Lady Hornets clinch third place
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
Pitcher Jennifer Smith and the Bryant Lady Hornets defense limited the Texarkana Lady Razorbacks to just three singles — just one that got out of the infield — on the way to a 2-0 victory Friday that clinched third place in the AAAAA-South Conference.
On Tuesday, May 2, the Lady Hornets made a return visit to Texarkana and added a convincing 12-1 victory.
That gave the Lady Hornets a six-game winning streak going into the State Tournament in Pine Bluff this weekend. Bryant is 13-10 overall and 9-4 in league play.
Sheridan finishes fourth with Texarkana fifth, but going into Friday’s crucial game, all three teams were in contention for a third-place finish and the seeding it produces at State.
On Tuesday, the Lady Hornets took advantage of seven walks an error, and a pair of wild pitches in the second inning to push across eight runs. The Lady Hornets made those count with three singles.
Andrea Hammock drove in two runs with two of the Lady Hornets’ five hits in the game. Meagan Clancy also drove in two runs in the game.
Smith went the distance in the five inning game for Bryant. She gave up five hits, struck out three, walked two and hit one.
Friday’s game was a tense battle. The Lady Razorbacks had baserunners in every inning except the seventh yet the Lady Hornets kept them shut out.
Bryant took the lead in the bottom of the second. With one out, Tiffany Patterson walked on a 3-2 delivery from Texarkana’s Lindsey Rowe. Then she scored all the way from first when Kelly Bennett mashed a double.
Texarkana’s lone solid hit came with one out in the top of the third, a single to left by Linzi Longnecker with one down. She stole second but Smith kept her there, striking out the next two.
In the bottom of the inning, Bryant loaded the bases with one down. Lindsey Stone walked, Smith beat out a bunt for a single then Hammock was hit by a pitch. But Rowe got out of the jam by getting Misty Phillips to ground into a force at the plate then Patterson to fly out to center.
In the fourth, Smith worked around a one-out error with a strikeout and a pop to center.
Jessica Tanner led off Texarkana’s fifth with a walk but the Lady Hornets went around the horn for a doubleplay off Shundrekia Hill’s bouncer to Clancy at third.
The Lady Hornets then added another run in the home half, without the assistance of a base hit. Rachel Blakley was hit by a pitch to start the inning. She swiped second then took third on an errant throw. Stone followed with a bunt and reached base when the Lady Razorbacks chose to make sure Blakley didn’t score. Blakley didn’t wander too far off third but, moments later, she scored on a squeeze bunt by Smith.
Back on the mound in the top of the sixth, Smith ran into some control trouble. Walks to Marianne Eaves and Lindsey Brown opened the inning. Amanda Dyer grounded to Blakley at short. She threw to Clancy at third for a force out.
But Casey Jeans drew a walk to load the bases with one down.
After a conference with head coach Stacy Mallett, however, Smith came back to strike out Amanda George then Rowe grounded out to Lindsey Sullivan at second to end the threat with the shutout intact.
On Thursday, the Lady Hornets pounded Pine Bluff 15-2. Patterson was 3-for-3 in the game and Phillips drove in five runs with a double and a homer.
