By Bridget Bauer
PEARCY — Sometimes, the scoreboard is not a true reflection of a game. The Bryant Lady[more] Hornets found that out Tuesday as Lake Hamilton scored a run in the bottom of the sixth for a 1-0 victory.
Bryant (11-13, 7-6 6A-South) outhit the Lady Wolves, 8-1 and had three innings with multiple hits.
In addition to relinquishing the one hit, Bryant pitcher Jordan Williams struck out four batters and walked two. However, the Lady Hornets were guilty of three errors including a crucial one in the bottom of the sixth frame.
“Jordan pitched incredible and only had four runners on base,” Bryant Coach Debbie Clark said. “We beat them everywhere but on the scoreboard.”
Lake Hamilton got a runner on base on an error and eventually scored on a wild pitch. In the top of the seventh, the Lady Hornets had a runner at third with two outs but couldn’t score.
“This is about our offense,” Clark said. “We did not do what we needed to do offensively. We had a lot more people on base but didn’t get the hits or put down the bunts.”
Freshman Julie Ward was the only Bryant player with multiple hits in her 2-of-3 performance. She and Kaley Coppock both singled in the second frame. Sierra Jones had a hit in the third, and Ward singled in the fifth.
Breanna Sanders led off the sixth with a base hit and went to second on Kayla Jolley’s single, but that was it for that inning.
In the seventh frame, Shayla McKissock singled with one out, and Katy Stillman sent her to second on a hit with two outs. McKissock reached third on a passed ball but couldn’t get home.
“The girls were really sick,” Clark said. “They were finally hungry for a victory and didn’t get it. I’ve been trying to get them to feel like this all year.”
The loss makes Friday’s final conference matchup at home with El Dorado so much more important. To qualify for the Class 7A State tournament, the Lady Hornets have to win Friday but also will need some help from other teams.
“I don’t like depending on what happens with other teams,” Clark said. “They are understanding how much conference games mean. They played so hard and came up short.”
