PARAGOULD --- Marion senior shortstop Kelsey Eppes ranged to her left and snagged a well-hit ground ball up the middle. Her momentum carried her toward second base, where she had a force out during a potential seventh-inning Paragould rally. The all-state performer deftly navigated the bag and threw a perfect strike to her sister and Marion's first baseman, Kendall Eppes, to complete a double play that effectively ended the Ram rally once and for all. One batter later, senior Anna Hitchman struck out K.K. Massey swinging. It was truly the story of the night in many ways. Paragould tried to manage a late-game rally, while Marion denied the Rams at every turn. Marion swept a 5A East doubleheader Tuesday night at Paragould Sports Complex, ripping the Rams 16-2 and 10-5, making up a fair amount of ground in a crowded conference chase. "I'm really proud of everyone tonight because it took everyone to get these two," said Rowton. "I thought we swung the bat as well as we have all year, more swing and miss than I'd like, but very patient. I thought we played good defense. It was just a really great effort all night long." Marion's offense hit high gear in the opener as the Patriots recorded their season-high scoring output. The Pats got two hits apiece from Kelsey Eppes, Hitchman, juniors Chloe Miller, and freshmen Chloe Miller and Kayson “K. Belle” McClain. Eppes drove in three runs, scored two runs, and walked twice, while Triplett scored three runs, Miller two, and McClain plated a pair of runs. Senior Ella McConnell drove in two runs with a clutch first-inning two-out single. Hitchman threw a pair of complete games at Paragould, earning the victory in Game One by striking out seven Rams, and allowing just one earned run. She was back at it in the second contest, allowing seven hits, striking out seven, and surrendering just three earned runs. Hitchman helped her own cause in the nightcap at the plate, as well, going 4-4 at the plate with a double. Miller, Triplett, and juniors Maddie Cupples and Jordyn Stinson also recorded hits in the second contest, while the sisters Eppes, McClain, McConnell, Miller, and Stinson also recorded walks. Kelsey Eppes, Triplett, Miller, and Kaitlyn Austin each scored two runs apiece, while Stinson drove in three runs, Triplett plated a pair, and Cupples and Kelsey Eppes also drove in runs. The Marion offensive explosion in the first game featured four runs in the first inning, a single tally in the second, four more in the fourth, and a six spot in the top of the seventh. The fireworks began early when Hitchman and Triplett singled leading off the game and Kelsey Eppes walked with one out. Kendall Eppes drove in the first run of the day when she walked with the bases full, and Triplett got a good read on a passed ball to score from third for a 2-0 advantage. With two outs, McConnell stepped to the plate and deposited a 2-2 pitch into the left-center field gap to deliver the sisters Eppes as the Marion lead doubled to 4-0. Austin scored on a passed ball in the second inning to give the visitors a 5-1 lead, and the Marion lead was 5-2 entering the fourth inning. That's when Miller manufactured a run by striking an infield single and stealing second and third base before she scored on a Hitchman groundout. Marion got some two-out magic when Triplett and McClain singled and Kelsey Eppes delivered them both when she dumped a ball into the right field corner and raced to third. Kelsey Eppes scored on a passed ball on the next pitch and Marion led 9-2 after four frames. Cupples walked and scored on a McClain single in the sixth, and Marion took advantage of three Paragould errors to score six more times in the seventh to clinch the final tally. But Paragould scored first in the second game, taking its first lead of the day to the bottom of the first, but Marion quickly tied the game when Hitchman led off with a double and gave way to Austin, who scored on a Triplett squeeze bunt to tie the game at 1 after an inning. That score held until the third, when Hitchman single, and Triplett was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Two outs later, Stinson delivered a line drive up the middle to center field to deliver Hitchman and Triplett as the Pats earned a 3-1 lead. The Rams fought back in the fourth, scoring three times to take their second lead of the night, but Marion's response was swift. Miller reached on a one-out bunt single and motored all the way to third following a throwing error. Cupples delivered Miller with the tying run one pitch later with a solid single to center field. Hitchman extended the rally with a single, sending Cupples to third, and a Triplett hit chased in Cupples with a hit. Marion got bases-loaded walks from Kelsey Eppes and Stinson, McClain scored on a passed ball, and when Kendall Eppes scored on a wild pitch, Marion's lead was 9-4 heading to the fifth. "I thought that was huge because we took the lead right back," said Rowton. "I'm proud of our young ones continuing to work and do the things we need to do, and the older kids are doing things the right way." The Rams got a run back in the fifth, but Marion took it right back when Miller walked, stole her way to third again, and scored on a passed ball for a 10-5 lead. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion hosts Bartlett, TN., Thursday afternoon before hosting West Memphis on Tuesday, April 16 for a 5A East conference doubleheader and also Senior Night. The Bartlett contest and the West Memphis doubleheader can be viewed for free on the MPAN YouTube channel. 5A EAST RESULTS FROM 4/9 Marion 16, Paragould 2 Marion 10, Paragould 5 Valley View 2, Nettleton 0 Valley View 10, Nettleton 8 Greene Co. Tech 19, Batesville 0 Greene Co. Tech 12, Batesville 0 Searcy at West Memphis rescheduled 5A EAST STANDINGS ON 4/19 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD Searcy 6-0 Greene Co. Tech 7-1 Valley View 7-1 Nettleton 3-5 Marion 3-5 W. Memphis 2-4 Paragould 2-6 Batesville 0-8 5A EAST SCHEDULE ON 4/16 W. Memphis at Marion Greene Co. Tech at Valley View Searcy at Batesville Nettleton at Paragould