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Marion High School Athletics

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GCT snaps Marion's six-game winning streak

Photo Credit: Chuck Livingston

GCT SNAPS MARION'S SIX-GAME WINNING STREAK

PARAGOULD --- Some gave up on the Marion softball team not so long ago when the Patriots started 1-5 in league play. But the Pats stayed together, ripped off six straight league victories to move into a tie for the final postseason spot, and set up an intriguing final 5A East series with league kingpin Greene County Tech on Tuesday. Game One in Paragould played out like a classic postseason pitcher's duel between Marion's Anna Hitchman and Greene County Tech's Isabelle Matthews. Hitchman handcuffed the talented Eagles, allowing only three hits and two runs, but the hosts made it stand up in a 2-0 victory. Tech set the tone in the nightcap, scoring four times in the first and three times in the third to pull away for a 10-1 victory. The Tech victories, coupled with a Nettleton sweep of Batesville catapulted the Raiders to the final postseason spot from the 5A East, while Marion will miss the state tournament for the first time since 2019. The Tech doubleheader was the final game for Marion seniors Kelsey Eppes, Hitchman, and Ella McConnell. Marion averaged more than 17 victories per season in the trio's four years in the softball program. Marion's best chance to break through in the first game came in the first inning when Hitchman walked leading off the game, followed by a single from freshman outfielder Kolbie Triplett, giving the Pats two with nobody out. But the next three Patriots went down in order to snuff the rally. The Eagles broke through in the bottom of the second when Sophia Gonzalez walked with one out, followed by a Jordan Nailling home run to give the hosts a 2-0 lead after a pair of innings. Hitchman was nails after that point, allowing just one hit the rest of the way. The senior right-hander threw a complete game in the first contest, striking out four Eagles, surrendering three hits and just two runs. But Matthews matched Hitchman pitch for pitch, retiring 16 of the last 18 Patriots in order to make the two runs stand up. Triplett and Kayson “K. Belle” McClain recorded the two Marion hits in the first contest. The Pats pounded out four hits in the nightcap, including knocks from Hitchman, McClain, Kendall Eppes, and McConnell. Hitchman recorded Marion's RBI in the nightcap, while junior Maddie Cupples scored the run. SENIOR SEND-OFF Hitchman, Eppes, and McConnell started almost every game this year in some shape or position. Hitchman anchored the staff this spring, leading the way in innings pitched (117), wins (10), strikeouts (120), and ERA (2.93). At the plate, Hitchman slid into the lead-off spot early in the season and fashioned a .359 batting average and a .474 OBP, with 16 RBI, 11 runs scored, 13 walks, and two home runs. Eppes shifted during the off-season to shortstop after playing outfield for the first three years of her career, but she made just five errors in 2024 while maintaining her elite offensive profile. The senior batted .389 with a .482 OBP with 23 RBI, seven doubles, and four triples. She drove in 23 runs and scored 18 times with 11 walks. McConnell cracked Marion's starting lineup about half the time as a junior before locking in a full-time position as a senior. She wound up the team's primary starter at third base with a .395 OBP with 12 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three doubles and a triple. FINAL STATS Marion recorded a team batting average of .311 in 2024, with a .429 on-base percentage. The team OPSed .841 and was successful in almost 94 percent of their stolen base attempts. McClain led the team with a .467 batting average, a .573 OBP, 35 hits, 13 doubles, 24 RBI, 25 runs, and just four strikeouts. Eppes was second in most major offensive categories, including batting average (.389), OBP (.482), hits (28), doubles (seven), RBI (23), and she was tops with four triples. Hitchman led the way with two home runs, while Triplett finished with a team-high 18 walks. McClain finished her rookie season behind the plate with a team-high .988 fielding percentage, committing just two errors with 158 putouts. Kelsey Eppes was next with a .941 percentage, while Chloe Miller checked in with a .910 percent fielding mark.

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