(March 24, 2026) Shreveport, Louisiana - After sweeping back-to-back weekend of Region 2 doubleheaders, the ladies are on Spring Break, but there was no breaks for the Bucks. UARM went 3 hours south on Tuesday for a doubleheader with Baton Rouge Community College. The games were played at Centenary College of Louisiana.
Game One
Baton Rouge took an early 1-0 lead after an inning of play, but the rest of the game was all Bucks. Kinley Rankin (Horatio, AR) hit a 2-run bomb down the left field line that gave the ladies the lead, and they never looked back. In the third inning, Abby Ward (Bella Vista, AR) picked up a RBI single to right field. Next at-bat, Kensley Allen (Muskogee, OK) scored Ward from second base on a RBI double to take a 4-1 lead.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Bucks went back to work at the plate in the fifth for a couple more runs. With a couple of runners on and 2 outs, Rankin reached on an error that allowed both runners to score. After a scoreless bottom half of the fifth, the Bucks had their biggest inning of the game. Linley Collins (Whitesboro, OK) led off the inning with a triple before scoring on a Emily Stout (Vilonia, AR) RBI single over the first basemen's head. Then, Cole scored Stout on a line drive to centerfield. After a pair of outs that included a Ward sac bunt, Allen came through once again with an RBI double that ended the scoring for the Bucks.
In the bottom half, Hayden White (Red Oak, OK) returned to the circle. She gave up a lead off double, but some help from her defense prevented that run from scoring on an assist from centerfielder Brooke Tyler (Gainesville, TX). Tyler delivered a perfect ball to home plate to prevent the run from scoring for the second out of the innining. White then got a groundout as the ladies run-ruled Baton Rouge in 6-innings. White (4-1) pitched all 7.0 innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 7 hits.
Game Two
The second game of the day was a good, old fashioned pitcher's dual. Abi Koppein (Mena, AR) was in the circle for UARM and cruised through three innings, only giving up a hit. Baton Rouge recorded a single in each of the fourth and fifth innings, but there was no threat of scoring. In the sixth inning, BRCC had 2 runners in scoring position, but a pop out and great defensive play by Kinley Rankin in right field kept the Lady Bears from scoring. Once again in the seventh, BRCC led off with a double, but once again, Koppein got a ground out and fly out to get out of the jam.
With the game deadlocked at 0-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Emily Stout led off with a double over the rightfielder's head. It was only the Bucks second hit of the game. The other hit came from Ashlen VanMeter (Brock, TX) with a double of her own in the bottom of the second. With Stout on second, Lynden Cole almost matched Stout with a solid hit to right field that allowed Stout to tag up from second to third base. VanMeter came to the plate and on a 1-2 count, Stout scored from third base on a wild pitch to walk it off against the Lady Bears, 1-0.
Koppein (8-2) went the distance, giving up 0 runs on 6 hits. The lefthander struck out 5 and did not allow a free base to BRCC.
The ladies will now return home and conclude their Spring Break with region doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday at Cummings-Cecil Field. Friday is against ASU Three Rivers, and Saturday is against National Park.
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