Bryant girls rally past Lady Eagles
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be posting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Stephanie Kennedy’s single down the right-field line with two out in the bottom of the seventh drove in Nikki Turpin with the winning run as the Bryant Lady Hornets rallied for a 7-6 win over the Arkansas Baptist Lady Eagles Monday at the Bryant High School softball field.
It was Kennedy’s third hit of the game.
The Lady Hornets, who improved to 15-5 on the season going into Tuesday’s conference game against Camden Fairview, had to score a run in the bottom of the sixth to forge a 6-6 tie. They then worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the top of the seventh to set up the completion of the comeback.
Tiffany Kennedy had opened the bottom of the seventh with her second hit of the game but was retired on a grounder to short by Turpin who avoided the double play by hustling to first to beat the relay. After Elise Snider lined out to short, Kelly Bennett kept the inning alive with a single up the middle that allowed Turpin to race to third. Two pitches later, Stephanie Kennedy came through with the game-winner.
Arkansas Baptist had taken the lead with a three-run fifth inning that erased a 5-3 Bryant lead.
The Lady Eagles were led by Lindsey Duckett who went 4-for-4 and Meagan Wollraven who went 3-for-4. Both were right in the middle of both Arkansas Baptist scoring innings.
Bryant had taken the lead in the bottom of the first. Stephanie Kennedy singled up the middle and, an out later, Jenna White walked. Misty Phillips then drove a fly to deep right center that allowed both runners to advance. And when the Lady Eagles misplayed the relay from the outfield, Kennedy alertly scored and White raced to third. Meagan Clancy then made it 2-0 with an RBI single to left.
White, the Lady Hornets’ pitcher, made quick work of the Lady Eagles in the second. She retired the first batter on a comebacker, then snared a line drive for the second out and got a strike out to retire the side.
In the bottom of the inning, the Lady Hornets tacked on another run. Tiffany Kennedy singled and advanced to second when the ball was mishandled. Turpin slapped a base hit to right to drive her home.
But Arkansas Baptist struck for three runs in the top of the third after two were out. (In fact, the Lady Eagles scored all six of their runs after two were out.) One run scored when Wollraven’s single was booted in the outfield then Duckett and Beth Butler had RBI singles.
Bryant snapped the tie with two in the fourth. Phillips doubled to start the inning. After Clancy walked, Stacy Workman ripped a single up the middle to plate pinch-runner Shelly Parrish. Natalie Powell, running for Clancy, reached third on the play, then scored when Kim Adams grounded to second.
Bethany Singleton walked to start Arkansas Baptist’s fifth inning but Tracey Holman lined back to White who doubled Singleton off first. But singles by Wollraven and Duckett kept the Lady Eagles’ inning alive and they eventually took the lead 6-5.
That held until Bryant’s sixth which White opened with a drive to right that was misplayed. White wound up at third. She scored on a sacrifice fly by Phillips to tie it.
Duckett singled to start the top of the seventh and, an out later, Ginny Miller slapped a base hit. But Clancy got a force at third on a grounder by Shelly Warford for the second out then Bethany Houk grounded to Tiffany Kennedy at short for a force at second to retire the side and set the stage for the game-winning rally.
