Blytheville teams fall to GCT

Greene County Tech swept through Blytheville with the strong winds and left sweeping both softball and baseball doubleheaders without yielding a run to either squad.

Softball came up a run short in the first game losing just 1-0 before succumbing to 13-0 defeat in the second game of the two-game set. Meanwhile, in baseball, the Chicks lost 10-0 and 13-0 to one of the top teams in the 5A classification.

In game one of the girls softball game, Blytheville pitcher Taylor Tiffany scattered four hits and didn't allow an earned run while striking out 12 but her counterpart, Shayna Beaver, was just a little bit better. Beaver allowed just two hits and the Tech defense didn't allow a Lady Chick to get past first base securing the win.

Tech's lone run came on a fielding error in the second inning. The Lady Eagles threatened to break the game open in the top of the seventh. Tech put runners at second and third with nobody out but Tiffany slammed the door on a big inning by striking out the next three batters.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Maddy Ellis hit a one-out single setting the stage for Tiffany to bring in the tying run but Beaver got Tiffany to ground into a force out and then struck out Lasi McGhee to end the game.

The first game may have taken too much out of the Lady Chicks because Tech used a nine-run fourth inning to beat Blytheville (7-18, 1-11 5A-East), 13-0, in game two. Beaver once again allowed just two hits over five complete innings of work.

"I was extremely proud of how the girls competed with such a disciplined team like GCT," said Lady Chicks head coach and Tech alum, Keleen Newsom. "We gave ourselves a chance to come back and win but came up a little bit short."

The Lady Chicks will take on Caruthersville, Mo. at 4:30 p.m. on Friday at the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex. The Chickasaw baseball team heads to Naylor, Mo. on Friday for a game at 4 p.m.

afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com