Lady Hornets’ 12-run third overwhelms Belles
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continue 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).
File photo by Rick Nation
The Bryant Lady Hornets mashed 15 hits including three more for the record-setting Regan Ryan to take advantage of nine errors by the Mount St. Mary Belles on the way to a 16-1 win in three innings Friday night.
Gianni Hulett pitched two scoreless innings on one hit, a walk and four strikeouts. Raven Loveless finished, surrendering an unearned run on two walks and a hit.
The Lady Hornets led 4-0 through two innings but scored 12 times in the third and won on a run-rule before the Belles could record the third out.
The victory improved the Lady Hornets to 8-0 on the season and 2-0 in the 7A-Central Conference going into spring break. They’re tied with Cabot and North Little Rock for first place in the league.
During spring break, the team will travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., for the Southern Warrior Classic, which begins Thursday, March 22. Bryant’s junior varsity and varsity will open the event with games against Stewarts Creek, Tenn., of Smyrna.
Along with Ryan’s three hits, Hulett, Sarah Evans, Brooklyn Trammell, Maddie Thompson and Meagan Chism each had two hits.
Bryant scored thrice in the first inning. The first run came on consecutive singles by Ryan, Hulett and Evans. With one out, Trammell’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0 before Thompson ripped a single to left drive home Evans.
Hulett, who worked a 1-2-3 first, pitched around a walk and a single in the second and, in turn, the Lady Hornets added a run. Stephens reached on an error and Hulett singled. When the ball was misplayed in center, Stephens scored to make it 4-0.
A walk and a single then two errors allowed the Belles to score in the top of the third then the roof crashed in on them in the bottom of the inning.
Trammell singled to left to get things started. Regan Keesee, running for Trammell, stole second. Thompson bunted and reached safely when there was no play at third for Mount.
Keesee scored on an error and Thompson stole second ahead of Chism’s RBI double to make it 6-1.
Bella Herring provided the big blow to the inning with an RBI triple. She scored when Stephens’ bunt was misplayed. Stephens stole second, went to third on Ryan’s single and scored when the ball was booted in the outfield. Ryan wound up at third. She scored on Hulett’s sacrifice and it was 10-1.
The onslaught continued when Evans walked and, after swiping second, scored when Loveless’ grounder to second was booted. A wild pitch moved Loveless to second then courtesy runner Joely Calhoun scored as Trammell reached on an error. Thompson walked and, with two down, Callie Bradley walked. As she did so, wild pitches and passed balls allowed both Trammel and Thompson to score, making it 14-1.
Stephens shot a single to right sending Bradley to third. An error allowed Bradley to score then Ryan’s line-drive single to center brought in Stephens with the game-ending run.
