Welcome everybody into the Benton Sports Athletic complex.

We are halfway through our 2021 state softball championships with three winners crown and three still left to go and in chest, about 90 minutes from now.

One of these two teams will be taking home their first state championship.

In program history.

Hello again, I am Dorian craft alongside former Arkansas Razorback Sidney Parkinsoni, both moral Tynan Bee Ridge, have something in common, and that is speed, speed and more speed.

And of course, as a former lefty slapper yourself, you know that speak and present a lot of problems.

So how do you defend against it?

Will Dorian plan for this to be a fast paced game?

Moralton has a lefty predominant lineup.

As for Pea Ridge coach Josh Reynolds, he loves small ball.

So how do you defend it?

The first of all, it starts in the mound, you've gotta be.

Pretty solid on the mound, but also you just have to play clean defense.

Well, you know it does help to have a standout pitcher on the mound, which of course the Moralton Devil dogs have in McKenna Keaton, the senior, she has been phenomenal for them this year.

She has been phenomenal.

She is over 270 strikeouts.

That is unheard of.

She throws a really great rise curve.

Screw a changeups.

She spins the ball well.

She doesn't use the drop ball much.

She sits in the upper 50s low.

60s.

These two teams know each other very well.

They played just about two weeks ago in the regional final in the tournament.

In that game world in one, eight to two, Keaton had 12 strikeouts.

That is something that coach Josh Reynolds.

We paying attention to.

They worked on that, coming up until now, trying to make sure that they counteract cut down on that number of strikeouts and it will be Blakely win Allevi Arena.

Aiden de Berry.

To start things off for the Lady Blackhawks, followed by Kelly Cooper, Dallas White.

Malia holiday.

Emily Beck, Ashley early, an raving Cawthon, rounding out the lineup as we get set for the first pitch here in the four a state softball championship.

As we mentioned, neither one of these teams has a state championship in their history.

One of them.

It's going to change just a little bit.

You're exactly right, Dorian is, you know.

You all are kind of seeing on the screen here.

Moralton has a huge crowd.

They've got the pompoms out.

They are ready.

Period with a pretty good crowd as well.

And we are underway as Heaton throws a strike to start the game.

And that's a great first pitch.

First pitch of the game first pitch strike.

I really have a feeling that McKenna Keaton, she's gonna throw out these hitters early on.

That one stays low for ball one and.

Blakely wind been causing problems at the top of this lineup for teams going up against peerage.

One of the fastest players in the state, she won the four, a state 100 meter dash earlier this month in a time of 12.62.

Jumped out of the way of that one, but it's called for strike two, and as we're seeing from McKenna Keaton right here, she spins the ball really well.

Blakely win just trying to settle in.

Get her first at bat.

See a lot of pitches.

That's what's needed in the beginning of the ball game is to see a lot of pitches.

The 1/2.

Hammered but foul.

And you know, sometimes from athletes when they have a lot of speed, you don't necessarily see them on the right side, you more so see them on the left side that she has speed and a lot of power.

When leading this Lady Blackhawks lineup and batting average coming in at 5:18 on the day 43 hits, seven doubles, a triple and six home runs for win.

Is that one stays outside for Ball 2 and that's barely off the plate.

That's a great curveball by McKenna Keaton.

Not a bad pitch in that count, right there to try to get Blakely wind to chase.

The two two from Keyton.

**** ** the ground ranging ball.

Just in time to get the speedy win.

And that's a great play by Gracie Thomas.

I don't really know if when necessarily thought that she was out.

That was a Bang Bang play.

That's exactly what you get when they're speed.

You've gotta play clean defense.

Just got her.

That less than a half a step is Thomas making the strong throw over to 1st in time to get win and get it out to start the top of the first year in the four A state championship is coming up right behind her alyvia Raina, who is also one of these speedsters at the top of this peerage lineup.

Arania hitting 239.

I found that one back off the glove.

And as we're seeing here, rain, yeah, she's going to stand in and hit, but you know this lefty hitter, it just gives you a different perspective.

She's closer to first base, that's.

The high note of being on the left side.

2.

Tap back to Keaton over to 1st in time for the easy out.

And for McKenna Keaton, I don't think she's too upset about what's happened so far in the first two batters, two ground ball outs.

This is what you want to see early on.

Sometimes there can be some nerves, but it looks as though she's already settled in.

Or in steps eight and eight.

De Bear, we've had a lot of berries here today between.

The first game between.

Bentonville in Conway and then here today.

But Edenderry de Berry.

I am going to get that right before the end of the broadcast size, but so my promise.

I am so sorry.

Aiden de Berry, one of the best hitters on this peerage lineup and she will be in the circle to start the bottom half of the 1st.

She gets frozen by the change up and there's that change upon the kinnakeet and she throws that pitch so well and I like seeing her through that in an 01 count.

Two outs the 02.

Tap back to Keaton.

Gets the out at first as peerage goes down in order in the top of the first inning we head to the bottom of the first year watching the Centennial State Softball Championships on Arkansas.

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We are in the bottom of the first sitting here in the four A state championship between the morals and devil dogs.

Andy's peerage, Lady Blackhawks, and Aiden de Berry.

Grounded out to end the first inning, but she will get set to go in the mountain.

De Berry has been fantastic for the Lady Blackhawks 20 and five on the year.

Yeah, and Aiden de Berry.

She pitches, she sits around 57 to 59.

She throws a great fastball, screwball, curveball, rise, change.

And one thing that Josh Reynolds talked about is he doesn't like to throw a lot of waste pitches.

He likes his pictures to attack the hitters and stay in the zone.

De Berry has certainly attacked hitters this year, 198 strikeouts on the season nyare of 1.92.

Giving up 45 earned runs on the year and she will face a powerful lineup featuring Gracie Thomas, Marley Heidenreich and Cheyenne Kemp to start things off.

As Thomas takes ball too low and away in coach Benny Boteach, she's talked about how Gracie Thomas she's the catalyst for their lineup.

She's hitting over 450.

She's also another player that we've seen this week who is a you see a commit.

Lots of future bears.

Not one sent out to left, but right at.

The left fielder there to make the out that ball hit on a rope.

Gracie Thomas cannot be mad about that.

That that is part of the game hitting the ball hard just right at players, but Sierra Huffman does a great job reading this off the bat, coming in to make the grab.

That's not always an easy catch.

All those loud outs doesn't matter how hard you hit the ball in the book, it could be the same as a strikeout.

Marley heidenreich shows, but pulls back.

Heidenreich is a slapper in this lineup.

She's a triple threat.

She has all of the tools and she's not just good at, you know, power slapping your budding.

She's good at all of it.

Heidenreich heading 4:30.

46 hits again goes for the slap or the soft but rather funds it foul.

Quickly down to into in the count.

In Sydney, this is something we're going to see all day from Walton, a predominantly lefty heavy lineup.

She leaves at 1 high Football, 1 right Dorian and this is what coach Benny Poteet.

She loves to have lefties in our lineup as we've talked about earlier, speed never slumps.

It puts a lot of pressure on the defense.

You know, these are high school athletes.

They're still developing.

So to put it in play and make them work is a great thing.

Slice down the line foul.

Five of the hitters in these in the Devil Dogs line apart from the left side only for right handers.

That is an incredibly unusual situation, especially at the high school level.

Force coach Benny Poteet, Plate or coached, rather under Dave Q and at you seeing a very lefty heavy.

Approach himself as that one, again fouled back and I'm sure she learned a lot from Coach Q and you know he loves loves, loves speed and his lineup.

He talks about it.

His motto is speed never slumped so I'm sure she was around that.

Really enjoyed watching that type of ball being played and that's what she's developed here.

Certainly coach humans influence being felt all over to this weekend.

Is that one?

Taking low for Ball 2 is the count evens at two and two.

It's a great job by Heidenreich.

Sometimes a slapper.

Getting down in the count you want to chase that outside pitch 'cause you don't want to get beat there, but that's a great take by her.

