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Stuttgart after a 9-8 win over Brookland.
The Stuttgart Lady Ricebirds relaxed on Thursday afternoon, awaiting word of their quarterfinal opponent in the 4A State Tournament. At 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, they had their answer when Pea Ridge defeated Camden Fairview 3-0.
Pea Ridge’s win sets up a rematch of the 2017 4A quarterfinals when Stuttgart advanced to the semifinals with a 7-4 win over the Lady Blackhawks.
Pea Ridge enters today’s game 19-7 overall after going 5-2 in the 4A-1 conference, good enough for third place in the league.
The Lady Blackhawks finished second in the 4A North Regional. Pea Ridge has won seven of their last ten games since a 10-1 loss to Farmington on April 19.
After four postponements due to poor field conditions, Stuttgart finally had their tussle with the Brookland Lady Bearcats on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The game, originally scheduled for noon the previous day, was rescheduled multiple times following heavy rain in northeast Arkansas.
When the first pitch finally did arrive, the Lady Ricebirds were tasked with knocking off the regionals’ host team in less than desirable playing conditions.
Stuttgart got on the board in the bottom of the first inning before Brookland exploded for five runs in the top of the third. The Ladybirds added a run in the fourth, but once again, Brookland put up a crooked number in the top of the fifth to take an 8-2 lead.
The Stuttgart Lady Ricebirds, the 2021 4A East Regional Champions.
Call the Stuttgart Lady Ricebirds the comeback kids. Better yet, call them the champs. Twice on Saturday, Stuttgart came from behind to pick up wins in the 4A East Regional, defeating Brookland in the semifinals and Valley View in the championship game. As a result, Stuttgart claimed the 4A East Regional title and a first-round bye in this week’s 4A state tournament.
The Championship Game: Stuttgart 5 Valley View 4
The regional final pitted the top two seeds against one another at Bearcat Field in Brookland, Arkansas.
Stuttgart advanced to the final with a 9-8 win over Brookland earlier in the day, while Valley View knocked off Jonesboro Westside 13-0. The game also pitted the two best pitchers in the tournament against each other, Stuttgart’s Emma Banks and Valley View’s Riley Smith.
The Stuttgart Lady Ricebirds. (Photo courtesy of Katie Hord)
Five runs in the bottom of the second inning proved to be more than enough for Stuttgart against Southside Batesville as the Ladybirds claimed a 6-2 win. The game was the first of the day in the 4A East Regional and pitted the no. 1 seed Lady Ricebirds against the 4A-3’s no. 4 seed, Southside Batesville.
Emma Banks tossed a complete-game five-hitter in the win, picking up her 20th victory of 2021. Banks also went one out of three at the plate, scoring a run and driving in another.
Stuttgart’s Ladybirds did most of their damage in a five-run second inning. Abby Stratton led the inning off by reaching on an error by first baseman Chloe McCance. That was followed by back-to-back bunt singles from Erin Ludwig and Ashton Ludwig, loading the bases with no outs.