BRYANT, Ark. — Scoring in seven of the nine innings played, the Bryant Lady Hornets swept a 7A-Central Conference doubleheader in short order against the Mount St. Mary's Belles on Tuesday, April 7.
It took five innings to win each game. In the opener, Bryant, as the home team, batted four times on the way to a 17-1 romp. In the nightcap, the Lady Hornets were visitors and came to the plate in each of the five innings as they rolled to a 15-3 victory.
The wins improved the Lady Hornets to 14-6 overall and 6-1 in league play going into a doubleheader on Thursday at Van Buren.
In the two games combined, lead-off batter Jenna Bruick went 6 for 8, scored six runs and drove in a pair. Christen Kirchner and Peyton Jenkins each had five hits.[more]
Kim Wilson, along with Bruick, had three hits in the opener. Kayla Sory and Sarah Hart had two each and Shanika Johnson smacked a three-run homer.
The Lady Hornets broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first. Bruick singled, Kirchner beat out an infield hit and Jenkins reached on an error. Jessie Taylor picked up an RBI on a grounder to third and reached base on an errant throw. Hart drew a walk and Wilson drilled a two-run double. Johnson added an RBI on a groundout.
In the second, Bruick reached on an error and, an out later, so did Jenkins. Taylor beat out a bunt for a hit to set the table for Sory, who cracked a two-run double. Another run scored when Hart's grounder to second was booted, making it 10-0.
Mount got on the scoreboard in the top of the third. Rachel Pellegrew reached on cather's interference and scored on a double by Courtney Wharton, who had a triple later in the game but was stranded.
A seven-run third put the finishing touches on the rout for Bryant. Paige Turpin, in her first game back since suffering an ankle injury, reached on an error, Bruick singled and, with one out, Jenkins doubled them both home. She scored too, moments later, on a double by Sory. And, after Hart walked, Wilson singled in Sory. Johnson followed with her three-run shot.
Kirchner picked up the win as the pitcher, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out five.
In the second game, Jenkins was the winning pitcher, though she continued to be plagued by occasional illegal pitches.
The Lady Hornets quickly took control of the game, however. In the first, Bruick, on her way to her second three-hit game of the day and third in two days, cracked a double to lead off the game. Kirchner ripped a triple to chase her home. With one out, Taylor walked and Wilson stroked a double. And when Brandi Barnes' drive to right was misplayed, it was 4-0.
In the second, Bruick singled, took second on a groundout by Kirchner and scored on a double by Jenkins to make it 5-0.
Mount St. Mary's managed a run in the bottom of the inning but Bryant's six run third erased any doubt about the outcome.
Hart singled to start the big inning. Moments later, Barnes hit a slow roller to second. Hart avoided the tag going to second then a throw to first was too late to get Barnes. But, when Hart tried to get to third, she was caught on a relay from first. But the inning continued with a walk to Johnson. A slap single by Kelsie Works loaded the bases for Bruick who singled in a run. Kirchner's base hit drove in two then Jenkins unloaded for a three-run homer.
The Belles trimmed a run off the margin in the bottom of the third only to have Bryant pile up four more in the top of the fourth. Barnes singled, advanced on a wild pitch and, after Johnson beat out a bunt single, Works reached on an error as a run scored. Another came in on Bruick's bounce out before Kirchner and Jenkins followed with run-scoring singles.
Earlier in the day, the Lady Hornets' field was the site of a college softball game pitting UAPB against Central Baptist College which features former Lady Hornets' star Hailey King.
