Littlejohn homer gives Gentry win over Russellville
GENTRY — Gentry junior Audrie Littlejohn saved the day for the Lady Pioneers in the fifth inning on March 13 when she hit a grand slam home run over the center field fence at Gentry High School and gave the Gentry girls the lead lost when Russellville scored five runs in the second inning.
Gentry scored two runs in the bottom of the first when Olivia Nations singled to right field and advanced to second on the throw, Littlejohn walked and Alexis Lopez doubled on a fly ball to center, bringing home Nations and making it possible for Littlejohn to score on the throw. But Russellville answered with five runs in the top of the second on five hits, an error, and one batter hit by a pitch.
The second-inning burst would be the only runs scored by Russellville, and Gentry was unable to answer until the bottom of the fifth when Iris Still walked, Callie Jordan singled on a bunt to the second baseman, Presley Ward put down a sacrifice bunt, Nations walked to load the bases, and Littlejohn hit a line drive homer to center, bringing home Still, Jamee Kirk (pinch running for Jordan) and Nations. And for good measure, Lopez, who doubled in the first and followed Littlejohn in the batting order, put another one over the center field fence to give the Lady Pioneers a 7-5 lead and the win.
Hailey Kreger started in the circle for Gentry. She pitched 1.1 innings and allowed five runs on six hits. Callie Jordan took over for Kreger and pitched 5.2 innings. She allowed no runs on three hits and struck out four Russellville batters.
Gentry’s seven runs came on six hits in the game, with Lopez and Littlejohn leading the way for their teammates with hits and home runs.
GREENWOOD 6, GENTRY 5
A seventh-inning double by Greenwood batter Bri Taylor brought in two runs and gave Greenwood a 6-5 victory over Gentry in an away game for the Lady Pioneers on March 11.
Greenwood led early, scoring two runs in the first, another in the second and one in the fifth. They were up 4-3 at the top of the seventh, but the Pioneers scored two runs in the top of the inning to take a 5-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. Iris Still doubled to center and made it around the bases on a Hailie Kreger sacrifice and a Presley Ward bunt. Audrie Littlejohn later doubled on a fly ball to the third baseman, and Presley Ward made it home.
Alexis Lopez singled to right in the top of the sixth and advanced to second on a Greenwood error. She made it home on an Evey Tomlinson single to the second baseman.
Hailie Kreger hit a home run to left field in the fifth inning and brought home Iris Still, who got on through a third baseman error.
Lopez and Tomlinson each had two hits in the game. Kreger had two RBIs.
GENTRY 4, SOUTHSIDE 3
The Lady Pioneers picked up another nonconference win on Friday, 4-3, when they traveled to Ft. Smith to take on Southside.
Gentry scored a run in the first when Presley Ward, who singled and then stole second and third, was brought home by an Olivia Nations sacrifice fly to center field.
The Gentry girls added two more runs in the fifth when Callie Jordan singled to right and Jamee Kirk (her designated runner) was brought home on a Nations single and an Audrie Littlejohn walk. Presley Ward, who walked, came home on an Evey Tomlinson sacrifice fly to center field.
Hailie Kreger, who reached first on a Southside error, was brought home in the sixth on a Ward double to left field.
Southside scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the bottom of the sixth but, following a triple, was shut down in its last at-bat for the loss.
Ward led her teammates in offense, getting two hits and a walk, one RBI, and scoring twice. She had one double in the game.
Jordan was in the circle for the Lady Pioneers. She pitched seven innings, allowed three runs on eight hits, struck out two, and walked three.