Class 7A softball state championship

North Little Rock comes out swinging

North Little Rock catcher Makenzie Escovedo (left) tries to tag Cabot’s Macee Abbott at the plate during the third inning Friday. The Lady Panthers scored their first run in the inning after two walks, a single and a hit batter.
North Little Rock catcher Makenzie Escovedo (left) tries to tag Cabot’s Macee Abbott at the plate during the third inning Friday. The Lady Panthers scored their first run in the inning after two walks, a single and a hit batter.

FAYETTEVILLE -- It lost eight games along the way, but North Little Rock never lost sight of its goal of winning a third consecutive Class 7A softball state championship.

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© NWA Democrat-Gazette

North Little Rock second baseman Sydney Parr celebrates after a leadoff triple against Cabot on Friday during the Class 7A softball state championship at Bogle Park in Fayetteville. Parr’s hit started a run that left the Lady Charging Wildcats up 6-0 after two innings on their way to a 10-3 victory and their seventh state title. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/galleries.

Two of North Little Rock's losses this season came to Cabot, but the Lady Charging Wildcats had the final say Friday with a 10-3 victory over the Lady Panthers at the University of Arkansas' Bogle Park.

"Cabot is a good team," North Little Rock starting pitcher Rachel Gregory said. "They've given us the best test of any team we've played, but we weren't going to let them think they could beat us three times. We came out focused and ready to play today."

Gregory, the game's MVP, allowed 2 hits and worked around 10 walks and 2 hit batters.

North Little Rock (21-8) jumped on Cabot (27-5) with three runs in the first inning and had put up three more in the second for a 6-0 lead before Cabot had sent more than four batters to the plate.

Sydney Parr ripped a triple to start the game for the Lady Charging Wildcats, who have won seven titles overall with all of them coming since 2001.

"That kind of got us jump-started," North Little Rock Coach Anthony Cantrell said. "That's what Sydney did two years ago to start the state finals game against Rogers, and she did it again today. Everybody came out and hit the ball well."

Parr added another single and scored. Morgan Seaton had 2 doubles, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored in the No. 2 spot. Morgan Escovedo added a two-run home run, her sixth, to make it 6-0.

Cabot starter Kaitlyn Felder was 8-0 with an ERA under 1.00 going into the game but North Little Rock got to her early, knocking her out of the game by the fourth inning.

"We had a lot of kids hit the ball well today," Cantrell said. "That's a good pitcher, and she's been tough on us. We got the momentum early, and that's a big key."

North Little Rock returned seven starters from last year's championship team, and Cantrell said the experience helped steady a team that lost five games by one run.

"We tried to play as tough a schedule as we possibly could and we lost a few games, but we learned and we got better," Cantrell said. "I think it paid off in the long run. There are a lot of really good softball teams in 7A softball, and you are going to take some losses."

Gregory said getting an early 6-0 lead allowed her to settle in.

"It took away a lot of my stress and let me just throw the ball," she said. "I got myself worked up and stressed out a little bit later in the game, but I was able to settle back down and finish up the game."

Two walks, a single from Heather Hill and a hit batter put Cabot on the board in the third with nobody out to cut the lead to 6-1, but Gregory pitched out of it and a similar jam in the sixth when Cabot scored two more runs.

Cantrell said the walks and hit batters were the byproduct of a conservative pitching plan. North Little Rock walked Megan Goodnight three times and Hill twice.

"Cabot had some kids like Hill and Megan Goodnight that can beat you with one swing of the bat," Cantrell said. "We had a pretty good lead, and we didn't want to give them anything too good to hit."

The Lady Charging Wildcats sealed their victory with a nice defensive play when right fielder Hannah Lovercheck tracked down a hard-hit ball and made a strong throw to first base to double off a runner.

"The seniors on this team put in a lot of work and accomplished a lot," Cantrell said.

NLR;330 040 0 -- 10 10 0

Cabot;001 002 0 -- 3 2 0

Gregory and Escovedo; Felder, Goodnight (4) and Goodnight, Felder (4). W -- Gregory, 16-8. L -- Felder, 8-1. HR -- Escovedo, NLR.

Sports on 05/23/2015

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