Just to showcase how effective with soft slap or she is Heidenreich with 46 hits on the year, they're all singles as she puts that one in play to short.

And a nice play gets or by a step.

That's a really good play by rainy, and that's not a bad soft slap that Heidenreich just had.

I think if it would have been a tad bit softer between the pitcher, third baseman and shortstop shortstop, excuse me, I think she would most definitely have been safe.

And that brings up the point.

This is a turf field.

Moralton plays on a traditional dirt and grass, so it's going to be a little bit slower than the turf at Benton.

Does there exactly right, it makes a little bit different.

If that was dirty, I think it would have been softer.

Turf makes it faster.

Cheyenne Kemp with a big swing her strike one.

Shane Kemp she is a powerful bat in this lineup.

She does not get cheated.

Coach Benny Poteat talked about.

The 01 that one way outside and it was Kemp that had the big hit in that regional final win over peerage back on May 8th.

A Grand Slam and not really all that was necessary for Moralton in that game.

And she's also a player in this lineup that has a lot of speed.

Let's talk about the connection between she and Blakely when she came back.

She came in second place behind.

Blakely went in the 48 state track meet that one driven out to deep center field.

That ball is gone.

Cheyenne Kemp gets Moralton on the board verse with a line drive home run over the centerfield fence.

Talk about having speed she didn't have to use that here.

She absolutely blast that pitch over the center field fence.

This ball was a little bit elevated up in the zone and she got all of that.

The fans knew it right off the bat that she had hit that over the fence and here it is again.

She stayed through that so well, has so much power you wanna talk about speed?

Let's talk about the exit below that that Ball had on it coming off of the bat.

That ball got out of here.

In a hurry, in what a way to start off your very first state championship game, then to get a home run in the bottom of the first.

Can't ask for much more than that, and talking about exit speed, that wasn't just the popup that barely cleared the fence.

I mean, show that wasn't dry.

De Berry will have to find a way to reset is Taylor Berry steps to the plate and this is one of the very few ritis in their lineup.

Coach Benny Poteat talked about her to having great energy and presence.

The 10 that one caught the corner.

Very a junior hitting 380 on the year 46 hits.

Some pop in the bat, five doubles, 25 RBI's in 30 runs.

Takes the one one on the inside part of the plate, and that's not a bad pitch right there in a 11 count that's barely up in the zone.

I think right now for eight and a Berry, she just needs to understand it's still early in the game that was that was a home run hit off of her, but she just needs a settle and there's still a lot of game left one too.

Didn't miss by much, but it stays down to even the count at two and two.

And you know, sometimes as a hitter, it's kind of weird coming off of, you, know your teammate before you hitting a home run, getting settled into your at bat.

The two two.

Fouled back and Barry stays alive.

That's another great pitch by Aidan day berries.

We see her throw that low rise high and inside the Berry.

Got a little bit of law and order going on here at the Benton Sports Athletic Complex.

I know full house here tonight to watch the Moralton Devil dogs in the peerage.

Lady Blackhawks go head to head for the for a state title and it has been so fantastic to see fans finally back out in the stands after having a year in which we don't even have any softball.

That's right door and it is so great to see.

Change up driven back up the middle.

That is, off the glove of Aiden de Berry.

Re directed out of the region, Taylor Berry is going to get on.

That's a great job at Taylor Berry in a 22 count as she saw the change up throw by 8 and a Berry.

She kept her hands back, hitting it back up the middle.

That's a great job with that pitch.

I think that's a hit.

That ball was hard hit up the middle.

I most definitely think that's a hit that that's really tough for De Berry to try to glove.

Lauren Reynolds looks at it.

Slow for BO1.

Right now Moralton is already making some noise in the bottom of the first.

This is how you want to start off the bottom of the first inning.

Found out of play.

I haven't updated the scoreboard yet to say whether or not that was in fact a hit or an error, I'm going to go ahead and save the hit.

I think most definitely it was hit hard enough in my scorebook.

Up here.

That's a hit.

Scientists state final give her head.

The one one.

Stays low on Reynolds.

We talked about how difficult the top of the peerage order is, but the same thing goes for the Moralton Devil Dogs.

Reynolds batting 339 as she leaves it.

His account runs to three and one so far.

These last two pitches that day.

Barry stone.

She's trying to throw screw.

She's losing it just a little bit, but that's a good job by Reynolds.

Laying off of that.

31 concede a Berry.

Almost questioning that when she had her hands out at the end, kind of asking where is that ball, and I think that's when Kelly Cooper should.

Kind of, you know, ask the umpire.

Hey where did that miss just so she can relay the message to know what she needs to do the next time she goes that pitch.

No hurry.

Insteps the picture mechanic eating in a big spot.

Here in the bottom of the first as she takes.

Strike one in keeping with a huge opportunity here 2 on two out.

With a chance for a little extra insurance to pod.

At Ball drill back up the middle.

She's going to be waved around home.

There's a blade, the blade.

And the tag is not in time.

And that is a great piece of hitting by the kinnakeet and she's already gotten it done on the mountain.

The top of the first comes up with a big hit with two outs.

Blast that back up the middle, right back where it came from.

That's a great throw to home.

By Blakely win.

But Taylor barely just does a good job with the hook slide to get underneath the tag.

Very in just out of the reach of Cali Cooper, Keaton stung that ball back up the middle and Moralton has jumped out to a two run lead here in the bottom of the first.

This moral 10 lineup.

It is explosive.

We've talked about it being a lefty Domit predominant lineup, but they're so explosive and every facet, whether it be this small ball hitting a home run, really having a lot of power.

Madison Garrett into courtesy run for McKenna Keaton.

Olivia Self takes a strike on the outside.

The crowd not really agreeing with it.

I think they thought it was a tad bit off the plate, but that's a good first pitch.

To self.

Lined out to center field with a nice play.

Made on the warning track.

By Blakely win, and that is going to end the inning.

But moral team gets to on a home run in an RBI single as they take the lead here in the bottom of the first rule, we are headed to the second.

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AARP BS Sports would certainly love to conversate with you and we appreciate you listening here on Arkansas PBS as we head to the top of the second in the four A state championship peerage head coach Josh Reynolds heading out to third base and sending.

We talked to him for a few minutes as the teams were getting warmed up.

We asked him how he was feeling.

He said he'd let us know in a few hours.

I'm thinking he's feeling a little bit worse right now given how the game has started.

Still plenty of opportunity for the Lady Blackhawks to get right back into this, right?

There's still a lot of game left.

Kelly Cooper takes it balleau.

Kelly Cooper is a hitter in this lineup that coach Reynolds talked about being a true freshman.

She brings a lot to this team.

That boss is just a little bit high.

Generi checks down at third base.

They say no, she did not go.

Is Allison Aiken down there along the third baseline?

That ball fouled back out of play, so we talked to.

We talked to head coach Jennifer Bini Poteat about the last time that Moralton and peerage matched up.

She said that she likes to watch a lot of film and learn from what they did the last time.

She said that their approach last time was to really throw their pictures inside.

In learning from the hits that they had off of McKenna Keaton, just to be better, this time that she faces a powerful lineup like peerage.

A lot can change between two games.

Even though moralton.

The peerage is that ball is found.

Is there enough room?

It comes down on the Devil Dog dugout.

But Cindy, you know, a lot can change playing an opponent so close to one another between a state championship game in a regional final.

You know, it gives you a little bit of familiarity, and so sometimes familiarity can be a good thing for the team that lost the first go round.

Apple finds its way to the backstop is the count moves to three and two.

That's exactly right during you know you get to play each other really scope out all of the players individually.

The team as a whole.

You know what did, what went well.

What was successful?

OK, what wasn't so successful?

Let's learn from that.

Make the adjustment so that we can be better the next time that we match up.

The three two.

That one lifted high in the air.

In a fantastic grab out in left by Heidenreich, that was a great job by Hayden right off the bat.

I think she was a little bit hesitant to see the depth of it.

