VAN BUREN — Sparked by a big day from Christen Kirchner, the Bryant Lady Hornets clinched the undisputed 7A-Central Conference championship on Tuesday, April 28, with a doubleheader sweep of the Van Buren Pointerettes, 6-3 and 10-0.
Kirchner, at the end of a marathon at-bat, slugged a three-run homer in the top of the seventh inning of the first game to provide the winning margin. That win secured the No. 1 seed from the conference to the Class 7A State Tournament in Bentonville this weekend. The romp in the second game, which secured sole possession of first place in the league, was highlighted by freshman Peyton Jenkins’ no-hitter, the first of her high school career.
It’s the third conference title in the last four years for Bryant and head coach Lisa Stanfield.
The Lady Hornets finish league play with a 12-2 mark. They take a 20-7 overall record into State where they’re set to open on Saturday, May 2, at noon against the winner of the Friday contest between Van Buren (the fifth seed from the Central) and Springdale Har-Ber (the fourth seed from the West).
Bryant has won nine of its last 10 games.[more]
In the dramatic opener on Tuesday, the game was tied 3-3 going into the seventh inning. Senior Sarah Hart led off the inning with a single to left. Pinch-hitter Jesseca Cudd followed with a shot down the line in right for a single.An out later, Kirchner came to bat and battled the Van Buren pitcher through 13 pitches, 11 of which she fouled off. On pitch number 14, Kirchner blasted a home run over the left-field wall to put the Lady Hornets ahead 6-3.
The Pointerettes went down in order in the bottom of the seventh as Kirchner closed out the win in which she scattered six hits, walked just one and struck out seven. All three Van Buren runs were unearned. At the plate, she was 4-for-4 with a double and a homer. She drove in five of Bryant's runs.
The Lady Hornets scored a run in the first inning but had two runners thrown out on the bases, one at the plate and one at third. Bruick had walked and Kirchner singled to put runners at the corners. Cassidy Wilson then got a bunt down only to have Bruick thrown out at the plate. Kirchner hustled to third and Wilson took off for second, drawing a throw from the Van Buren catcher. Kirchner took the opportunity to sprint home, beating the return throw to make it 1-0.
Van Buren took the lead in the bottom of the second with the help of an error that extended the inning. Keri Arnold followed with a three-run homer.
Bryant answered in the top of the third. With one out, Kim Wilson and Jenna Bruick singled and Kirchner drove both of them home to make it 3-3.
Van Buren threatened to regain the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Runners reached second and third with no one out but Kirchner got the first out on a comebacker then struck out the next two to keep it a one-run game going into the tell-tale seventh.
In the second game, Bryant broke out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning. With one out, Hart and Cudd drew consecutive walks. After a double steal, Shanika Johnson got a bunt down that was misplayed allowing her to reach safely and a run to score.
Moments later, Cudd came home on a wild pitch. Johnson, who reached third on that play, also scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.An infield hit by Paige Turpin got things going again. Bruick walked and Kirchner singled in a run sending Bruick to third. And when Kirchner got herself in a rundown between first and second, Bruick came on in with the fifth run.
In the third, Jenkins, Jessie Taylor and Kayla Sory each scored amid a flurry of bunts. Cudd drove in Sory, making it an 8-0 lead.
Bruick reached on an error and Ashley Chaloner was hit by a pitch in the fourth. Jenkins sacrificed the runners to second and third then Taylor dropped another bunt for a single, loading the bases for Sory whose base hit made it 9-0.
Bryant made it a run-rule win with a run in the sixth, closing out the sweep.
Jenkins walked four and hit a batter while striking out six and pitching around an error along the way.
(Special thanks to Sam Chaloner for providing details of the games.)
Sam Chaloner
Pretty good with what i sent you. You are amazing. I sent a couple of changes to you. it was my fault.
Good article though.