PEARCY — Bryant's Christen Kirchner and Lake Hamilton's Kelsie Armstrong dueled to a 1-1 tie through seven innings but Lake Hamilton managed to get a run home in the bottom of the eighth for a 2-1 win on Friday, April 3.
The game was quickly put together to make up an earlier meeting that had been weathered out after Bryant's scheduled game with Benton was called off so the Lady Panthers could make up a conference doubleheader.
Armstrong struck out 16 and had a 1-0 lead through six innings. In the top of the seventh, freshman Jessie Taylor ripped a triple into the left-field corner. With one out, Lana Naumann beat out an infield hit to drive her home with the tying run.[more]
Kirchner, who fanned six, walked one and hit a batter while scattering seven hits, worked through the bottom of the inning and the game went to the eighth.
The Lady Hornets stranded the runner that started at second (per the international tiebreaker) in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, Lake Hamilton got the runner to third on a bunt in which Bryant tried to get the out at third, unsuccessfully. The next batter singled to left to win it.
The Lady Wolves only other run came in the first by virtue of an error and a two-out triple.
Both teams had opportunities to change the 1-0 score before the seventh but neither pitcher would relent.
The loss dropped the Lady Hornets to 9-5 on the season. They'll put their 4-1 record in the 7A-Central Conference on the line on Tuesday, April 7, when they host a league double header against Mount St. Mary's. In the meantime, they were set to open play in a tournament at Sheridan against Watson Chapel on Saturday, April 4. And, if they win, they get a rematch with Lake Hamilton. The Lady Hornets also host Greenbrier on Monday, April 6, in a non-league outing.
In a JV game on Friday, Bryant improved to 9-0 on the season with a 6-0 win. Kayla Sory and Jesseca Cudd combined on the shutout. Bryant got on the board in the first when Kelsie Works singled to left-center, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Amber Cope, stole third and scored on a base hit by Ashley Chaloner. That would be all Sory and Cudd would need.
