(March 3, 2025) Fort Scott, Kansas - After a doubleheader sweep to kick off region play over ASU Three Rivers, the Bucks had a quick turn around and about a 4.5 hour drive to Kansas on Monday for a non-region doubleheader against Fort Scott Community College. This was the first ever match up between both schools in any sport. 

Game One

The first game of the day was a pitcher's dual. Lindsey Smyth (Mansfield, TX) was in the circle for the Bucks and held the Lady Greyhounds at bay for most of the game. The Bucks gave her run support in the top of the sixth inning. Jaliyah Simmons (Muskogee, OK) reached first base and stole second before Emma Reynolds (Cayuga, TX) drove her home to make it 1-0 in favor of the Bucks.

Looking to close out the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, Smyth ran into some trouble and loaded the bases. Her day was over as Holly Raney (Mayflower, AR) took the reigns and gave up a fielder's choice that plated a run for Fort Scott to tie the game and sent it to extra innings.

The game was scoreless in the eighth, but the Bucks found a way in the top of the ninth inning. After a Reynolds double and Brenli Baker (Enid, OK) single, Kate Daigle (Rayne, LA) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate a run. Raney returned in the circle in the bottom half and worked a 1, 2, 3 inning to secure the 2-1 win in nine innings for the Bucks.

Smyth pitched 6.0 innings, giving up 1 run on 2 hits. She would strike out 2 and walked 3 in the no decision. Holly Raney (3-3) pitched the last 3.0 innings, giving up 0 runs on 2 hits and struck out 4 in the win.

Game Two

The Bucks used the momentum from the first game and plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. With a runner on, Emma Reynolds hit a RBI single to right field, and she would score on a Kate Daigle RBI double to left field to make it 2-0 in favor of the Bucks.

Maggie Pate (Hughes Springs, TX) got the ball in the circle with the lead and went to work. She kept the Lady Greyhounds at bay through four innings to bring the Bucks back to the plate in the top of the fifth inning. With 1 out and a runner on base, Jaliyah Simmons hit her seventh home run of the season over the centerfield fence to give the Bucks a 4-0 lead. 

Pate continue her day until she ran into some trouble in the bottom of the sixth and her day would end. Addisyn Wright (Buffalo Valley, OK) entered the contest with 2 outs and a pair of runners on base. She would walk her first batter, but got a ground out to get out of the inning with the bases loaded and kept the Lady Greyhounds scoreless in the game.

The Bucks would strand base runners in the seventh to send Wright back out to the circle. She loaded the bases for Fort Scott, but she got a strike out and a double play on an interference call to end the game. The ladies took both games over Fort Scott: 2-1 and 4-0. 

Maggie Pate (2-1) would throw 5.2 innings, giving up 0 runs on 1 hit. She struck out 1 and walked 5 in the win. Wright pitched the final 1.1 innings, giving up 0 runs on 3 hits and struck out 1 in the outing. 

The Bucks now return home for a doubleheader on Thursday against Southeast Arkansas College. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm at Cummings-Cecil Field.

#DefendTheMountain