Fresh face at the top : Transfer from Wynne an ideal leadoff hitter for BHS
Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008
BENTONVILLE - Bentonville coach Kent Early had an idea of the kind of player he wanted to replace graduated leadoff batter Rachel Carter.
Someone with the ability to get on base. Someone with speed to wreak havoc on the bases. Someone to consistently give the Lady Tigers a chance at an early score.
Sophomore transfer Meg Mc-Guirt fit that profile.
"In my mind, she looked ideal," Early said. "Jackie (Saumweber ) is our best bunter by far and I knew if someone could get on, Jackie could bunt 'em over. It was the plan to have two slappers."
And the plan worked.
The fourth-ranked Lady Tigers, with solid pitching and defense and explosive offense, take on Conway at 1: 45 p.m. in today's quarterfinals of the Class 7 A State Softball Tournament at Russellville. A nine-game win streak moved the Lady Tigers (22-3 ) to the runner-up spot in the 7 AWest, earning them a first-round bye. An offense that starts with McGuirt has been a big part of that run.
"She's probably been one of my most consistent players all year long," Early said. "She's been a little sparkplug. "McGuirt, the team's fastest player, is hitting. 355 and has a single-season record 21 steals. And if she gets on, the Lady Tigers will likely score. "If she gets on, then Jackie's pretty much guaranteed she's going to get there, too," Early said. "Our slappers are our table setters. That's what I've been telling them all year long. ' You start the offense. If you get on, we're going to chip one. But if you don't, we're going to struggle. ."
McGuirt and Saumweber, a senior, both have the speed to score from any base and the big bats from senior Tandie Bailey and junior Faith Lund are sure to provide a run-scoring hit.
Lund has 7 home runs this year and Bailey has added 2.
"It's fun watching them hit, too," said McGuirt, who moved to Bentonville from Wynne where she and sister Layne played for the Lady Yellowjackets. Layne McGuirt now pitches at Arkansas. "You get on and it's such a rush because you know that they're going to do something."
McGuirt makes her leadoff job sound easy.
"Every time I just try to do the same thing," she said. "I just read the defense and get on and rely on Jackie and everybody else. We just have to put the ball down on the ground and that helps us get on. It's up to (my teammates ) to move us."
That smooth offense and a defense that backs Lund (22-3 ) on the mound has taken the Lady Tigers to new heights.
"Faith's doing really good," McGuirt said. "We're all really close and it helps us on the field. It's like a vibe. In the game we all get into a zone."
They've outscored conference opponents 120-16 - winning nine league shutouts - and have the best winning percentage in school history.
Not bad for a team that lost seven senior starters last year.
"They've stepped up," Early said. "I told the girls from day one you're going to be better than what we were last year."
The Lady Tigers went to the state semifinals last year and can return there with a win today against Conway.
The Lady Wampus Cats (20-8 ) beat Fort Smith Southside 7-2 Friday.
The Lady Tigers beat Conway 7-3 on the way to winning the Conway Invitational in March. They also beat topranked Fayetteville twice at that tournament.
Bentonville trailed the Lady Wampus Cats 3-0 before a five-run inning that featured three runs scored on basesloaded walks gave the Lady Tigers the lead.
Early said Conway will also be aggressive on the base paths so getting early outs will be key.
"It's a new season," he said. "It's anybody's game. All you have to do is be hot."
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