Softball Pummels Ecclesia College In Doubleheader Sweep

Softball Pummels Ecclesia College In Doubleheader Sweep- Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 4/5/24

CRC Softball got back in the win column this afternoon by smashing their way through two run-rule victories over Ecclesia College improving to 15-11 on the year. 

Game One: 5-innings

Crowley's Ridge- 8

Ecclesia College- 0

Paragould, Ark.- After being handed back-to-back losses this past Tuesday, April 2nd against Lane College the Lady Pioneers quickly regained their footing in winner's lane with a game-one win credited heavily to Shelby Elrod's lights-out performance from the rubber. Elrod improved to 9-3 on the year as the senior threw her second one-hit gem of the season with the Lady Royals painfully breaking up the no-hit bid with a two-out double in the top of the fifth. In scoring for the Pioneers, CRC led two to nothing heading into the bottom of the fifth as Brooklyn Melson's RBI groundout in the second and Hadlee DeFries's theft of home in the fourth were the only runs CRC mustered before the Pioneer sticks came alive in the fifth where the home team scored six runs off seven hits, ending the contest early with a run-rule. Junior Kylie Cox lit the fuse as the Texan singled through the left side to start the inning and before you knew it the Pioneers saw their side of the scoreboard grow as senior Maddie Reed's two-RBI single, Piper Farmer's RBI single, and Bailey Cupples RBI double increased CRC's lead, 6-0. Junior Brooklyn Melson did the honors by driving in the final two runs for CRC with her hot shot up the middle ending the ballgame. Thanks to the big fifth inning, the Lady Pioneers ended with eight runs off eleven hits. Hannah Burk led the Lady Pioneers as the Kennett, MO native went (3-3) with a double, Maddie Reed and Bailey Cupples also added two hits each. Brooklyn Melson led the team in RBIs with three. Elrod went 5.0 innings allowing one hit while walking one and striking out six.

Game Two: 5 innings

Crowley's Ridge- 17

Ecclesia College- 3

Paragould, Ark.- The Lady Pioneers whizzed their way to a massive 17-3 win in game two, their biggest of the year, as the team hammered out seventeen hits, scoring seventeen runs in five innings. The Pioneers rolled their hot streak from game one into game two as CRC scored five runs in the bottom of the first with Shelby Elrod taking home off a wild pitch, Brooklyn Melson's and Ashton Drake's RBI singles up the middle, and Jocelyn Villarreal's two-RBI double in their opening three outs. Roughly for Ecclesia, CRC never slowed as the team tacked on ten more runs their very next at-bat putting the contest out of reach. In the bottom of the second CRC sent fifteen different hitters to the plate where CRC laced out six hits to do their damage. Hannah Burk, Brooklyn Melson, Ashton Drake, Jocelyn Villarreal, Dru Bryant, Shelby Elrod, Bailey Cupples, and Kourtni Jagneaux all had RBIs in the frame with Elrod and Burk leading with two each. With such an extensive lead, CRC glided their way through the next three innings, picking up a final two runs in the fourth with Jagneaux and Drake both singling to the right side of the field. Halea Wells earned her sixth win of the year from the inner circle throwing 4.0 innings allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits. Abby Ewing closed the game for CRC surrendering one hit in her lone inning of action. Six Lady Pioneers had multiple hits in the blow-out win, Dru Bryant led the charge going (3-4) with one RBI. Ashton Drake and Jocelyn Villarreal led in RBIs with three each. 

Up Next: CRC Softball will host Williams Baptist University this coming Tuesday, April 9th for a home doubleheader. The location will not be at Pioneer Park but will be played at Rotary Park in downtown Paragould. Game one is set to start at 4:00 PM #GOPIONEERS