Lady Hornets extract 4-1 conference win over Lady Tigers
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).
File photo by Rick Nation
Eight games in four days, a day off then another game.
That has been the schedule for the Bryant Lady Hornets recently as they hosted the Little Rock Central Lady Tigers in a 7A-Central Conference game on Monday.
It was a game set for Tuesday but moved up a day because of the threat of wet weather. And, as weary as they might’ve been, they triumphed over the Lady Tigers, 4-1.
Alexis Helton went the distance in the pitcher’s circle, scattering six hits, walking one and striking out six over seven innings. She had the Lady Tigers shut out through five as her teammates mounted a 4-0 lead.
Central pitcher Andie Priest kept the Lady Hornets off balance, but Regan Ryan had two hits including a double and Sarah Evans tripled and drove in two.
The triple came in the opening inning after Helton set down the Lady Tigers in order in the top of the first.
Ryan walked to open the home first and, with one out, Evans laced a liner to left for her RBI triple. And when the ball was booted in left, Evans scored as well.
Brooklyn Trammell singled and took second on another Central error but was stranded.
Priest managed Central’s first hit, a single, with one out in the top of the second but she got no further than first.
In the home second, Aly Bowers walked on four pitches with one out. She stole second and took third on Bella Herring’s ground to the right side. Ryan then came through with an RBI double to make it 3-0.
The Lady Tigers threatened for the first time in the top of the third. Joshlyn Burse singled to center with one out then Kadie Latin walked. With two away, Jah’kaiya Woods singled to load the bases, but Helton got out of the jam with a strikeout.
It stayed 3-0 until the bottom of the fifth when, with one out, Maddie Stephens singled, stole second and third then scored when Evans got a bunt down.
In the top of the sixth, Paityn White led off for the Lady Tigers with a triple. Woods singled her in. After Woods took second on a wild pitch, Skylar Whisnant singled to left only to have Stephens come up with the ball and fire to third in time for Maddie Thompson to apply the tag for the first out of the inning.
Priest then grounded to Herring at second to start an inning-ending doubleplay.
Meagan Chism and Thompson each singled with one out but they were stranded.
In the top of the seventh, the Lady Tigers were set down in order to end the game.
The win improved the Lady Hornets to 16-1 overall and 3-0 in the 7A-Central. Little Rock Central fell to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in the league.
Bryant is set to host Fort Smith Southside on Thursday then arch-rival North Little Rock on Friday.
