Marion Athletics -

PARAGOULD --- When Marion and Paragould get together for softball, it almost always produces at least one memorable finish.
On Tuesday night, there were two.

Luckily for Marion, the Patriots were on the winning side both times.
Marion twice came from behind Tuesday at Paragould Athletic Complex to sweep a 5A East doubleheader by scores of 11-8 in eight innings and 9-6 in the nightcap.

The sixth straight conference victory for Marion solidified the Pats' grasp on third place in a crowded 5A East field. Marion (12-7 overall, 6-2 5A East) is still tied with Valley View for third in the standings, but the Patriots own the head-to-head tiebreaker after sweeping the Blazers at home on March 31.

Marion erased a 5-2 deficit in the sixth inning of the first contest by exploding for nine runs over the final three frames of the game, including a four-run rally in the sixth, with two more in the seventh to take an 8-5 lead to the bottom of the seventh.

That's when Paragould countered the Pats, scoring three times to tie the contest before stranding the potential winning run at third base when Marion's Kendall Eppes recorded the third out of the inning on an unassisted grounder to first base.

The Patriots took advantage in the eighth inning when junior all-state performer Kolbie Triplett struck a one-out single, followed by a hit by senior centerfielder Kaitlyn Austin, leading to all-state performer and Florida Atlantic commit Kayson “KBelle” McClain plating both with a line drive to left field for a 10-8 Marion advantage.

Marion sophomore Kynlee Shaull delivered an insurance run when she singled in McClain, and the Patriots carried a three-run lead to the home half of the eighth.

That's when McClain slammed the door, working a perfect eighth inning, including a pair of strikeouts, to claim the victory for Marion.
The Patriots pounded out 15 hits in the first ballgame, and the top seven batters in the order had at least one hit, with six recording multiple hits, including Triplett (2-5 in the first game with a run scored), Austin (2-5 with two runs), McClain (3-4 with three RBI, two runs and a walk), Eppes (3-5 with a run and an RBI), Madelyn Hamrick (2-4 with two runs and a walk), Hailey Bateman (2-5 with three RBI and a run).

Shaull and McClain covered all eight innings inside the circle in the first contest, with Shaull earning the start and spinning 6.1 effective innings, allowing just three earned runs (eight in all), before giving way to McClain in the seventh. The junior worked the final 1.2 frames, striking out a pair of Rams and allowing no hits.

But the Rams were undaunted in the nightcap, scoring four times in the bottom of the first inning and adding a solo tally in the third for a 5-0 lead that held until the fourth.

That's when Shaull led Marion's half of the fourth off with a single before moving up on a fielder's choice, and she completed her trip around the bags when Hamrick stroked a double to right field to move Marion within 5-1.

Marion got three more in the fifth, all with two outs.

The uprising began when Austin and McClain reached on errors with two away, and Austin came around on a wild pitch to get Marion within 5-2.

Shaull made the extra opportunities haunt Paragould when she deposited a 3-0 pitch behind the centerfield fence for a dramatic two-run home run that pushed the Pats within 5-4 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

Marion produced more two-out magic in the sixth when Ashlynn Howard was hit by a pitch with two down, and Triplett advanced the rally with a bunt single.

Austin came up clutch again with a hit to left field that plated Howard and Triplett, a two-run single that gave Marion its first lead at 6-5.

McClain delivered Austin with a double before Shaull, and Eppes produced runs by reaching on errors, and when the smoke cleared, Marion enjoyed a 9-5 lead.

Inside the circle, McClain claimed her second victory of the twinbill by twirling seven innings, striking out seven batters, and surrendering just six hits and a single earned run.

Triplett (2-5 with a run), Austin (3-5 with two runs and two RBI), McClain (2-5 with two runs and an RBI), Shaull (2-4 with two RBI and a run), Eppes (1-4 with a run), Hamrick (1-4 with an RBI) and Bateman (2-4) accounted for Marion's 13 hits, and the Patriots only struck out three times in the nightcap.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Marion hosts Wynne for a non-conference tilt on Thursday afternoon, a varsity/junior varsity doubleheader that begins at 4:30. That contest will not be available on the Marion Patriots Activities Network.

5A EAST RESULTS FROM 4/14
Marion 11, Paragould 8 (8 innings)
Marion 9, Paragould 6

Searcy 16, W. Memphis 1
Searcy 13, W. Memphis 1

Greene Co. Tech 10, Batesville 1
Greene Co. Tech 10, Batesville 1

Valley View 4, Nettleton 3
Valley View 14, Nettleton 4

5A EAST STANDINGS ON 4/15
SCHOOL CONF. RECORD
Greene Co. Tech 8-0
Searcy 8-0
Marion 6-2
Valley View 6-2
Batesville 2-6
Paragould 2-6
W. Memphis 0-8
Nettleton 0-8
Top four teams qualify for state tournament May 14-16 at Greene Co. Tech.

5A EAST SERIES ON 4/21
W. Memphis at Marion
Searcy at Batesville
Greene Co. Tech at Valley View
Nettleton at Paragould