SPRINGDALE -- Even with his team up by four runs after three innings, Fayetteville softball coach Jason Shirey was not going to sit easy until his team recorded the last out of the game.
"I've learned not to take anything for granted," Shirey said.
Fayetteville 15, Springdale High 6
Fayetteville^315^022^2^—^15^11^0
Springdale^410^010^0^—^6^12^4
Mabry and Smythe; Meredith and Wright. W – Mabry, 1-4. L – Meredith, 0-7. Sv. – None. HRs – Fayetteville, Ezell (1); Springdale, Meredith (2)
When Springdale High's Ashley Bradley was thrown out at first to end the game, Shirey's reservations were rewarded when his team won its first 7A-West Conference game of the season, 15-6 on Thursday at JB Hunt Park.
"It's always a good one," Shirey said. "Every win is a good one, and these kids have worked hard, and it's nice to see them rewarded for that."
While Shirey's team would reach home in every inning but one, Fayetteville only wrestled back control of the lead after a five-run third.
All nine Fayetteville players would touch a base before Springdale's Braden Meredith was finally able to put away Baylee Andrews.
"We continued to battle and score runs," Shirey said. "Credit our kids for putting the ball in play and hitting the ball hard."
Fayetteville took a commanding lead during the fifth inning after Katy Beth Ezell blasted a two-run homer that just cleared the outstretched glove of Springdale's Brittany Chue in left field.
Ezell finished the game with four hits, including her fifth-inning shot, and five RBIs to pace Fayetteville's offense.
"She's struggled here a bit lately but she hit four balls extremely hard, especially that home run," Shirey said. "That's what we're accustomed to seeing out of her and it's nice to see her kind of break out of a mini-slump."
After starting off slow on the season, Shirey said this win was a point in the right direction.
"It get things back on track for us," Shirey said. "It's nice to let the kids taste some success and feel good about things."
Meredith paced the Springdale offense, going 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Mayce Trolinger was 3-for-4 with a double, and Bethany Counts and Ashley Bradley had two hits each.
Sports on 04/07/2017