TEXARKANA, Ark. -- One way to win is not to let the other team score.
Junior southpaw Macie Lee was potentially one swing away from being perfect in the circle Monday night for the Lady Backs (5-2, 2-2) when all was said and done during Arkansas High's route of the Lady Cats (2-3, 2-2) in 5A-South conference play, 10-0, by way of the five-inning mercy rule.
A triple to right field in the third inning by El Dorado's eight-hole hitter, Jamiyah Davis, was the only blemish of the final stat line for Lee, who completed her night with 14 strikeouts of the 19 batters faced. Only one other batted ball got past the infield for the visitors but was tracked down by the Lady Backs' Jaela Coleman with a diving catch. Lee began the top of the first with seven straight punch-outs before Davis reached and was then left stranded to keep the shutout intact.
Arkansas High's offense struck quickly in the home half of the first after a lead off bunt single from Aniya Arnold and a hit-by-pitch to Palin Nichols later produced a sacrifice fly from Jaela Coleman and Arnold's steal of home for the early 2-0 lead.
Arnold's sacrifice fly in the second to score Jewel Smart after she reached on a free pass made it 3-0 before the advantage would lengthen to 5-0 by the end of the third with Smart's RBI double that scored Savannah Wilder. Wilder previously knocked in Coleman for the RBI after Coleman smashed a double to start the frame.
Coleman had just gotten warmed up in her first two at-bats when she capped a four-run output by Arkansas High in the fourth and connected on an 0-2 mistake from El Dorado's starter Jaelynn Dumas, cranking a three-run shot to straight away center field for her second home run of the season to extend the lead to 9-0.
Arnold and Nichols each singled ahead of Coleman's loud blast to go along with a base hit and run scored from winning pitcher Lee. Dumas took the loss for El Dorado, surrendering eight earned runs on seven hits through just four innings of work.
Coleman would go on to score the final run in the sixth by swiping home plate on a steal after she reached on a hit-by-pitch and later stole third base.
Arkansas High plays on the road today at Fouke.