Greene County Tech takes two from Marion in 5A battle

Marion locks in No 2 seed in state tourney, will host playoffs on home field

By Chuck Livingston

Marion School District

It’s impossible to argue that the Greene County Tech Golden Eagles have earned their reputation as one of the state’s top softball programs over the past five seasons.

With five straight conference titles and a state runner- up finish a season ago to its name, Greene County Tech can play with any team in the state.

Marion gave Tech a pair of battles on Tuesday, but the Eagles escaped Marion Sports Complex with a pair of victories (9-6 and 10-4) to earn the 2023 outright 5A East conference championship and No. 1 playoff seed in next week’s Class 5A state tournament in Marion. The Patriots finish as conference runners-up for the third season in a row and will be the No. 2 playoff seed next week and will play Harrison in the first round of the state tournament. The Harrison tilt is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 11.

Tech (20-4 overall, 13-1 5A East) got three home runs from sophomore Marley Speer and took the lead for good in the opener in the third inning. Marion (20-6, 11-3) got within 7-6 in the fifth before the Eagles manufactured single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to earn a 9-6 victory in the opener.

Marion ambushed Tech for four runs in the first inning of the nightcap, but the Eagles finished by scoring the game’s final 10 runs for a 10-4 victory that earned Greene County Tech the outright league crown.

Game One Greene Co. 9, Marion 6

Marion muscled out seven hits in the opening game against Greene County Tech, including two apiece from Kelsey Eppes (2-3 in the opener with an RBI) and Claire Hall (2-3), while Kelsey Baker (1-3 with two runs and a walk) and Mckenzie Shinabery (1-3 with two RBI and a home run) also stood out.

The Eagles struck for three runs in the top of the first, but the Pats got one back in the home half when Baker walked and scored on a passed ball.

Marion got even in the bottom of the second when senior pitcher Anna Murphy singled and gave way to courtesy runner Alexis Jones ahead of an Ella McConnell walk to give Marion two on with one away. Jones and McConnell came around when Shinabery reached on an error to tie the proceedings at 3. But Tech scored the next four runs for a 7-3 lead that held until the bottom of the fifth when Marion hit the comeback trail again. The uprising began with a Hall single and ended when Shinabery turned on a pitch and hit a high-arching home run to left field to make it 7-5 in favor of Tech. The Pats scratched out one more in the fifth when Baker doubled and scored on an Eppes double and suddenly the Pats were within 7-6 entering the sixth.

But Tech added an insurance run in the sixth and seventh innings and seven of the last eight Patriots went down in order to ensure the Eagles at least a share of the league crown after an opening-game conquest.

Game Two Greene Co. 10, Marion 4

Marion proved undeterred in the nightcap, however.

The first five Patriots reached as Shinabery walked and Brianna Morquecho singled before that duo scored on a Baker double for a 2-0 Marion advantage. Eppes delivered Baker with a stout single to center field and Murphy plated Eppes with a ground out and after a half inning, Marion led 4-0.

But Greene County Tech locked in after Marion’s crooked inning. The Eagles tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the fourth and exploded for five tallies in the home half of the fifth to earn a 9-4 lead.

Morquecho and Eppes reached in the top of the seventh, but neither could

See PATS, page A9

Photo by Chuck Livingston PATS

From page A6

score as Tech wrapped up the outright 5A East title and the top seed in the state tournament.

What’s Next?

Marion hosts outright 5A Central champion Beebe on Thursday night for Senior Night. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30, with the Senior Night festivities scheduled after the varsity game and before the junior varsity portion. Marion wraps up its regular season on Monday, May 8 at Class 6A power Bryant.

Marion State Tourney History

The Marion Patriots will make their 23rd state tournament appearance next week. Since the program’s inception in 1996, Marion has only missed the state tournament three times (1999, 2003, and 2019) in years where a state tournament was held (2020).

Marion has qualified for the state semifinals nine times in the fast-pitch era (beginning in 2000), with state runner-up finishes in 2007, 2008, and 2018. The 2006 Patriots earned the Class AAAA state title, capping off a 30-8 season with the first state title in Marion team sports history with a 7-0 win over Nettleton in the final.

Final 5A East Standings

Greene County Tech 13-1 Marion 11-3 Valley View 10-4 Searcy 9-5 Nettleton 6-8 Paragould 4-10 Batesville 2-12 W. Memphis 1-13