After scoring eight runs total over three games, the Bryant Lady Hornets made it 23 runs over two days with a 13-3 win over the Lake Hamilton Lady Wolves in a make-up game Saturday, which was originally scheduled for March 11.
The victory came on the heels of Friday night’s 10-8 win over North Little Rock that snapped a three-game losing streak for Bryant, now 9-5. The Lady Hornets, now 9-5 overall, are set to open play in the 7A/6A-Central Conference on Tuesday against Conway.
Maddie Stephens, Raven Loveless and Meagan Chism each had two hits in the game. Loveless drove in three runs and Sarah Evans knocked in two as the Lady Hornets piled up 10 hits to take advantage of three walks and eight Lake Hamilton errors.
The Lady Wolves were obviously not at their best after a long trip to El Dorado on Friday night, where they won a crucial 6A-South Conference game, 3-2.
Loveless, who struck out eight in five innings in the pitcher’s circle. Lake Hamilton managed just four hits but three of those came in a three-run fourth that cut Bryant’s lead to 8-3.
The Lady Hornets scored five times in the bottom of the fourth to put the game in run-rule territory. Loveless and the Bryant defense set down the Lady Wolves 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth to end the game.
After Loveless struck out the side in the top of the first, Bryant grabbed a 4-0 lead in the home half. Shayla McKissock beat out a bunt single and paid for it when the late throw to first by Lake Hamilton pitcher Annalee Diehl struck her in the thigh. She shook it off well enough that she wound up scoring four times in the game with some aggressive base-running.
Regan Ryan followed McKissock in the first with a tapper that was booted by Diehl. Julie Ward launched a long fly to right that was caught but allowed the runners to move up to second and third. That set the stage for Evans’ two-run single to left.
The inning continued with a walk to Macey Jaramillo. Stephens sacrificed to put runners at second and third again.
Loveless cashed in with a two-run single up the middle to make it 4-0. Loveless reached second on the late throw to the plate and Callie Bradley came in as a courtesy runner for her. Chism laced a single to right. Bradley rounded third and tried to score but a strong throw for Lake Hamilton’s Lanette Snyder got to the plate just as Bradley did. Though it appeared that Bradley slid in under catcher Paige Hoover’s tag, she was called out to end the inning.
In the second, Charlye Rowland led off with the Lady Wolves’ first hit. She stole second and took third on a passed ball. But she was stranded when, with two down, McKissock made a lunging stop at third, got up and threw in time to retire Hoover.
Regan Keesee got on base via an error to start the bottom of the second. She stole a base and reached third when McKissock’s tap to third drew a throw that the Lake Hamilton first baseman missed.
Keesee, who had to hold up on the play before advancing to third, held there but McKissock hustled to second. Ryan picked up an RBI on a tap back to the pitcher then Ward delivered an RBI single to right to make it 6-0.
The Lady Wolves were retired in order in the top of the third with Loveless fanning two more. In Bryant’s third, Chism walked and took second on Keesee’s two-strike sacrifice bunt. Chism stole third as McKissock drew a walk. Ryan cracked a two-hopper to short but a wild throw to first not only allowed Chism and McKissock to score as Ryan motored all the way to third.
She was stranded there but Bryant had a commanding 8-0 lead over the demoralized Lady Wolves.
But Lake Hamilton came to life in the top of the fourth. Elle Henson beat out a bunt single then the ball started causing some damage. First, Bryant first baseman Mallory Theel was hit in the shoulder by a pickoff throw. Henson was unable to advance but, a moment later, Lake Hamilton’s Destiny Raymo was struck by a pitch. That brought up Rowland. On the first pitch, it appeared that Rowland tipped the ball, which ricocheted over the mitt of Ward, the Bryant catcher, and flush off the facemask of the home plate umpire who was staggered and didn’t seem to realize the ball had been tipped. The pitch was called a ball and the two base-runners who had moved up a base each, were allowed to stay there.
Loveless proceeded to throw the next two pitches past Rowland but, instead of a strikeout, got another pitch. A grounder to short resulted in a wild throw to first and two runs.
Diehl followed with a drive to center for a double on a two-strike pitch. With runners at second and third, Loveless struck out Natalie Rogers but Hoover came through with an RBI single up the middle to make it 8-3 but Ryan threw out courtesy runner Michala Smith at third to take some of the starch out of the inning. Loveless struck out Snyder to send the game to the bottom of the fourth.
Jaramillo reached on another throwing error to start the frame. Stephens singled and took second on a throw as Lake Hamilton held Jaramillo at third. But a wild pitch allowed her to score.
Loveless singled in Stephens to make it 10-3. Chism’s second hit followed and when the throw from the outfield was errant, Bradley, running for Loveless, wound up at third and Chism at second.
Keesee picked up an RBI with a roller back toward the pitch. With one down, McKissock slapped a bouncer to short. Madison Hardcastle tried to get the out at the plate but her throw was too late to nab Chism as the lead expanded to 12-3.
McKissock, who had hustled to second on the play, stole third then scored when no one covered third. Hoover’s throw wound up in left field.
