WALNUT RIDGE, AR – It is the best start by a Bethel Lady Wildcat softball team since 2016 as the Lady Cats moved to 7-1 Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep at Williams Baptist. Bethel took game one 5-4 in eight innings and completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory in game two. It was the first road games of the season for the Lady Wildcats.
In game one WBU jumped out to an early lead with single runs in the second and third innings. Bethel's Alexis Wheeler put the Lady Cats on the board with a solo homer in the fourth. Wheeler would sock a two run homer in the fifth to give the Lady Wildcats a 3-2 lead. The Eagles answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead at 4-3. The Lady Wildcats tied the game in the sixth when Anna Johnson stole home. The Lady Wildcats took the lead in the top of the eighth when Lexie Miller drove in Shelby Moore with an RBI single. WBU had the tying run on third in the bottom of the inning but Maddie Cochran pitched out of the jam to record the victory. She went the distance to push Bethel to their sixth win of the year. Macey Cox had three hits while Kayla Gillespie followed with two hits.
The second game saw Bethel jump out to an early lead after a first inning RBI double by Bailey Bandy. The Eagles tied the game with a run in the bottom of the first. Wheeler continued her outstanding day with another two-run homer in the third. Bandy had another RBI double in the fifth and Bethel took a 4-1 lead. Williams Baptist cut the lead to 4-2 with a run in the bottom of the inning but is wasn't enough to stop the red hot Cats. Billie Douglas went the distance for the win as the Lady completed the sweep with the 4-2 victory.
Coach John Weeks expressed how proud he was of his team. "Today's games allowed us to see how resilient this team is. We were in a back and forth battle with an excellent Williams Baptist team. We were facing an ace pitcher in Laura Helmich who was 3-0 and sported a 1.50 ERA. It took the entire squad to win these games. Maddie struggle a little early but once she began to control the plate she was excellent. Alexis was simply great all day with her three homers and five RBI's. I am really proud of how we fought today."
