Lady Hornets bounce back with 14-1 romp
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be 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).
TEXARKANA — After back-to-back losses earlier in the week to a Sheridan team that has already clinched the championship of the South Conference, the Bryant Lady Hornets bounced back and, perhaps took a little frustration out on the Texarkana Lady Razorbacks on Friday.
Kaley Coppock crushed a two-run homer, Tori Hernandez lashed three hits with Katie Stillman and Julie Ward adding two each as the Lady Hornets buried the Lady Backs 14-1. It was the same Texarkana team that Bryant had edged out only 2-0 at home on April 8.
This time, the Lady Hornets scored in each of the first four innings, building a 10-1 lead then tacked on four in the top of the seventh to complete the rout.
Bryant head coach Debbie Clark used Kayla Jolley in the pitcher’s circle for two frames, Jordan Williams for three and Abby Staton in the last two. The Lady Backs only managed four hits, two of which came in the second when they scored their lone run.
By then, Bryant had built a 6-0 lead. In the top of the first, Stillman knocked a single to center. Macey Jaramillo got a sacrifice bunt down and, when the Texarkana first baseman couldn’t handle the throw from pitcher Lakyn Medford, runners wound up at second and third for Coppock. She got the first run in with a sacrifice fly and, an out later, Breanna Sanders singled to make it 2-0.
In the home half, Jolley struck out the first two batters and got the third out on a comebacker.
A walk to Presli Pendergras opened the top of the second. After Staton lined back to the pitch, Hernandez plugged the gap in left-center for a double. Stillman singled in Pendergrass and Hernandez scored when Jaramillo grounded out to short. That led to Coppock’s blast to left-center to make it 6-0.
Kaitlyn Eaves singled with one out in the home half of the inning and took second on an error. Jetticia McElroy doubled her home but Jolley got Natalie Hamilton to tap back to her, then a strikeout ended the threat.
Williams drew a two-out walk in the top of the third. Hernandez singled to center and, after Stillman reached on an error to load the bases, Jaramillo blooped a single to center to drive in Williams.
The Lady Backs were retired in order in the bottom of the inning as Williams took over in the circle. And the Lady Hornets continued to pile up runs in the top of the fourth. Coppock walked and was safe at second when the Texarkana second baseman couldn’t handle the throw from third. Ward had hit a grounder there. With two down, Jolley singled to load the bases then Miranda Mayfield knocked in a run with a base hit.
The lead ballooned to 10-1 as Williams and Hernandez waited out RBI walks.
Williams pitched around a two-out single by Eaves in the bottom of the fourth. She was aided by a nice play from Sanders off a gutsy play by Hernandez. Medford ripped a one-hopper at Hernandez who got in front of the ball. It came up and ricocheted off her sternum. Sanders, hustling on the play, got to the ball and fired to first in time for the second out.
Williams worked a 1-2-3 fifth then Staton pitched around a walk in the sixth. In the seventh, Eaves slapped her third single of the game but the Lady Hornets turned what looked like a slow motion doubleplay to end the game. A sinking liner was scooped up by Coppock at first. Eaves, uncertain if the ball had been caught in the air or on the short-hop, hesitated between first and second. Coppock threw to Sanders who tagged Eaves out. But only after a conference between the umpires was it determined that it was a game-ending doubleplay.
The Lady Hornets’ four-run seventh was highlighted by RBIs by Williams and Hernandez after Ward had led the inning off with a hit, Sanders walked and Jolley reached on an error. The miscue allowed Skylar Harper, running for Ward, to score the first run of the inning.
The win improved Bryant to 14-7 overall this season, 8-4 in the South Conference, going into Tuesday’s league game at home against Lake Hamilton.
