CLASS 4A SOFTBALL

Solid pitching, bottom of batting order secure Bauxite win

BAUXITE 5, POTTSVILLE 2

BENTON -- The bottom third of Bauxite's batting order backed a solid pitching effort from senior Bailey Buffington in handing the Lady Miners a 5-2 victory over Pottsville on Friday afternoon in the Class 4A softball state championship game at the Benton Sports Complex.

Buffington, the tournament's MVP, struck out six and overcame some first-inning wildness to give Bauxite its first state softball title and its 26th consecutive victory.

Sophomores Bree Hardin and Shelby Thornton, who bat No. 7 and No. 9 in the Bauxite batting order, each drove in two runs to provide the Lady Miners (35-2) the bulk of their offensive punch.

"They have done amazing," Buffington said of the Lady Miners' sophomores. "We don't have a weak link in our lineup. I'm so proud of each and every one of our girls in our lineup."

Pottsville, the defending state champions, managed nine hits off Buffington but left eight runners stranded. Nine of the Lady Apaches' outs came on lazy pop flies to the infield or to shallow left field.

Holding a 1-0 lead, Pottsville starting pitcher Aspen Campbell shut out the Lady Miners on two hits through the first 3 2/3 innings, but three consecutive singles, a walk and a double in the fourth inning put Bauxite on top for good.

"We've played a lot from behind and came back and won, so I wasn't too concerned," Bauxite Coach Sara Tew said. "I knew we were getting on (Campbell) and starting to put some stuff together. I'm just so proud of them."

After retiring the first two batters she faced, Buffington gave up a single to Skylar Campbell and then loaded the bases with a walk and a hit batter. Pottsville (28-4) scored the game's first run when Aspen Campbell drew a bases-loaded walk.

"I was very nervous but the team always supports me no matter what I do," Buffington said. "If it wasn't for them, this win wouldn't have been possible."

Pottsville produced it biggest threat in the sixth inning. With one out, the Lady Apaches banged out four consecutive singles. Aspen Campbell started the rally with a hit and she scored when Kayli Pennington's line single went to the wall in right-center field.

Pottsville apparently cut into the Bauxite lead even further when Sydney Flippo singled to center. Pennington ran home from second base but the umpire ruled that Pennington missed the plate. Catcher Taylor Shedd tagged Pennington for the second out.

"I saw (Pennington) trip across the plate and (the umpire) saw it another way," Pottsville Coach Doug Jones said. "I thought she skipped across it. She didn't want to slide. She didn't want a collision. ... You have to overcome those types of plays and we didn't."

Buffington followed the controversial tag play with an inning-ending strikeout. Pottsville's three batters in the seventh were all retired on pop-ups.

"All week, and I know it's crazy, but it's like (Buffington) had a champion's mindset, she didn't think she was going to get beat," Tew said. "That's what it takes."

Hardin tied the game in the fourth with her two-out single. Two batters later, Thornton doubled to the wall to score both Ashley Redmon and Hardin.

Sledd drove in a run in the fifth inning with an infield ground out. Hardin's second RBI came in the sixth with a ground out.

Skylar Campbell led all hitters, going 3 for 4. Pottsville senior Hanamarie Savage went 2 for 3.

Bauxite finished with seven hits. Thornton was the only Lady Miner with two hits.

"The last two times we've played them, that's who's hurt us," said Jones of Bauxite's final third of the batting order. "They can swing it 1 through 9. And we feel like we're the same way. That's what makes great teams. Getting hits with two outs and hits from the bottom part of the batting order."

"The bottom part of our order consists of freshmen and sophomores," Tew said. "They just get it done."

Sports on 05/19/2018

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