She did a great job hustling in to make the grab.

No that number right now it's white Dallas White coming to the plate for peerage.

Batting 250 in the five spot.

Not one tap file to start the ABET?

And that's not a bad thing, right there, right now.

They didn't get a hit in the first inning for her to square around and but to make a little bit of noise, put pressure on the defense.

And this is something that coach Josh Reynolds love is the small ball 17 of whites, 21 hits on the year.

Our singles, two doubles, two triples.

So once again, even though she's hiding from the right side, so speed 'cause triples are hard to come by in the game of softball.

Leave that one upstairs.

They most definitely are during.

It's like right now.

We've been seeing a lot of it's either a home run, a base, it, or strikeout it.

It's not very often that you see a lot of doubles and triples.

Not a whole lot in between is.

Both of these pictures working quickly, the 11.

Curveball just misses outside.

Not a good pitch in that count that curveball it broke off the plate.

It ended up being a little bit off of it.

But that's a really solid pitch by Keaton.

That one miss is high.

And as we mentioned, Keaton has been dominant this year, over 270 strikeouts, 12 in that win over Pea Ridge in the regional final.

She had 19 in a loss against Dardanelle earlier this year.

Tapped on the ground.

Over to 1st in time.

Gracie Thomas collected it, got it over to 1st and that's a great play by Gracie Thomas.

You know routine ground ball that she really stuck with it as we've talked about.

Sometimes the turf can be a little bit different, but that's a great place to get that second out.

Holidays.

And to go back to your .19, strikeouts and a loss and a loss?

That's a heartbreaker.

That is a heartbreaker.

Darnell ended up scoring in that game on A at two errors and then a wild pitches is what ended up bringing in the game winning run.

Shows but.

Just misses it as she sends it back to the screen.

Holiday is another athlete that coach Reynolds really talks highly of.

He says that she is the hardest worker and that he never has to worry about her putting forth effort.

Having a little meeting at the mound between.

Keaton, Gracie, Thomas and Olivia Self out there to talk things over real quick.

I guess to talk things over.

I don't know if Olivia Self maybe out of pizza.

That ball.

I'm not quite sure why you guys never had conversations just to break up a game.

But you know yeah, it's going on.

BO1.

At one stays high, and that's that curveball that we're seeing when she gets ahead in the count ever so slightly.

She's really working that curveball on the outside part of the plate.

The one one fouled back over the press box.

As it comes back down, you gotta watch for those that you do have to watch for those.

There's a little cut out right there that I don't think the fans were so aware of.

We got a baseball onto the softball field earlier this afternoon as Cindy and I were sitting in the press box waiting for this game to start at startled us a little bit.

I think we weren't sure what it was.

The one to check swing fell.

Her check swing she could set that pretty fall through the same thing that ball carried quite a bit down the right field line.

I think that speaks a lot to the velocity with which mechanic he is throwing right now.

Yes, she does throw low 60s.

She is a pitcher that throws harder and she also really has a lot of spin, so you can't ask for much more than that.

1/2 on the ground.

The second ball had some hop.

Nice job by Grace Brown to stick with it and get it to 1st in time.

Again, three up, three down for Pea Ridge, we head to the bottom of the second with Moralton leading two to nothing.

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We are in the bottom of the second with moralton leading two to nothing here in the four A state championship.

That one popped back out of play.

As it is Grace Brown who made the defensive play to end the top of the second, followed by Lake in Lawrence and then we're back to the top of the line up with Gracie Thomas and Marley Heidenreich coming up after that.

The one one from Dave Barry shows bunt dropped on the ground de berries.

Gotta hurry.

Nice play to get Grace Brown by a step.

And that's a great play by 8 and a Berry.

She just pitched the ball then also filled out her position.

Well coming to get the bunt.

I think that was placed perfectly.

That would have been a little bit of a tough play by Emily Beck.

So that's a great job right there to get the first out.

You take a look at head coach Jennifer Bini Poteet and just her third year with the Moralton Devil Dogs took them to the state semifinals back in 2019.

In her first year and I asked her, the state of the program when she inherited.

She says it actually pretty good.

And oh, by the way, I just inherited it from my husband, Scott Poteat, who is now the head football coach at Hector.

You don't hear that often, Dorian.

Lake in Lawrence soft slap.

It's bobbled, it shorten Morantz on base for the Devil Dogs, and that's exactly what stoppers do best.

They create chaos just by putting the ball in play.

Having to make the defense work.

That was a perfectly placed ball.

Had a really good bounce to it, so really good piece of hitting for your first at Bat Lake in Lawrence, and to go back to coach Benny Poteet.

You don't hear that often about inheriting a program for your husband.

We usually see like a daughter, father kind of thing.

Gracie Thomas takes ball one.

We asked her whether or not he was backseat coaching this week as she prepared for the state championship and he said no, he's pretty much leaving me alone E. He knows what I he knows.

I know what I'm doing.

Thomas swings through the off speed and do you think that you think that's really you know?

Or do you think that's flowers for him?

Is he having to bite his tongue?

Oh, I need to let my wife just take this moment is my husband.

Completely kidding, but.

The one one from Deberry.

Just missed outside.

With Gracie Thomas batting over 450, I think that also speaks to how disciplined she is as a hitter.

To be able to have that high batting average, you also have to be pretty disciplined.

Thomas lined out to left in her first at bat.

De Berry again trying to stay outside on Thomas misses a wafer ball 3.

And this is something with the matching up.

Previously I think that you know, coach Josh, Josh Reynolds and Benny Poteet.

They've both been able to scope out the hitters to know how they're going to attack them **** ** the ground as short peerage tried to turn to, but not going to get the speedy Thomas.

But do get the lead runner in Grace Brown at second.

You know, with Aiden de Berry sticking to that outside part against Thomas, both of her hips have been to the left side.

She's gotten out both times, so I'm sure the next time.

True, she should expect to be pitched outside again.

That was Lincoln Lawrence, running that was.

Out six, four at second base.

Little bit of a conversation out in front of the moralton.

Dugout between home plate.

Umpire and coach Benny Poteet, Dan Horneri going out to talk to her.

Now he settles.

Back in behind home plate as we continue on here in the four A state championship in the bottom of the Second Devil Dogs up two with two outs in a one or on 1st.

And it will be Marley Heidenreich.

He was out on a Bang Bang play in the bottom of the first.

Take strike one that was another hit that was put in play.

That was really good, but it was good defensively.

They played clean defense to get her out.

On the ground ranging.

And not in time to get Heidenreich.

You know they throw behind Thomas, but she gets back to the base in time and Marlee Heidenreich with a two out single and there's that soft spot by Hayden, right?

That was perfectly placed exactly where you want that ball to be hit between the third baseman pitcher and shortstop where it dead ends.

Can't ask for much more than that.

As a former third baseman, I can tell you that ball, not an easy play for Emily Becker.

Alyvia rain.

Yeah, that's a third baseman's worst nightmare.

You're ranging over there as far as you can, but with someone who has the speed of Heidenreich is almost impossible to get him in time.

De Berry asks for the signals again, she's ready.

Camp shows but pulls back for ball one.

I think she just did that there to see what the defense would do.

You know there's two outs, but I think.

Coach Benny Poteet wanted to see what they would do.

Camp had the solo home run in the bottom of the first to start the scoring for the morals and Devil Dogs.

The 10 found backing out of play.

I think I heard some boos from the crowd.

She was all over that *****.

She's in a very aggressive hitter.

Swings about with a lot of intent, and that's what you really like to see.

Mind you almost have a Braxton Burnside.

Most definitely it was the most consistent swing every single swing she takes is with such intent.

Wanna talk about something that does not get cheated 'cause the 11 sales to the backstop?

Both runners will advance.

And now moralton.

With another big RBI opportunity with their number three batter up and runners at 2nd and 3rd, and you know Dorrian.

Both teams they have lefties in the lineup.

They put pressure on the defense but I think this just shows they've got two outs.

