Page 30 - RVO Diamond Roundup March 2017

30VV
SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 | RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASEBALL & SOFTBALL REVIEW
WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY EAGLES
Timely hits needed for success at West Side
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
Last year, the West Side Greers Ferry Eagles lost a lot of close games be- cause they couldn’t get timely hits with runners in scoring positions.
“Especially with two outs,” head coach Shane Davis said. “And with such a young team this year, it may be a challenge again.”
West Side finished 12-9 last season, qualify- ing for the state tournament but losing to Taylor 5-2 in the first round. The Eagles have just three starters returning, including all-conference se- nior pitcher Gage Hewitt and senior outfielder Randon Carlton.
“They will be our 3-4 this year, so we will need a lot of production with runners in scoring po- sition from them,” Davis said. “The key will be setting the table for them.”
Hewitt had a .293 batting average last season with a .379 on-base percentage, 10 stolen bases
WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY BASEBALL
Conference: 1A-2 South
Coach: Shane Davis
Assistant coach: Derreck Birmingham 2016 record: 12-9
Mascot: Eagles
Returning starters: Gage Hewitt,
Randon Carlton and Chandler Moran
and 18 runs scored. He also had 2-0 record with a 3.11 ERAand two saves. Carlton had a .364 batting average with a .417 OBP and nine stolen bases.
Returning starter Chandler Moran, a junior, batted .211 with seven stolen bases and a .286 OBP.
“We will need newcomers Brice McClendon and Robbie Schmidt to fill some key roles from last year,” Davis said. “Both have played a lot coming up, just not at the high school level yet, sohopefully, they will contribute right away.
“We will also have at least four in our everyday lineup with minimal experience at any level, so hopefully, they will get better as the year pro- gresses.”
Davis, who is in his fifth year at West Side
BIGELOW SOFTBALL
MARCH 27 ................................ @GUY-PERKINS* MARCH 28 ..................WHITE COUNTY CENTRAL* MARCH 30 .................................... NEMO VISTA* APRIL 3 ................................... @SACRED HEART APRIL 4 ............................. MAUMELLE CHARTER APRIL 6 .................... SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH* APRIL 10 ..................................@WONDERVIEW* APRIL 11 ........................@CONWAY ST. JOSEPH* APRIL 13 ........................................... MAGAZINE APRIL 17 ......................MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA* APRIL 18 ........................................@PANGBURN
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
BIGELOW BASEBALL
MARCH 27 ................................ @GUY-PERKINS* MARCH 28 ....................WHITE COUNTY CENTRAL MARCH 30 .................................... NEMO VISTA* APRIL 3 ................................... @SACRED HEART APRIL 4 ............................. MAUMELLE CHARTER APRIL 6 ....................SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH* APRIL 10 ....................................@WONDERVIEW APRIL 11 ........................@CONWAY ST. JOSEPH* APRIL 13 ........ FAULKNER COUNTY HOMESCHOOL APRIL 17 ........................MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA APRIL 18 ........................................@PANGBURN APRIL 21 .................................@ABUNDANT LIFE
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
MARCH 28 ....................................BRADFORD MARCH 30 ............................... @PANGBURN* MARCH 31 ...................................... QUITMAN APRIL 3 ......................................... SHIRLEY*
APRIL 10 ... FAULKNER COUNTY HOMESCHOOL APRIL 13 .................................. @CONCORD* APRIL 17 ...................................... MIDLAND* APRIL 18 .....................................@SHIRLEY* APRIL 24 .............@SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH
APRIL 4
APRIL 6
APRIL 7 ......................................@MIDLAND*
..................................... @BRADFORD ........................................... CLINTON
APRIL 25
.................................. CALICO ROCK *DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY SOFTBALL
MARCH 28 ....................................BRADFORD MARCH 30 ............................... @PANGBURN* MARCH 31 ...................................... QUITMAN APRIL 3 ........................................... SHIRLEY APRIL 4 ..................................... @BRADFORD APRIL 7 ......................................@MIDLAND*
with an overall record of 53-30, said he is not too concerned about the new blended league.
“We already have six of them in our con- ference and five in the district,” Davis said. “So we won’t be facing anything we haven’t already seen.”
APRIL 10 ... FAULKNER COUNTY HOMESCHOOL APRIL 11 ................ @MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA APRIL 17 ...................................... MIDLAND* APRIL 24 .............@SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH APRIL 25 .................................. CALICO ROCK
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
With so many players out for basketball, the team has yet to get quality practice.
“With our basketball team qualifying for post- season, it has limited our practice time,” Davis said. “It will affect us more this year than the previous four with so much youth on the team.”
SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH LADY HORNETS
SOUTH SIDE SOFTBALL continued from 28VV
At the state tournament at Mountain Home, the Lady Hornets fell to Kirby in the opening round, 5-4. Nemo Vista went on to win the state title, 8-7, over Concord in eight innings.
After Arkansas Activities Association re- alignment, South Side in 2017 will play in the 1A-2 South Conference with Bradford, Con- cord, Midland and West Side Greers Ferry. The top four teams from the district tournament will advance to the Region 3 Tournament.
During the regular season, the Lady Hornets will play in combined conference 1A/2A District 7 against Bigelow, Conway
Christian, Guy-Perkins, Mount Vernon-Enola, Nemo Vista, Quitman, Sacred Heart, St. Joseph and Wonderview.
So it’s a loaded schedule.
Still, the Lady Hornets are optimistic.
“I expect us to compete in our combined
conference, which will prepare us for our dis- trict tournament,” Bradford said. “I expect us to return to the state tournament.”
Thus the district tournament is the key to a postseason run.
“We will go back [from combined- conference play] with four other schools for our district, and they will all be competitive, well-coached teams,” Bradford said.
SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH SOFTBALL
MARCH 27 ........................ @SACRED HEART* MARCH 28 ....................... HARDING ACADEMY MARCH 30 ................... @CONWAY ST. JOSEPH APRIL 3 ..................................WONDERVIEW* APRIL 6 ...................................... @BIGELOW* APRIL 10 ................. MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA*
APRIL 11 .................................... @CONCORD APRIL 13 .................... @CONWAY CHRISTIAN* APRIL 17 ...................................... QUITMAN* APRIL 20 ....................................@MIDLAND* APRIL 24 .............. WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
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