FAYETTEVILLE -- The only thing Bentonville couldn't do Friday afternoon was drench Coach Kent Early with the contents of its water cooler after winning the school's first state softball championship.
The Lady Tigers batted around and scored six runs in the first inning , taking a 12-1 victory over North Little Rock in the Class 7A championship game at Bogle Park.
Class 7A Softball Championship
Bentonville 12, North Little Rock 1
North Little Rock (20-10)^100^00^—^1^2^2
Bentonville (30-1)^622^2X^—^12^10^1
Necessary, Roberts (2) and Bobbitt; Prough and Cornell. W-Prough, 20-0. L-Necessary, 15-4. Sv-None. HR-Bentonville, Cornell (2).
"The kids were about to pop all week long," said Early, who previously led Bentonville to state title games in 2010, 2012 and 2014. "They were excited. Today was a total effort.
"The kids just balled out. Players play, and they did."
All but one Bentonville player in the starting lineup had a hit, and the Lady Tigers (30-1) followed their six-run first by scoring two runs in each of the next three innings to force the 10-run rule. The outburst included a two-run double by Jordan Gartman that gave Bentonville a 3-1 lead and a three-run home run by Keelah Griffith.
After North Little Rock took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Bentonville tied the game on a bases-loaded groundout by Payton Wildeman. Then Gartman belted a 1-0 pitch off the left-field wall to drive in Jenna Wildeman and Haley Cornell. Griffith followed a walk to CJ Gonzalez with a drive over the left-field fence for her second home run of the season.
"I knew I needed a big hit for the team," Gartman said. "I felt so good. She threw the first pitch outside, which I expected. Then she threw one right down the middle.
"I swung as hard as I could. I knew it was over the outfielder's head, but I didn't know if it was going out or not."
The five-run cushion was more than enough for Maddy Prough, who pitched a two-hitter to run her record to 20-0 and denied North Little Rock (20-10) the opportunity to win its fourth consecutive state title. But the Lady Charging Wildcats jumped on Prough early for a 1-0 lead as Sydney Parr tripled into right-center and scored on Maddi Bobbitt's sacrifice fly.
The junior right-hander, who was named the most outstanding player, only allowed one other hit -- an infield single that Lainey Necessary barely beat out in the fifth. Prough struck out six and walked only one the rest of the way.
"I would say nerves had a really big part of my pitching performance at the beginning," Prough said. "When they started hitting the ball, I knew I needed to kick it in gear.
"I knew they weren't going to be an easy team. Once my team came in and hit the ball, it gave me more confidence. Seeing the way our team hit the ball, it settles the nerves and you have a lot less stress on your shoulders."
Griffith and Cornell each had two hits, with the latter belting an RBI double in the second that chased North Little Rock's starter, Necessary (15-4).
Sports on 05/21/2016