But what putting pressure on the defense does?

De Berry with a 21.

Staying away to Cheyenne camp.

And I know she doesn't want to throw to Cheyenne camp.

Probably also doesn't want to walk the bases full even with two low two outs.

No, because then you have Taylor Berry behind her who is also a great bat in the lineup.

The three one.

And that one high in outside Cheyenne camp will work a two out walk and now the bases are loaded for the Moralton Devil Dogs and Taylor buried, and I think Dave Berry right there.

She was trying to work around him to try to get her to chase and she didn't.

She stayed disciplined so here we are.

Bases loaded.

Two outs I think in her mind right now.

She's hoping for either strike out or come ball out.

Berry hit the ball harder last time up she had a single and ended up scoring on the single front.

McKenna Keaton.

As she holds off the curveball, it stayed outside.

Barry with 25 RBI's on the year.

Junior hitting 380 to 47 hits after a first it back.

High in the air, but it is playable.

Little bit of miscommunication but it is Emily back that hauls it in moralton loads the bases but fails to bring anybody in.

They still lead two to nothing as we head to the top of the third.

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Welcome back to Benton Sports athletic complex.

Today's student athlete of the game is Emma Banks from Stuttgart High School.

The sophomore pitcher holds a 3.8 GPA and she plans to continue her softball career at the collegiate level.

Congratulations Emma banks.

Certainly a lot to look forward to as she continues her career for the ricebirds.

That's exciting.

Getting getting to further your career.

And she's got two more years for Stutgart.

Certainly something to look forward to is Sydney is something you and I have talked about a lot.

The play of high school softball here in the state of Arkansas is certainly elevated over the last couple of seasons.

Oh most definitely.

And even from the time that I played I have seen it progressed so much.

I mean, we're getting to call for PBS the state championship games.

And you know, these games weren't, they weren't televised in years past.

The game is evolving so much we barely got televised when I was in college, so.

Congratulations as that ball sent out to right field but right at Cameron Hogan.

In Sydney so far.

No one from peerage able to reach base, but they have been able to put the bat on the ball against McKenna Keaton.

They sure have and the defense is playing well behind her right now and in a game like this.

That's exactly what you want is for your defense to play behind you.

She has a lot of strikeouts and we've talked about it earlier.

These pictures with high strikeout rates, they've just letting they've been letting their defense work behind him and get the outs.

Keaton slipping on the mound and coach Mini Petite, making sure that her star pitcher is OK. We saw a little bit of that yesterday with the weather in the area.

We had a couple of the pictures slipping, and again, that's just the difference of being on turf versus being used to a dirt field, right?

And it's a little bit nerve wracking, I'm not gonna lie.

I had a little scare whenever I was younger on wet turf.

It makes it a little bit more challenging as it is.

We have the coaches to talking to home plate umpire Dan Henry.

Little conversation is there is a question about whether or not that ball was a strike herpich.

I think everyone got a little caught up by Keaton slipping on the mound that no one really paid attention to what was actually going on around the plate.

The 01 tap to the right side.

Easy play.

Over it first for Taylor Berry.

Quickly, two outs in the inning and moralton's defense behind Keaton.

They've been so solid and it's been a really quick to inning so far when they've been out on defense.

Three up, three down in each of.

First two innings.

Is Raven coffin standing in for the Lady Blackhawks?

Boston hitting 152 on the season.

Ten hits, two doubles.

Strike and as we just saw there, she squared around to bunt to pull back.

Take her swing.

I think.

Right now she's trying to track keeton's pitches.

11 gets are swinging at the rise ball, and that's a great pitch that Keaton throws very well along the other 3 pitches that she throws well that rise ball.

She hasn't thrown at a ton, but she's thrown in counts as well as her curveball when she's ahead for a picture with 270 strikeouts.

Not one yet.

Is that one misses out of the zone.

I just can't get over 270 strikeouts.

No, it's good if you'd like touch 100 on the year.

22 tap back to Keaton.

Over to first one to three.

Once again, three up three down for mechanic Etinan the Moralton Bulldogs they take a 2 nothing lead into the bottom of the third.

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How about driven to the left field?

Corner by Lauren Reynolds jumps on the first pitch.

Ann is in there with a stand up double and that is exactly what she want to see from Reynolds being your leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third inning to get it going there.

Down by two runs.

What a perfect time then right now.

Excuse me, top of the fourth.

Mechanic heating one for one.

She had that absolute rocket back in the bottom of the first inning off the glove of eight, and a Berry that brought in Taylor Berry.

As she slices one out to right field.

Lauren Reynolds tags in advances to 3rd on the sacrifice fly, and that's a great job by Reynold knowing the depth of Raven cost them how far she was out there to tag in advance to 3rd and if your mechanic eaten, that's not a bad thing right?

There knocks the feet away from home doing your job.

Getting another runner in scoring position give you a little extra insurance when you're out there on the mound.

Insteps Olivia Self and Self lined out to center in her first set back.

Moralton 1 to 9 is hit the ball hard.

And she takes strike one.

They sure have, and I think that's what's to be expected of their lineup.

That's what they've done so well.

All season is one through 9 being consistent.

Self hitting two 6330 hits for the Sophomore, 34 RBI.

That one high in the air.

Reynolds tag she will try and score the throw.

On time, but it skips away as Lauren Reynolds slides in safely.

I'm not going to lie Dorian Sera Huffman coming in from left field to make the grab.

She was pretty close there.

That's not typically a ball.

You see someone tag on, but with the speed to test it this early in the game, that was a really great job with the throw from Huffman on time to Cooper at the plate who were just couldn't quite corral it in time.

And when sliding in Reynolds kicked it out of the glove.

And she is safe at the plate is Moralton takes a 30 lead to go back that hit by McKenna Keaton that was a flyball out, but advanced Reynolds in that situation keeping should be happy that that's what happened.

As a strike or a ball rather too low on the outside part of the plate and Browns a hitter in this lineup that does most of the season because of basketball.

Out to center.

Track down to end the inning, but Moralton tax on one more after a double to start the inning by Lauren Reynolds, they're up three to nothing as we head to the top of the fourth inning.

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We head to the top of the fourth.

The peerage, Blackhawks, will look for their first runner as mechanic.

Even able to shut them down through the first three innings.

**** ** the ground, but fouls blankly wind steps in as we start the second time through the order.

Being in the second time of the order in the top of the fourth inning, I've got that wrong last inning in the bottom of the third.

But being in the top of the fourth inning, she had a great at bat.

Her first at bat.

She's not afraid to swing it.

I love her swinging on first pitch strike.

The old one off speed.

Into the hands of Thomas at 3rd.

And that is the second time that crazy Thomas has Rob Blakely.

Win of a hit that is the second time in both times when has hit the ball extremely hard outer.

But that is great defensive skills right there.

Keeping your glove down, staying through the ball to get the out.

At first.

I love the fundamentals.

Almost definitely.

This game is built very proud.

His built on fundamentals and your third baseman, so that's a lot to be proud of.

Bonded in the air in all what a what an attempt.

By Gracie Thomas, she almost came up with the diving grab.

That is great effort and hustle right there.

And if you're head coach Jennifer, you can't be mad about your athlete laying out like that.

I mean, it was almost in the picture circle and she came across them.

Just so short, it's a game of inches.

It was so short that is the first hit for Blackhawk or for the Lady Blackhawks feather from Allevi Arena.

'cause that one popped over the press box and foul and Cindy you wonder here.

With their, with their being a three run deficit, does head coach Josh Reynolds put Ramia in motion?

She's 4 for four in stolen bases this year.

This is a team that's 24 for 25.

Trying to make something happen.

While you have a runner on.

I don't think that it's a bad thing.

You know I'm the type of person where I'm like.

Let's test it.

It's early in the game you're down three runs you can come back from that deficit, so why not test it on the other side of that coach, Benny Poteet told us.

The teams typically don't run on a Livia self.

She's one of those underrated catchers.

But don't sleep on it.

