The Siloam Springs Lady Panthers softball team came up short of the four-run victory needed to jump to No. 2 seed in the 6A-Central Conference, but coach Scott Wright said he was happy with a quality 5-3 win over Alma on Friday.
Crissa Spry tossed five strikeouts, including three in the third inning, and Morgan Curtis smacked a three run homer to give Siloam Springs win No. 16 on the season.
Siloam Springs (16-10, 6-5) came out strong to start the game, as Spry struck out the lead-off hitter and the next two batters flew out to left field to close a one-two-three first inning.
In the bottom of the first, after a pair of fly-outs, Morgan Curtis and Hannah Evans reached on singles and were batted in by Kenlie Noel's double for a 2-0 lead.
The Airedalettes started on the road back with the top of the second, which only lasted for four batters, but was still enough for Andrea Griffin to get Mikayla Lewis, who led off the inning with a double to left center field, home on a sacrifice fly.
The Lady Panthers were retired in three batters in their second inning at-bat, and Alma responded by tying the game with a pair of hits in the third. Spry struck out the first batter, but nine-hole batter Jordyn Collyar was walked. Collyar stole second and was sent home on a double from Zoie Lunsford. Spry struck out the first, third and fifth batters of the side, stranding Lunsford on second.
Going into the bottom of the third, the Lady Panthers struck a decisive blow that would stand up for the rest of the game.
Ally Bunch reached first base on a walk to lead off the Lady Panthers' inning. Spry followed by beating a throw to first base on a bunt. Next up was the third batter of the side, Curtis. After taking two balls, Curtis launched a missile straight over the 200 foot sign on the back wall to score three runs and take a 5-2 lead.
The Airedalettes fought back in the top of the fourth inning as Kennedy Mills singled with one out on the board. Griffin was walked next, pushing Mills to second. After a second out, Tatum Willhite hit a double to left center field and Mills scored just before Griffin was tagged out at third for the Airendales' third run, and the final run scored in the game.
"It was good to finish senior night with a win," Wright said. "That gives us some momentum moving into the state tournament. I think we are definitely moving in the right direction."
"Obviously we got a couple of big hits that really was the separation in the game," Wright said. "Morgan did a great job. She saw that ball, attacked it. And I thought Crissa pitched a great game for us."
While the match-ups for the state tournament have not been finalized, Wright said his Lady Panthers will likely be facing Lake Hamilton first.
Siloam Springs 9, Russellville 7
The Siloam Springs softball team had numerous opportunities to fold its tent Tuesday on its 6A playoff hopes.
Instead, the Lady Panthers showed resiliency in the face of adversity, the reward will be its season continuing next week.
Siloam Springs scored all nine of its runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Lady Panthers rallied from a 5-0 deficit to clinch a Class 6A playoff spot with a win against Russellville at La-Z-Boy Park.
Trailing 5-0 in the top of the fifth inning, Siloam Springs head coach Scott Wright huddled his players in the pitching circle with a stern mesage.
"I just told the girls, 'We have worked too hard all season for this.'" Wright said of the conversation. "I said, 'Believe, just keeping believing. Keep working. We're going to get our opportunity.' The girls responded and it all came together in the bottom of the sixth."
The Lady Panthers kept the score at 5-0 and the game went into the sixth inning when Siloam Springs' bats came to life in the bottom of the sixth, Ally Bunch reached base and Crissa Spry hit her sixth home run of the season to make it 5-2.
Morgan Curtis followed with a double and Hannah Evans walked. Curtis scored on Kenlie Noel's RBI single to make it 5-3, and Summer Vaughan's two-run single tied the game 5-5.
Siloam Springs scored again to take a 6-5 lead and Spry drove home two more with a base hit, and she scored to make it 9-5 on a Curtis double.
"We were talking, everyone was saying we need one big hit and to stay focused and play like we know how, and it happened," Spry said.
Russellville scored two runs in the seventh, but Spry was able to get the final three outs for the win.
"This is just me personally, I give all the glory to God, and I give all the credit to the kids for never stopping and never quitting," Wright said. "They never quit. I'm just blessed to have a team that would respond like that, and they did. And my hat's off to these girls for the way that they never gave up in that game. There were so many points we could have given in and we never did."
Siloam Springs (15-10, 5-5) improved to 2-3 versus 6A competition while Russellville dropped to 1-4. The Lady Panthers also earned a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over Russellville with a two-run win. Russellville beat Siloam Springs 1-0 in Russellville on April 12.
-- Herald-Leader staff writer Graham Thomas contributed to this story.
Sports on 05/08/2016