Softball: Ray's home run tops Springdale

SPRINGDALE -- Tiffani Ray and Leigh Anne Gwatney traded home runs in extra innings Monday but the one Ray hit counted more.

Ray hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Springdale Har-Ber an 8-5 victory over Springdale High at J.B. Hunt Park. Ray's home run ended the game after Gwatney put Springdale ahead 5-3 with a shot that cleared both the softball fence and the home run fence used for baseball.

7A-West Conference Softball

Springdale Har-Ber 8, Springdale High 5

Springdale^001^010^12—^5^6^3

Har-Ber^001^002^05^—^8^16^1

Ramirez and Bradley; Stockalper and Ray. W - Stockalper L - Ramirez. HRs - Springdale, Gwatney; Har-Ber, Ray.

Extra innings began with a runner placed at second base via the tie-breaking rule. Heidi Bogle reached on an infield error before Emily Stockalper tied the game 5-5 with a double in the gap. Morgan Neal got her third hit of the game before Ray cleared the fence in center field to give Har-Ber (6-6, 3-4 7A-West) the win. Springdale (4-12, 0-8) will have a chance to get even today when the teams meet again on the Lady Bulldogs' home field.

"That's what you expect out of your seniors," Har-Ber coach Lynn Lawson said of Ray, Neal, and Stockalper, who earned the pitching victory. "It was an exciting game. Now, we get to turn around and do it again."

Ray's home run was the highlight of a mostly frustrating day for Har-Ber, which repeatedly left runners on base in scoring position. Har-Ber failed to score after loading the bases with one out in the fifth inning and again after putting two runners on base in the fourth.

The Lady Wildcats finally broke through when Neal lined a two-run double to put Har-Ber ahead 3-2 in the sixth.

"We finally did a good job of getting clutch hits when we needed them," Lawson said. "Both teams did, really, including (Gwatney), who crushed that home run. Just crushed it."

Ashley Farley and Caitlyn Bradley each had a double and single for Springdale, which led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.

"We played well overall," Springdale coach Ashlee Kemp said. "But we had some errors that enabled them to get a few extra at-bats. I'm proud of my girls. Fortunately, we get to come back out (today) and do it again."

Stockalper struck out nine to earn the victory over Erika Ramirez for Springdale.

Sports on 04/21/2015

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