Lady Hornets bounce back from heartbreaker with romp
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).
BENTON — After a gut-punch of a loss to the rival Benton Lady Panthers, the Bryant Lady Hornets took it out on the Rogers Heritage Lady War Eagles, 20-4, on Friday evening at the Lady Panthers’ field as part of the Central Arkansas Shootout.
The Lady Hornets, now 3-2 on the season, had Benton down 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. An out away from taking the loss, Benton got a bases-loaded single from Shelby Samples to score the tying and winning run for the walk-off win.
Bryant then used 17 hits, eight for extra bases including homers by Gianni Hulett and Hene Shavers to take advantage of six Heritage errors for the 20-4 romp in four innings.
Bryant 20, Rogers Heritage 4
Bella Herring went 3 for 3 with three runs batted in. Alissa Suarez, Haleigh Beck, Regan Dillon and Maddie Thompson each had two hits. Suarez knocked in three.
Beck, Meagan Chism, Dillon and Herring each had doubles while Lexi Helton and Suarez contributed triples.
Heritage was limited to five hits. Freshman Christine Mefford picked up the win in relief of Hannah Work.
The Lady War Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With the bases loaded, a hit batsman forced in the run and moved Lady Hornets head coach Lisa Dreher to call on Mefford, who got the third out.
The lead didn’t last long. Thompson led off the bottom of the inning with a single up the middle. Hulett sacrificed her to second then Chism doubled to right to tie the game. Dillon reached on the first Heritage miscue.
With Shavers in as a courtesy runner for Dillon, the Bryant catcher, she drew an errant throw to second on a steal and Chism raced home with the go-ahead run. Beck moved Shavers to third with a groundout and Suarez got her home with a single to left, making it 3-1.
Heritage used a hit batsman, a single and a walk to load the bases in the top of the second. K Paulo’s sacrifice fly made it 3-2 but Mefford got A Fultz to tap back to the circle to retire the side.
In turn, the Lady Hornets added to their lead when, after Catlin LaCerra beat out a bunt single, Hulett shot a drive to right that went for an inside-the-park home run.
The Lady Hornets blew the game up in the bottom of the third. Beck doubled and score d when Suarez’ grounder was misplayed. Suarez wound up at third and she scored on Herring’s double.
A passed ball got Herring to third. She came home on Helton’s groundout.
With two down, Thompson revved up the offense again with a single up the middle. Hulett walked and, after a pitching change, a wild pitch and passed ball resulted in a run as Hulett wound up at third.
Chism drew a free pass to fill the sacks for Dillon, who’s drive to the gap in left-center went for a two-run double and an 11-2 lead.
Beck singled to get Shavers in and, after Suarez walked, Herring singled to drive in two. That’s when Helton mashed her triple, driving in Herring to make it 15-2.
A pair of walks and a trio of singles produced the final two runs for Heritage in the top of the fourth. Bryant then finished off the romp when Shavers hit an inside-the-park homer before Heather Hammett walked and Katelyn Nees singled. Both scored on an error.
Dillon singled and after Beck’s pop up to second was dropped, Suarez ended the game with a two-run triple.
Benton 4, Bryant 3
Bryant led 3-1 going into the seventh. With one out for Benton, Tuesday Melton and Caitlin Ginther each singled. An infield hit for Cortney Wilcox loaded the bases. Melton scored when Elana Scott grounded out to Suarez at second but, on the next pitch, Samples delivered the game-winner.
Bryant managed just six hits, but one was a homer by Chism, another was a double by Dillon.
Benton got on the board first. In the home half of the opening inning, Scott walked, took second on a passed ball and scored on Samples’ double.
Samples was thrown out at third trying to stretch the play and it proved fortuitous at the time when Riley Gilmore doubled with two away.
The Lady Hornets tied it in the top of the second. Herring walked and was sacrificed to second by Mefford. Beck drilled a single to center for the RBI.
Hulett pitched around a one-out walk and a single in the bottom of the second then the Lady Hornets grabbed the lead.
With two out in the top of the third, Dillon belted a double to left. The count went to 2-1 on Chism before she belted a homer to left.
The 3-1 lead held as Hulett set down the Lady Panthers in order in the third then pitched around a single and a walk in the fourth. Benton was retired three-up, three-down in the fifth and in the sixth.
The Lady Hornets threatened to score in the fourth on singles by Beck and Suarez, but both were stranded.
In the sixth, Chism singled and stole second, advancing to third on Mefford’s grounder to second. Beck drew a walk and stole second Benton recorded the third out to keep it 3-1.