Pop foul.

Tom is feeling good right now.

You can tell, by the way she's running.

After that, when she feels like she can get anything she sure can.

She, I mean, is all over it.

She's been phenomenal at third base so far.

She's gotten a lot of action, and honestly, you can't be mad about that.

At times, defense has been the Achilles heel of this moralton Devil Dogs team, and it's easy to do with a with a picture that is as potent as.

Mechanic Keaton.

De Berry is out swinging even though the third strike made it back to the backstop because first was occupied.

But Raina does move into scoring position at 2nd and that was a great pitch by McKenna Keaton that just got away from self.

Now we've got runners at 1st and 2nd.

Oh excuse me, she's out at first.

Drop third strike.

For those not familiar with the drop third Strike rule, runners can advance two first on a drop third strike, but only when first base is unoccupied.

Keaton starts Kelly Cooper off with a ball.

I think in this moment with Cooper up, the batter runner at second you would like to see your drive in that run.

Eyeball popped high.

Is there enough room?

It is just out of reach for Thomas.

I think that's like the fourth time Thomas has gone over there with their glove up, just hoping that it stays in.

I remember that feeling well.

Cooper fouled out in their first event that was back in the top of the second inning.

Getting a lot of popups on the mechanic eating rice ball right now, yes, and she's thrown that so often.

I wanna get high in the zone but Cooper leaves it up then Dorian.

As you know, that's exactly why pitchers throw that pitch and she's going to continue to throw it until the peerage line up.

The offense can show her different differently, but like we saw in the earlier game between Bentonville and Conway.

A rise ball.

That's it's a little bit too low in the zone is easier to elevate and hit out of the park when you get ahold of it, you're exactly right.

Something that stays lower in the zone and rises at the hands that you can really work to be above, and we saw that with bentonville's hitter.

31 that one stays up is.

He Ridge has gotten two batters on here in the top of the fourth inning via a single anawak and the Lady Blackhawks have something going here with two outs.

One thing that I want to highlight that head coach Josh Reynolds talked about is that he preaches to his athletes, especially offensively, as to know your role, know what you're doing when you go up to the plate.

Right now we have runners at first and second two outs.

I think that's more centered towards, you know, executing and manufacturing runs, but you love to hear a coach who preaches that to their athletes.

'cause everyone has a role.

They all have a reason why they are in the lineup.

Lillian Murray entering the line at four P Ridge to run at first base.

He's played in 27 games this year.

For the Lady Blackhawks and.

Having a little conversation between the home plate umpire Dan Hinari, McKenna Keaton and Gracie Thomas over at 3rd, I wonder what they're talking about.

Thomas just patted him on the back.

I was never that friendly with him.

Maybe they're talking about all this, the balls they've lost over at the third base side.

Well, usually you have to return those.

I know in college softball this year they were letting them go because of COVID restrictions.

You couldn't throw the balls back in place, so who knows how they're working at this year.

That is, Dallas White taking strike one.

That's a great pitch by Keaton.

You have runners at first and second two outs.

She's gonna go at Dallas White.

Throwing that curveball off the plate.

White hitting 250 with two doubles and two triples as we mentioned.

Driven out into center field, that ball is going to get down and that is going to bring in a run as peerage has struck back here in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from Dallas White.

And that is a great great piece of hitting by Dallas White, crushing that to center field.

It was a little bit on the outer part of the plate.

She got her barrel around it, drove in an RBI Ella, deficits to 2 door in.

We talked about it.

There was still a lot of game left Lake in Lawrence playing deep.

Couldn't get to that one in time and with the way the train your runs no chance to get her at the plate.

And P. Ridge with two outs pushes their first run across the plate.

Nalia holiday leaves that one high for ball one and all of a sudden starts to feel like the Lady Blackhawks have a little bit of momentum.

Momentum is a huge part of this game.

Once you get that timely hit, it's really easy to continue that they've got two outs.

How about a two out rally right here.

Everyone loves a 2 hour rally, right?

Almost definitely 20.

Upstairs Nolia Holiday 31 hits.

31 of those have been singles, but she does have nine RBI's on the year right now for peerage.

This is a crucial inning.

They have runners back at first and second they should try to push another run across.

Curveball catches the outside of the plate for strike one.

I think Keaton doesn't want to see that happen again with Dallas White.

Just did.

She's going at holiday.

The two one.

Holiday books it strike two and not as a fantastic screwball pitch to holiday.

She was working her off of the plate.

She just adjusted her eyes with that tight screwball inside.

Big pitch here coming for Mechanic Eaton.

222 runners on two out in a two run lead.

And she gets holiday chasing for her first strike out of the game that ends the inning, but he Ridge able to push a run across.

They cut the deficit to two as we head to the bottom of the fourth.

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I'm Logan Duvall and I'm Lauren McCall and we are pleased to represent Arkansas PBS as the host of these first installments of the new segment series.

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You know, you think of the small communities all over Arkansas.

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And so I think it just expands the focus of what PBS is doing in Arkansas.

PBS is doing a great job and I think it's part of education.

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P Ridge cut into the Moralton lead in the top half of the 4th and now the Devil Dogs will try to answer.

It will be Lawrence Thomas in Heidenreich.

To start things off with the Devil Dogs.

Lake in Lawrence is a type of hitter that you want to have at the plate right now in the bottom of the fourth inning.

She's a slapper.

Who can create a lot of chaos?

Moran singled back in the second.

She drops that one down day.

Berry is going to have to hurry, just gets her bias.

Step de Berry has done a phenomenal job of filling her position.

That's not an easy play with that soft slap that's going right in front of home plate.

She does a great job of coming out of her stride to come, filled that ball and get the out.

She gunned it to first base.

Lost in that is the fact that picture so used to throwing underhand for the majority of the game.

Sometimes it can be hard to pick it up and throw it overhand in time to get the out.

At first you're exactly right grain.

Thomas rips a single back up the middle.

And that is another great piece of hitting by Thomas.

She is absolutely seeing the ball so well this game.

Thomas, now two for two or two for three rather.

She does such a great job of staying through the ball.

No, oh, it's the University of Central Arkansas committed coach Dave.

He's gotta be happy with his incoming class that he's seen play this weekend between this game.

In Bentonville earlier today, almost definitely Dorian.

He is had he has some athletes coming in who has played the past two days and they have done great out here on this stage.

He also just texted me.

He's going to say Coach Q and we know you're listening.

That one stays outside for a ball and he said that coach Benny Poteet, she taught him a lot and she's an amazing coach, so I'm sure she will be happy to hear that courage.

Benny Poteet spent eight years on the sidelines with Coach Q and at the University of Central Arkansas, the Bears.

One of the best programs in the Southland Conference is that one slice down the line, but foul, they dropped a heartbreaker to McNeese State in the Southland earlier this month.

One nothing to bring their season to an end, but another fantastic year for Dave Kunin the Bears.

They had a fantastic season.

I was able to watch them against Arkansas, and Man was that a great game.

They really played a great game against the Hogs 2 Great Games.

They played the one up in Vogel and of course, the one.

In Conway back on March the 9th.

And they're going to see whether or not Heidenreich offered.

They say no.

Mortal eat moral turns.

Fans cheering for that one.

I think that was a close call, but they are pleased with the outcome.

The one two off speed and she gets Heidenreich.

And this is, that's a pitch that's very challenging for slappers facing that offspeed pitch are already moving in motion.

Once you pick it up, it's already sometimes a little bit too late.

The designated player shining camp.

One for one.

Today the big home run to start the scoring in the bottom of the first, the 7th home run for the year of the year.

I should say rather for Cheyenne Kemp.

As she takes ball one high and in that first about really living up to what coach Betty Poteet said, is that she can change a game in one swing, and she sure did just that, scoring the first run of the game.

And she's also a hitter that doesn't get cheated.

We've seen her hit a home run.

She walked in her second at bat.

She's so disciplined, and that is a huge part of her success is being able to stay disciplined.

