BENTONVILLE -- One thing Kent Early wanted to see out of Bentonville High's softball team this spring is more power.

Morgan Nelson and Keelah Griffith answered the challenge Thursday with a home run apiece as the Lady Tigers posted a 10-2 victory over two-time defending Class 5A state champion Vilonia in nonconference action at the Tiger Athletic Complex.

Those blasts give the defending Class 7A state champion three home runs in its first two games, compared to only 15 that Bentonville hit in 31 games last year.

"We actually a couple of other balls hit the top of the wall (Wednesday)," Early said. "They're game changers. In any other ball park, they're out of here.

"The kids are excited. I think they have good approaches to the plate, and that's what we need. They're hitting the ball real well."

Nelson broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Lady Tigers (2-0) the lead for good when she led off the second inning with her first career home run, a shot over the fence in left-center field. Griffith, who was robbed of two RBIs with a diving catch of her line drive to end the first, helped Bentonville pull away when she capped a three-run third with her two-run blast -- when Early had called for a hit-and-run play.

"We were acting just like it was another practice," Nelson said of her home run. "The pitch was a little bit outside, but it was a pretty good pitch. I like the ball a little outside, and it was belt high. It was a really exciting moment for me."

The Lady Tigers didn't solely depend on home runs for its scoring. Megan Crownover and Jenna Wildeman, the one-two batters in Bentonville's lineup, combined for four hits, six stolen bases and four runs scored, and Wildeman also drove in a run.

That helped set up hitters like Tymber Riley and Jordan Gartman, both of whom drove in two runs apiece. Riley belted a two-run double as part of the Lady Tigers' four-run fourth, while Gartman drove in runs with a single and a sacrifice fly.

"Jenna and Crownover are amazing," Early said. "The play Megan made in the first inning, she covered 40-50 yards to catch a foul ball. When they get on base, they have exceptional speed, and that's something we want to try to use to our advantage. It's part of the game plan."

Maddy Prough (2-0) went the distance and gave up just three hits, but Vilonia turned those hits into runs. Callie Eary tripled in the first and scored on Abby Hightower's single, then Sydney Johnson belted a solo home run in the seventh.

Bentonville won't play again until Friday, when it heads to Benton for a weekend tournament.

Rogers High 11, Conway 1 (6)

Kaylan Melvin hit a grand slam to punctuate the Lady Mounties’ season-opening win Friday at Veterans Park.

Melvin entered in the top of the sixth in relief in the circle and struck out the side, the crushed a pitch over the center-field fence in the bottom of the inning to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Allyn Hensley went 3-for-4, drove in a run and scored three times to pace a 12-hit Rogers attack. Cassie Gonzalez added two hits and two runs scored, while Faith Edwards also went 2-for-2 with an RBI.
