By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills girls’ bats went silent against some stellar pitching over the weekend in the Benton High School tournament. The Lady Bears got three total hits in two games against 7A Bentonville and defending 6A champion Sheridan.
On Friday, Sylvan Hills lost 4-0 to Bentonville in a well-played game by both teams. Bentonville (4-0) had 10 total base hits, but the Lady Bears’ defense was stiff, and kept the Lady Tigers from mounting any major rallies.
Bentonville scored two runs in the third and two more in the fifth to set the final score.
The defense was not quite as solid on Saturday. Against Sheridan, Sylvan Hills again gave up 10 base hits, but aided the Lady Yellowjackets (3-2-1) with five errors that led to a 9-1 loss.
Sylvan Hills (4-5) only trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, but three base hits along with four of those five errors led to a six-run rally that put the game out of reach for the Lady Bears.
Sheridan started the inning earning its way on base, with back-to-back singles. After a pop fly for the first out, back-to-back fielding errors led to both base runners scoring for a 5-1 Sheridan lead. Doma’Nique Hunt booted a ball at shortstop and Tristan Goodson misplayed another in center field.
Sheridan’s Tobi Finley then capped a long at-bat hitting the 10th pitch of the at-bat to center field for a two-RBI single. After a groundout, two more Sylvan Hills errors, one by Lynlee Broadway and another by Hunt, set the final margin.
Sylvan Hills’ lone run came in the second inning when Destiny Sanders singled with one out, and Hunt hit an RBI single to center field with two outs.
Sylvan Hills traveled to J.A. Fair to open 5A/6A-Central Conference play on Tuesday. Look for a full report on that doubleheader on Saturday’s Leader. The Lady Bears play at Benton on Friday.
