambers said. “She spins the ball real good too. She can make it break in or break out. She’ll be a good one. She’s the type of Division I pitchers that people will be looking at.”
The Lady Red Devils got their sticks going the second time through the lineup as Shyrel McKinney led off with a double in the bottom of the third inning, but she was picked off a first moments later for the third out.
The Lady Badgers went through their lineup in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Schyler Watson struck out to lead off the inning, but freshman Denna Hamm got things going with a single to shallow center before she advanced on a bunt by Courtney Cauldwell.
Hill doubled to score Watson, and two more fielding errors by Jacksonville allowed Hill and Poe to come across the plate to give the Lady Badgers a 5-0 lead.
Poe and Gentry both reached on errors, and a triple by Bingham that landed in the gap between left and center field scored Gentry. Bingham set the final margin when freshman Megan Davlin scored her with a single to left.
Jacksonville almost avoided the shut out when Alexis House reached second base on an outfield error to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. She reached third when Mailani Walker singled on a bunt, but Beebe pulled off a stunning double play that retired McKinney at first base and House at the plate.
For Beebe, Hill was 2 for 3 with a double.