Smoked a second nice snag.

Over to 1st in time for the out.

As Clearedge gets out of the inning.

They are trailing 3 to one.

We go to the top of the fifth.

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In what a play by self, that ball was just popped up by Emily Beck.

She came out of her stance to dive in.

Make the catch.

We have seen some catchers the past two days.

Make some phenomenal plays.

I was gonna say these catchers giving Casey Opitz a run for his money improves are fantastic places that ball pops straight up into the air.

Self diving forward making the grab.

What get by olyvia self?

These athletes, they're laying it all out on the field.

I mean, it's the final game of the season.

You're going for a state title.

That's what you have to do.

Be able to leave here with no regrets, no in your mind you left it all out between the two white lines.

Love yourself doing that is keeping delivers the 01.

Too far inside.

Right now for McKenna Keaton, she is pitching so well, I think it also helps that her defense is playing so solid.

Early slices it down the line, it just drops in fair territory as Ashley Earley has a single now, the ball gets away.

She is headed to 2nd.

And she will be into second on a single with a throwing error.

And that's a great piece of hitting by Ashley early.

She stays on that outside pitch to get it over the first baseman's head to drop down the right field line.

And we mentioned earlier sometimes the Achilles heel for the Devil Dogs has been the defense and with a two run lead in the top of the lineup up and Blakely win, it is not a time to start committing errors.

You're exactly right.

That's Raven coffin stands in one more until we rolled the lineup back.

Until Blakely win.

There you go, but to talk about errors Dorian, this is something with both lineups having speed.

We talked about at the beginning.

You really have to play clean defense.

The 01 gets her chasing up high for strike two.

And that's a great pitch.

Now she's worked ahead in the count.

I'm going to be honest, I've seen a little bit of a change in the kinnakeet and right now.

What is it that you're seeing was changed?

So having early hit that ball down the right field line and then throwing your, I don't think that she was too happy about it the way that she just went to be exactly the way that she just went.

It caught them.

It was like, OK, I'm getting this next out.

Now she's got two outs with one on and Blakely Wynn who is hit the ball sharply twice to third base.

Talk about speed.

Blakely wins.

Got a ton of it.

She takes strike one on the outside part both of her at that.

She swung aggressively at the first pitch strike.

There she ticket, I think, in this moment with two outs, a runner in scoring position.

She's really going to hone in on getting that pitch that she wants and driving it.

Senior over 2 that one is going to find its way through the infield.

Josh Reynolds, braving the runner around home.

She will score is win has an RBI double to draw the Lady Blackhawks back within one.

And that is exactly what what peerage wants in that situation.

They were down by three.

Now the deficit is just one.

Blakely when doing what she does best, stepping up to the plate, being aggressive, putting the bat on the ball.

That air looming large?

Is it allowed?

Ashley early to advance to 2nd and now you've got arguably the fastest runner in the state of Arkansas in the four.

A division standing just 120 feet away.

So anything into the outfield win is likely to score most definitely Doran anything that's hit to the outfield.

Even a blue pit, she's going to score from second to home.

And in stands Allevi Aranea, who had a single back in the fourth inning, ended up scoring on.

The RBI single by Dallas White.

Chase is that one high and she is down in the count.

Oh, and two.

And that's the beauty of having speed, right?

Not only at the plate going home to 1st but also baserunning.

Baserunning is crucial in this sport.

The 02 fouled back is rainy.

It just stays alive.

She sure did just stay alive.

Owen to that pitch is a little bit up and out.

She's not wanting to go down.

Striking out.

We talked about how these two teams were very evenly matched.

They played earlier this year with a moral with Moralton winning eight to two.

They're trying to hold on.

And the moral 10 fans wanted that one called for strike three.

Denari says that's just a bit outside.

But let me tell you, it didn't miss by much.

It did not miss by much at all.

We just saw rainy a chase that up and out pitch to protect that pitch is too close.

With two strikes.

Gus, he take the 1/2 popped up.

Self is under it and she has got it as Keaton gets out of the inning but the Lady Blackhawks chipping away, they cut the deficit down to one on an RBI double by Blakely Win Moralton leading 3 two.

We head to the bottom of the fifth.

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See the complete schedule and set reminders at myarpbs.org backslash schedule for the morals in Devil Dogs looking for a little bit of a pick me up after peerage able to get a run in the top of the fifth in Coach Benni but he says the spark actually comes Cindy from someone who's not even playing in the game today, right?

So you all can see here in the dugout that is Sophia warm and.

She broke her arm two weeks before season in the outfield.

She hasn't played this season, but she has been the unsung hero.

She puts her helmet on.

Comes out with pompoms and really gets the crowd going and they have been going here today inside the Benton Sports Athletic Complex.

She has been running up and down the sideline in between innings waving those pompoms trying to will her team on to victory, as is the crowd here between this 4A state championship and they're getting to see a good one is the 1/2.

Swung on and missed by Taylor Berry and that's a great pitch right there by aid and de Berry coming out attacking Taylor Berry.

2nd strikeout of the night for Aiden de Berry to go back to warm and really fast Dorian 'cause we highlighted her that says a lot about her character.

You fight some adversity, you go down with an injury but you still want to pump up your team.

The unselfishness that defines this moralton Devil Dogs team.

Vinny Booty talking a lot about knowing your role this year.

That has been the one thing this team is focused on throughout the season.

And it's important to know your role and how to fulfill that role.

The 01 that ball crushed to left center field.

That ball is off the scoreboard and it is gone.

Lauren Reynolds with her second home run of the year, gives Moralton a 4-2 lead here in the bottom of the fifth.

That ball is absolutely blast by Reynolds.

That's an up and and pitch that she stays on.

It stays through it to blast it over the centerfield wall.

Two homers in this game.

It both have been no doubters.

Here it is again, as that ball is up and out, she stays on, it stays through it blast over the centerfield wall.

It felt for a little bit like Pea Ridge had taken the momentum from Moralton and the Devil.

Dogs come into the bottom of the fifth and seal it right back with a solo home run that just shows how dominant this moral 10 softball team is.

McKenna, Keaton's take strike one and it is sitting.

You know this well.

It's all about a game of runs.

Softball can turn on a pitch most definitely, and it's so easy like you just said to turn on a pitch.

It is crazy how the game works.

01 Keaton leaves it out for a ball.

And if your mechanic Keaton stepping in after that home run by Lauren Rentals, La Reynolds, you've got to be breathing a sigh of relief knowing you're going to have a little extra cushion the next time you go back out to the mound.

Most definitely this is another picture that we have seen.

That's versitile.

The more runs the better right?

The more the merrier.

As a pitcher.

Getting up, getting get to getting to get to go out there.

We've talked about this.

My gosh, you know Sidney, I had a coach that used to tell us, you know, as much as you love defense, you can't win a game.

Nothing to something.

You've got to be able to hit the ball as Keaton looks at strike three on the inner part of the plate, and that one a delayed call.

Little bit.

That's a good perspective right there.

I've never heard that one before.

We get hours and hours of soft toss, so I guess he had to find some way to rationalize it, but it makes sense when you think about it.

Softball doesn't use, doesn't end in a tie, so something's gotta score.

Olivia Self, a couple of great defensive plays in the top half of this inning.

Steps in and takes straight one.

I will say what this moralton offense has done so far.

De Berry.

She has stayed the part she has stayed the course she has not.

On the ground.

Easy play.

As peerage heads to the dugout, but Lauren Reynolds extending the Moralton lead with a solo home run off the scoreboard in centerfield.

It is 4/2 don't go anywhere.

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Kind of keeping getting a little bit of run support in the bottom half of the fifth inning by a home run from Lauren Reynolds as the Devil Dogs have taken a 4-2 lead here in the top of the sixth and peerage has done a nice job in the last two innings of chipping away.

But they're going to need to scratch out a little bit more if they want to get back in this game here exactly right, Dorian and Peerage.

They threw their punches back and then Moralton came back and threw their punches.

