Greenbrier softball knocks off Conway, 8-0

By Zach Hayes
UCA sportswriting

The tough season continued Monday for the Conway Lady Cats as they traveled to Greenbrier and lost 8-0 to the defending 5A-West champion Panthers.

The loss dropped the Lady Cats to 5-14 on the year and 3-4 in the 7A-Central conference. The Lady Panthers are continuing their roll at 15-3 on the year and 8-0 in conference play.

“They’re the best team in the state,” CHS coach Chad Longing said.

The Panthers may also have one of the best players in the state as well, pitcher Cicely New. She has recently signed to play for the University of Central Arkansas and had scouts there last night clocking her pitches. She consistently clocked 62 or 63 mph and one of her pitches hit an astounding 65 mph on the radar gun, according to Greenbrier Athletic Director Stephen Wood.

Longing said those 62 mph pitches were about equivalent to 90 mph for men.

The recent offense and pitching success the Lady Cats found didn’t hold up. They scattered three hits over the seven innings, partly because of New's pitching ability. Hannah Cooper and Paige Liles pitched, but Longing said “they (as a team) were just overmatched.”

The Lady Cats play again today against Mount St. Mary.