Lady Hornets ease to second conference win as Sory fires shutout
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LITTLE ROCK — Kayla Sory pitched a three-hit shutout and, along with catcher Jessie Taylor, slugged an inside-the-park home run as the Bryant Lady Hornets softball team made quick work of the Little Rock Central Lady Tigers, 13-0 in five innings, at Interstate Park Thursday.
The win improved the Lady Hornets to 9-0 overall and 2-0 in the 7A-Central Conference going into spring break. They’ll play a non-league game on Thursday, March 25, at Vilonia, at Batesville on Monday, March 29, then return to league play at home against Mount St. Mary Academy of Little Rock on Tuesday, March 30.
Sory struck out 10 without a walk. One of the hits she surrendered opened the bottom of the first inning but the next batter lined to Peyton Jenkins at first. She got the bag before the runner could get back for an unassisted doubleplay.
By then the Lady Hornets had already built a 3-0 lead. Jenna Bruick, who had two hits in the game, beat out an infield hit. Cassidy Wilson drew a walk but Bruick was out trying to steal third.
Sory, however, helped her own cause with a single to shallow right and, with two out, Jenkins cracked a triple to left to drive in the first two runs.
Jenkins wound up with three hits including a pair of three-baggers.
Shanika Johnson, who went 2 for 3 in the game, singled to make it 3-0.
In the second, Bruick reached on one of the six Central errors in the game. She stole second and scored when Wilson singled to right-center where the ball was booted. Wilson wound up at third but was stranded with the Lady Hornets up 4-0.
In the third, Taylor blasted a pitch to deep right-center toward the 275 mark and circled the bases for her sixth homer of the season.
Jenkins followed with a triple to left and scored when Johnson’s grounder to second was misplayed. Johnson wound up at third on the play and scored on a passed ball to make it 7-0.
Bruick started the fourth inning with a single, racing to third on a base hit by Wilson that drew a throw to third, allowing Wilson to advance to second. Taylor drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and it was 8-0.
The fifth made it a run-rule win. Johnson beat out an infield hit and advanced on a passed ball. Hannah Rice, pinch-hitting for Ashley Chaloner, singled up the middle to drive her in. Another base hit by Kelsie Works put runners at first and third for Bruick who grounded out to drive in a run.
With Works at second, Wilson’s fly to center was dropped allowing her to score. Sory then capped off the scoring by her inside-the-park blast.