It'll be day.

Barry Cooper and White to link things off for the Lady Blackhawks here in the top of the sixth inning holiday beckon early to follow.

Both of these teams not really being here in the state final game.

They're going to call their way until the very end.

This one not going down without a fight dayberry over 2.

She struck out in her last at bat in the thought or the top of the fourth.

For the peerage lineup, right now they're in the top of the six.

They have two more opportunities are going to have to string together some hits and just remain calm.

In this situation, the 11 apol elevated it's lifted into right field that Cameron Hogan.

Waiting for it as she makes the first out of the inning that pop up that Aiden de Berry just hit it was cutting away from Cameron Hogan.

A little bit.

Elevated in the air.

Looks a little bit dark over there too.

We will look at the shadow starting to set in here at the Benton Sports athletic complexes.

We're coming up on 8:30 Central time in this 4A state championship between Benton or at Benton.

Rather, that ball slices left between moralton and Pea Ridge, and we just talked about it during this game is about an hour and a half in, but it's felt like 5 minutes.

A quick moving game as we're already into the top of the sixth inning.

In city, one of the things that Josh Reynolds told us as he felt like his team didn't play their best softball in that eight.

Two loss to Moralton a couple of weeks ago in the regional final.

Certainly a much tighter game, a more competitive game that we're seeing here tonight.

Oh most definitely.

And it just goes back to he learned from that game.

His team learned from that game.

He knew how he wants to attack these molten hitters.

And what they also need to do offensively to get the job done?

That 02 high in tight on Kelly Cooper.

I think even when you look at college or playing three game series, you learn as the series progresses, always.

1/2 upstairs.

In Sydney to your point about that, you know one of the things you hear college coaches talk about all the time is adjustments, adjustments from game to game, adjustment from it, back to about, and usually the team that makes the better adjustments, quicker wins.

That ball flared out into center field.

No chance.

For Lake in Lawrence to come up with it as Dallas or Kelly Cooper rather drops in a single and that's a good piece of hitting by Kelly Cooper.

That's one of those blue pits that comes in for a base hit as a pitcher.

You just have to tip your hat.

OK, you got me that time.

To go back to your point though, Dorian about the adjustments, this game is all about making quick adjustments.

He Ridge down by two with a runner on 1st and that brings to the plate.

Dallas White, who had an RBI single in the top of the fourth.

She pushed the first run across her peerage.

Shows but pulls back as that ball stays upstairs.

Right here with Cooper getting on, they're going to have to stay disciplined, not chase pitches really hone in on what they're wanting, what they're gonna, you know.

Go for an attacking that pitch.

Five hits on the night for peerage, two runs compared to eight hits.

Four runs from Moralton.

That ball in there for a strike, and that's a great curveball.

By Keaton off the outside part of the plate.

One thing that the Lady Blackhawks Blackhawks have proved is the fact that they're not going anywhere.

Is that ball lifted into the sky giving chase?

And it is tracked down by Marley Heidenreich for out #2.

And that's another catch that we've seen Hayden right come in, she hesitated a little bit at 1st to see how far the ball had traveled comes in, and makes a really great grab in foul toward territory.

Nolia Holiday stepping to the plate for peerage.

Oh for two, a groundout to 2nd and a strikeout to end.

Things in the 4th.

She swings at the first pitch soft liner back up the middle.

And it is going to be in there for a base hit.

As Grace Brown got to it but couldn't get a hand on it as it was spinning away.

That was a good attempt by Grace Brown trying to barehand that ball, but it hit the turf.

And just like you said, Dorian spun away from her.

When she covered a lot of ground to get there, but just couldn't quite corral it, she looked like she was trying to get the lead runner at 2nd that would have been our only option as it would have been a long throw back over to first try and get holiday.

Yes that would have been our only option.

Emily Beck standing in.

Back swings at the first pitch at ball down the line and just out of play on the top of the peerage.

Dugout talk about Emily Beck.

This is an athlete that really has a great story.

She didn't really see the filled her freshman through junior year.

She has worked her way into the lineup and you love to see an athlete that grinds like that to get her way into the lineup to be out on the field.

Testament to how much these players love the game to stick with it?

Overcome adversity.

No one back on the ground to Keaton in time over the 1st.

As Moralton is scapes.

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We start things off in the bottom of the sixth with morals and holding a 4-2 lead over peerage.

It is brown, Lawrence and Thomas do up in the bottom of the sixth.

Brown, oh for two with a groundout in a flyout.

The three oh.

She thought it was Ball 4 but Dana Neri says, Nope, you're going to stay here for one more.

The moralton crowd didn't know about that.

That was a little down and out.

Low screwball on the outside part of the blade.

The three won that one soft liner over to 1st.

White collects it for the out.

Aiden de Berry.

Behind the three one count to get the out, that's exactly what you want.

Salt water to first base.

Lake in Lawrence.

One for two.

She singled back in the second, grounded out.

In the 4th.

She takes strike one and Lake in Lawrence.

She does a phenomenal job being in the nine spot, doing what she does, knowing her role as a slapper.

But also turning that lineup over.

The old one.

That one too far outside.

In a common theme that we've been seeing by 8 and a barrier, she's been working.

These left handed hitters off the plate, occasionally coming inside, but really remaining on that outer part of the plate.

And that was pitch number 75 for eight and a barrier.

She's worked her way.

Through this Moralton line up three times.

After Lawrence, this will be the 4th time that Gracie Thomas is coming back.

Fouled back to the screen.

Going back to the peerage versus Moralton game.

One thing that put Benny Poteet talked about is how her hitters coming into this game.

They each have their own approach.

They have their own plan and they know what they're going to do when they go up to the plate.

The 1/2.

Except they're going to say that ball was found, but not by much, and Sydney to your point.

She said they watched a lot of film after that game.

Even the fact that they won by six runs.

She still invested a lot of time watching a lot of film in preparation for this game, and I think that's a great thing.

I think that stems from her being an athlete playing in college coaching and college really to have her athletes be a student of the game and understand what they can gain from watching film.

Mini Procida picture at Arkansas Tech from 2003 to 2004 played a little short stop.

As you mentioned, coached at Central Arkansas for eight years, so she has been involved in softball in every facet of the game.

That 1/2 snagged by Dave Barry.

That's a great play.

By Dave Barry.

I've been saying to all games, she filled her position well.

You don't really see pictures.

Do that alot.

Pitch well filter position.

Well that was a great play coming off the mound.

It was a soft liner that she adjusted well too.

Moralton is made Dayberry work, both pitching the ball and fielding the ball, and a Berry has been more than up to the task here tonight as it is Gracie Thomas that stands in two for three out of the leadoff spot.

Gracie Thomas has been dominant this whole game in the leadoff spot.

She has really been the spark of the team offensively.

Contending that's exactly what your leadoff hitter is supposed to be.

The 10 stays outside for Ball 2.

And right here she has been so dominant.

The whole game, I think De Berry is going to try to pitch around her.

Martin has been preparing for this game all year.

They've been one of the favourites in the four.

A all season is that ball fouled back to the screen, and one of the things that Benny Poteet did to prepare for this game issue made a tough non conference schedule.

They've laid North Little Rock.

They played Cabot.

They played Rodgers overall losses, but they learn something from those losses against the bigger schools.

And that's what you want to do in your non conference's play against the toughest competition so you can be prepared for a game like this.

Very reminiscent of Little Rock women's basketball coach Joe Foley, known for going outside the Sunbelt Conference, scheduling some of the toughest non conference opponents he can find so that when it comes time for postseason, his team knows what to expect.

The three one.

Driven into left field for a single, the third hit of the night for Gracie Thomas, Tracy Thomas is absolutely electric.

From the left side.

So dominant at the plate.

Aiden de Berry.

Continuously staying on that outside part of the plate.

All of Gracie Thomas Pitts have been to the left center field side.

No, not right now.

He told us before the game.

