Hulett blanks Alabama team as Lady Hornets continue to advance
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GULF SHORES, Ala. — Gianni Hulett fired a two-hit shutout over five innings as the Bryant Lady Hornets continued to wade their way through the field of teams in the annual Gulf Coast Classic II this afternoon. Two runs in the third and two more in the fourth resulted in a 4-0 win over the Hale County Lady Wildcats of Greensboro, Ala. It was Bryant’s sixth win in as many games at the event. The Lady Hornets, now 12-2 overall, advanced in bracket play to take on another team at 3:30 p.m.
Hulett struck out nine and walked just one plus she helped her cause with two hits and an RBI. Sarah Evans drove in a pair.
The game was a scoreless duel through the top of the third. Hulett worked around a one-out single and an error that put two aboard in the top of the first. In the home half, Hulett reached on a one-out error and Madison Lyles walked only to be stranded.
Both teams went down in order in the second. A lead-off walk in the top of the third was erased by Meagan Chism, the Bryant catcher, who picked her off first before Hulett ended the inning with a strikeout.
The Lady Hornets’ two-run third began with Regan Ryan’s one-out single to left. Hulett singled but Ryan was forced at third on a grounder to short by Chism. Lyles waited out another free pass to load the bases for Evans, who lined a single to center to drive in two.
Hulett struck out the side around a two-out single in the top of the fourth and, in the home half, the Lady Hornets went back to work on offense.
A Lady Wildcat error allowed Brooklyn Trammell to reach safely, leading off the inning. Regan Keesee came on as a pinch-runner at advanced to second on a grounder to third by Raven Loveless. Maddie Stephens drilled a single to center to get Keesee home and, after Stephens took second on a groundout by Ryan, Hulett cracked an RBI double.
The fifth opened with Hulett’s ninth strikeout. A foul out to Chism and a grounder to Loveless at first ended the contest.
