By Bridget Bauer
VILONIA — Perhaps the Bryant Lady Hornets are finally settling in as a team. In the second of[more] two games Saturday at Vilonia, the Lady Hornets played error-free ball and made some heads up plays in a 3-2 setback to Vilonia.
Prior to the Vilonia contest, Bryant (10-11) lost to Farmington, 13-2. Lady Hornet Coach Debbie Clark felt much better after the 3-2 loss and saw good things happen.
“I asked them after the Farmington game what they were feeling, and they said they felt tense,” Clark said. “We played with more confidence.”
After relinquishing two runs on three hits in the first frame, pitcher Jordan Williams finished with a solid performance. She only allowed one more run in the next five innings and scattered four hits. She did relinquish four walks and hit three batters but she was able to work out of jams or her defense made plays to keep the Lady Eagles from scoring. Catcher Sydney Gogus threw base runners out at second and third. In the bottom of the sixth with two outs and bases loaded, centerfielder Sierra Jones snagged a line drive that stopped Vilonia’s threat to score more runs.
“Jordan settled down and did a good job,” Clark said. “In a couple of innings, we wanted her to throw more strikes and less balls. Her ball has a lot of movement and is hard to hit.”
Bryant’s two runs occurred in the fourth frame and tied the contest at 2-all before Vilonia picked up a run in the bottom of the inning. Julie Ward singled and Anna Turpin reached base on the only error of the contest. Ward went home on Katy Stillman’s single, and Turpin scored on Breanna Sander’s base hit. The Lady Hornets’ other two hits were a single by Kayla Jolley in the first inning and a double by Jones in the second. They went three up and three down the last three innings.
“They are a good team, that’s why we want to play them,” Clark said of the Lady Eagles. “They hit, steal and bunt.”
Vilonia did all those things, and Clark was proud of the Lady Hornets working through what was thrown at them.
Bryant returns to South Conference action on Thursday at Sheridan then hosts Texarkana on Friday.