That's one of the things that they've picked up in those film sessions was dayberry wanting to stay to the outer part of the plate on these hitters and so they worked and worked and worked at going opposite field and that's what you have to do in this game.

You have to have an approach.

Back up the middle, Dayberry bobbles it gets it over to 1st in time to get Heidenreich she had to recover quickly, but she got it over to 1st of beat the speedy Heidenreich by a step.

And there it is day very filling her position, sticking with it just getting by then right out at first.

Laurelton leading 4/2 we're headed to the top of the 7th of Lady Blackhawks meeting to to keep their season alive.

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Peerage down to their final three ounce here in the four A state championship game.

This crown has been loud.

They were on their feet in between innings as the Lady Blackhawks will go with early coffin and then Blakely win.

Is that ball into the hole at shortstop nice grab over to 1st?

In time to get early what a play by Lauren Reynolds.

This is a play that is really hard for an infielder backhanding the ball, getting the out.

At first she does a great job of staying down through the ball, pushing off that back leg to fired across the diamond.

The last three outs are always the hardest to get in a game like this.

To me that most most of the time they are Dorian.

Raven Cauthon swinging at the first pitch.

A lot of times top of the seventh inning, you're just needing those three outs.

You put a little bit of pressure on yourself, but man was out of play by Reynolds and we have seen a lot of fantastic defensive gems here.

Not just in this game, but throughout the weekend is Keaton with the 01 map allstays upstairs think we need a highlight reel of all of it, sending it out for everybody.

I said last night.

Send some of these plays out on Twitter.

Tag ESPN assignment desk.

This is some of the best softball you're going to see.

And these games today have not disappointed as Heaton with the 11.

In Crofton looks at strike two on the outside corner and this crowd.

Every pitch they're up on their feet, cheering pompoms or shaking.

That's a great curveball on the outside part of the plate.

Coffino for two with a groundout in a strikeout down 1-2 in.

The count is.

Keaton tries to close it out now Paul lifted into left.

Hayden, right, gives Chase but runs out of room that's good hustle.

By Heidenreich you could see it on her face.

She was like I'm going to get this.

I'm going to get the second out just a little bit out of her reach.

The left side of the field has been busy tonight between Gracie Tom Thomas at 3rd and Heidenreich out in left.

So very busy.

I think for both defenses it has been very busy on that side of the field.

The Moralton dugout cheering their team on trying to get these last two outs.

That ball is popped up.

Self is calling for it and that is out #2.

And that's a great catch by self coming out of the chute, standing up to make the grab.

You could see Cheyenne kept pointing out like you've got this.

You've got this.

Coach Mini Petite going out to the mound to talk to her in field as Moralton is one out away from capturing their first state championship in program history and standing in is the leadoff hitter for peerage.

Blakely win, who has been a thorn in the Devil Dogs side all night.

He sure has and I think Benny Poteet, she just stepping out there first.

Second, let's take it in.

We have two outs.

Blakely win is very potent to this lineup.

So I think it's let's just settle, let's get her out.

Let's go at her.

On the other side, head coach Josh Reynolds, dispensing some last minute advice.

What are you saying to a batter in this kind of scenario?

Don't make the moment bigger than what it is we have to out stay within yourself.

Be disciplined.

Don't chase.

You know the crowds loud.

Let's keep it going.

Blakeley Win with an RBI double.

Her last time up in the top of the fifth has hit the ball sharply every time.

And she takes ball one high.

Not as much.

Let's keep it going.

Let's get something started.

Well, they did it with two back in the fifth inning when they were able to cut the deficit to three to two before Moralton came in and got a home run off the band of Lauren Reynolds to give him some extra cushion.

The 10 get there chasing the rise ball.

That's a great pitch by McKenna Keaton.

We just saw her through two rise balls in a row.

She really hasn't thrown rise balls to win this entire game.

She stayed more east to West, so I think she's attacking her in a different manner.

When trying to be aggressive, maybe got a little too aggressive going after that one is the count even at one in one.

Chasing the high pitch again, make it 3 rise balls in a row that first rise ball that she threw.

She laid off of it, but right now she's putting a little bit of pressure on herself.

When is you're down to the last out?

If you're keeping, do you go back to the rise ball?

I think most definitely.

The fans on their feet, cell phones out, everyone wants to record the moment.

Here's the one too.

Lifted to center field, that ball is high in deep but it is caught on the warning track for out #3 Lake in Lawrence.

Tracks it down and the celebration is on the Moralton Devil Dogs win their first state championship in program history forward to two over the peerage.

Lady Blackhawks.

I don't know bout you Dorian but I'm feeling all of the emotions right now for moralton gloves just flew in the air.

We're seeing a dog pile.

What an exciting moment for this.

Team see the hugs, the smile, the pure joy of a team that is just captured their first state championship in program history.

They were so close two years ago in 2019 where they were knocked out in the state semifinal three games into 2020 before losing their entire season to COVID.

And this one must feel like.

A game Anawin of destiny.

We will be back with the trophy presentation from the Benton Sports Athletic Complex when we come back.

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The Moralton Devil dog celebrating in front of a crowded stands there first for a championship in program history.

They take it four to two over the peerage, Lady Blackhawks in Sydney.

We expected a fantastic game against two evenly matched teams and that is exactly what we got here tonight.

That is exactly what we got.

Two teams who were built on speed.

It was the entire game, one through 7.

Each team was throwing punches at each other.

We talked about it when it was down to a two run deficit where it's finished.

We talked about how it didn't feel like that.

It felt like it was much closer than even that.

It certainly did for a game that was all about speed.

This one actually came down to the long ball exactly, and that is so different than what these teams have been used to this entire season.

The 4:00 AM VP, just named it is the pitcher mechanic Keaton.

Seven innings pitched, scattered six hits, giving up two runs as she wills her team to a four, a state title.

McKenna Keaton was stellar on the mound for her team from the first pitch to the last pit.

She went at every hitter with so much purpose, so much intent she was firing.

But she was fiery.

Indeed, we're going to recap this state championship game between Moralton and Peerage when we come back, you are watching the Centennial State Softball championships on Arkansas PBS sports.

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Moralton capturing their first state softball championship in program history with a four two win over the peerage.

Lady Blackhawks.

Welcome back everybody, Dorian Crompton Sundeep are happy to have you with us in Sydney.

What a fantastic moment for Moralton.

They take this game on the strength of their pitching by mechanic, Heaton and two home runs off the bat of Cheyenne.

Kemp, an Lauren Reynolds turning out to be the difference.

Let's talk about McKenna Keaton right now.

She was fun, nominal on the mound as we just saw them when they came over to the stands with the trophy up in the.

Air this is such a community thing, right?

The community is so pumped for them to win the state championship and then at the plate I want to point out really quickly.

Gracie Thomas.

She was phenomenal.

She was two for four, but every single at bat.

She did damage and Gracie Thomas certainly making a case for herself for Player of the game.

3 For four three singles for the UCA commit and on the other side of the field.

Pea Ridge playing for their first state championship.

Certainly a heartbreak for the Lady Blackhawks, but nothing to hang their head about.

They got down three to nothing before fighting back and bringing this to just a one run game in the fifth inning when they were trailing three to two exactly Dorian.

It is nothing for peerage to hang their heads about the whole game.

You could just feel the closeness right when they got on offense they put the ball in play.

They put pressure on world 10s defense and non defense.

They made some great plays behind dairy, sorry de Berry.

So they they played a phenomenal game.

It just wasn't in their favor today.

Oh, coach Benny Poteet has to be certainly excited.

Just her third year as the head coach of the program leading the Moralton Devil Dogs to their first state championship.

This was what was expected.

They were the favorite in the Foret all year long.

They come in and they take care of business tonight against the peerage.

Lady Blackhawks.

That's going to wrap up day two.

We have crown four softball state championship champions across the first two days and we have got two more left to go for Sydney Bar.

I am Dorian crash.

We hope to see you back here tomorrow for Day 3.

Of the state softball championships on Arkansas PBS sports.