Lady Hornets prove to be triple trouble for Lady Mavs
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).
FORT SMITH — The Bryant Lady Hornets kept their share of first place in the 7A-Central Conference on Friday night with a 19-0 romp over the Fort Smith Southside Lady Mavericks.
Raven Loveless allowed just three hits in the four-inning game as the Lady Hornets run-rule the Lady Mavs, piling up 19 runs on 17 hits including four triples and a double. Southside committed five errors along the way.
Bryant scored 8 in the top of the secone and seven in the top of the fourth. Meagan Chism had three hits and five runs batted in while Sara Evans drove in three and, along with Regan Ryan, Gianni Hulett, Madison Lyles and Maddie Stephens, had two hits.
Bryant improved to 14-3 overall and 4-0 in league play, tied atop the conference with Cabot and North Little Rock, its next two opponents. The Lady Hornets host Cabot on Tuesday, April 4, then travels to North Little Rock on Thursday, April 6.
Both of Chism’s hits were triples. Hulett and Evans each slugged a three-bagger and Brooklyn Trammell doubled.
Meanwhile, Southside managed singles by Kylie Eveld and Victoria Nellum. A double by Nellum accounted for the third hit against Loveless who walked one and struck out six.
The Lady Hornets took a tentative 1-0 lead in the first on Hulett’s triple with one out and an RBI grounder to second by Chism. Evans reached on an error but was stranded.
Eveld singled on a bloop to center to open the home first but the Lady Mavs were set down in order after that.
Bryant’s game-busting second started with a Southside error that allowed Trammell to reach base. Lyles and Loveless followed with singled to load the bases for Stephens. Her infield hit plated Trammell. Ryan slapped an RBI single to left to make it 3-0 then Loveless scored when Hulett grounded into a force at third.
With Ryan at second and Hulett at first, Chism drilled the very next pitch over the head of the centerfielder Jessica Mendoza for her first triple and a 6-0 lead. The next pitch was ripped to left by Evans for her triple.
Macey Jaramillo walked then Evans scored when Trammell’s grounder to first was misplayed. Jaramillo raced to third and, after Lyles walked to load the bases, Loveless popped up on the infield. The infield fly rule was cited and Loveless was called out but Jaramillo was able to tag and score to make it 9-0.
Nellum’s single started the bottom of the second but again, it amounted to nothing. This time, Loveless struck out the side.
Bryant’s third began with a one-out error that allowed Ryan to reach base. She stole second and Hulett singled to set the stage for Chism’s second two-run triple. Evans picked up an RBI with a grounder to short as the lead ballooned to 12-0.
Southside was retired in order in the bottom of the third and the Lady Hornets went back to work at the plate in the top of the fourth, blowing it up further.
Trammell’s double opened the floodgates. Lyles walked. Though Trammell was forced at third in Loveless’ grounder to short, Stephens rapped an RBI single to right, Ryan plated a run with an infield hit and Hulett got Stephens home with a groundout to short.
Chism’s bloop-single kept the inning going for Evans who drilled a single to center, making it 16-0. Chism scored on a knock by Jaramillo. Evans followed her in when Trammell’s grounder to first was booted. Lyles capped off the scoring with an RBI single to left.
In the bottom of the fourth, H Hogue drew a one-out walk and Nellum followed with her double but when Hogue tried to score, right-fielder Regan Keesee relayed to Evans who threw home in time for Chism to tag her out.
Loveless ended it with a strikeout.
