Lady Hornets break out with 11-5 win over Rogers
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).
By Bridget Bauer
Quickly, the Bryant Lady Hornets jumped out to a lead against Rogers, endured a short-lived[more] deficit and then pounded the Lady Mounties, 11-5, Friday night.
With the victory, Bryant improved to 1-2 and garnered a much needed win before beginning conference play Thursday against Benton. The Lady Hornets took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning.
“We needed that and a win is a win,” Bryant Coach Debbie Clark said. “I think the girls were holding their breaths, we were all holding our breaths. We saw we can win some games and got the monkey off our backs.”
Bryant racked up 15 hits, and the Lady Hornets were led by sophomore pitcher Jordan Williams’ 3-for-3 performance including one run batted in. Junior first baseman Kaley Coppock tallied three RBIs on a double and a single. Junior catcher Katy Stillman ignited a five-run fourth inning with a two-run double, and senior leftfielder Carly Yazza and sophomore Sydney Gogus contributed RBI doubles.
“We hit the ball much better than in our last two games,” Clark said. “I talked to the three returners and could tell they were feeling the pressure. I told them to remember we have not forgotten how to hit and to do that. We had shots all over and put bunts down. When you put the ball in play, good things can happen.”
Bryant increased its margin to 3-1 in the bottom of the third before Rogers (1-1) led briefly, 4-3, in the top of the fourth. The Lady Hornets smacked out six hits in the bottom of their five-run fourth inning. They added two insurance runs in the fifth and another in the sixth. Stillman, Gogus, Yazza and sophomore Nikki Clay all registered two hits.
Williams gave up the five runs on five hits, struck out five batters and walked five. She pitched her second game in a row to develop her stamina and had to work out of a jam in the sixth inning after she walked the first three batters.
“She developed a blister on her finger,” Clark said. “The rules say you can’t do anything if the game is already in progress. We found some nail glue to put on her finger. After those first three walks, I went out to her and asked her if the blister was the excuse. She said no that she had lost her rhythm and was going to get it back. She got the next batter out.”
Williams struck out the next batter and the ensuing batter flied out before the Lady Mounties scored two runs on an RBI single. The inning ended on a line drive to Williams, but she still had a 10-5 cushion before the Lady Hornets added a run in the bottom of the sixth.
