Lady Hornets power past Sheridan
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SHERIDAN — On Tuesday night against the Sheridan Lady Jackets, the Bryant Lady Hornets continued the power surge that helped them capture the Bootsie Gordon Memorial Tournament in Benton Saturday.
Shanika Johnson and Jessie Taylor slugged two-run homers as the Lady Hornets improved to 8-0 on the season with a 9-2 win over the Sheridan Lady Jackets on Tuesday night.
Peyton Jenkins pitched a three-hitter despite some hip discomfort which showed up in her three walks and four hit batsmen. But she fanned six and the Lady Hornets played solid defense to force Sheridan to strand runners in five of the seven innings.[more]
“She did well,” stated Bryant head coach Debbie Stepp. “There were times when she struggled with her hip a little bit so we’re going to check that out tomorrow. I think it’s more from the first field (at Tyndall Park) we played on last Saturday, the older field had a really big hole (in front of the pitching slab). And, you know, when you’re going with kind of a different technique, using different muscles — she was just trying to work through it.
“We played okay, a little sluggish maybe,” Stepp added. “One of the girls looked at me and asked, ‘Coach, how much time do we have left?’ I said, ‘Seven innings.’ It was like we were still playing in the tournament. I think it was just the mindset we developed being in that tournament then going back to playing in a real seven-inning game again.”
Bryant grabbed the lead in the top of the second inning when, with one out, Jenkins pulled a single to left and, on the very next delivery, Johnson blasted her first home run of the season over the fence in left.
The Lady Hornets added three runs in the third to make it 5-0. Jenna Bruick slapped a single to left and, after Cassidy Wilson sacrificed her to second, Kayla Sory drilled an RBI double. On the very next pitch, Taylor launched her shot to dead center.
In the fourth, Shelby Henson singled to left with one down. Kelsie Works sent a base hit to right-center. A groundout by Bruick advanced them to second and third for Wilson who drove a double to the gap in left-center to make it 7-0.
Sheridan broke through with its two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Sarah Weatherford drew a two-out walk and, after a batter was hit by a pitch, an errant pickoff throw allowed the lead runner to go to third, though right fielder Ashley Chaloner charged in and held the runner at first. But Carly Greer singled to center to drive in the first run. A base hit up the middle by Mycah Love brought in the second but Jenkins got out of it after that with no further damage.
She would work a 1-2-3 sixth and, in the seventh, the Lady Hornets tacked on two more to set the final score. The inning began with a walk to Sory. Taylor reached on an error then Jenkins hit a shot off the the glove of pitcher Kaitlin Jones. The ball ricocheted into the outfield for an RBI single.
Johnson drove in the final run with a groundout.
The Lady Hornets will return to 7A-Central Conference action on Thursday when they play the Central Lady Tigers in Little Rock.
