Lady Hornets stay unbeaten in 7A-Central
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You know, if you score in every inning, you’re going to be tough to beat.
This just in:
The Bryant Lady Hornets are tough to beat.
The Conway Lady Cats found that out on Tuesday night when the Lady Hornets did, indeed, score in every inning on the way to a 9-3 victory. Bryant, 17-3 overall, retained its hold on first place in the 7A-Central Conference with the victory, completing the first round of the league schedule undefeated at 7-0, a game ahead of Cabot, which improved to 6-1 win a 9-4 win over North Little Rock, which fell to 4-2.
Besides pitching four innings of the victory for Bryant, Raven Loveless popped a solo homer, part of a 13-hit attack for the Lady Hornets. Macey Jaramillo went 3 for 3 with two runs batted in while Sarah Evans and Megan Chism each had two knocks and two RBIs. Gianni Hulett went 2 for 2 with a walk.
As has been the case in recent games, head coach Lisa Dreher alternated pitchers every two innings. Hulett worked three frames along the way.
Loveless struck out two during a 1-2-3 first for Conway. In the home half, Regan Ryan drew a lead-off walk, Hulett sacrificed her to second then Chism beat out a bunt for a hit. Evans yanked an RBI single through the left side then Jaramillo lined a single to right to plate courtesy runner Olivia Orr.
After the Lady Cats were retired in order in the second, Loveless led off the second with her line drive bomb to make it 3-0. With two out in the inning, Hulett and Chism cracked back-to-back doubles to add on.
Hulett entered the circle in the third and Conway scratched out a run on singles by Megan Solberg, Tremere Harris and Allie St. John. But the hard-throwing lefty fanned Holly Stewart to end the uprising, stranding runners at second and third.
The Lady Hornets got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Jaramillo doubled, took third on a passed ball and, after Brooklyn Trammell walked, scored on a bunt single by Madison Lyles.
Hulett eased through the top of the fourth, snaring a liner back at her off the bat of Addison Jordan to start the inning.
She then singled with one out in the bottom of the frame, taking second on Chism’s groundout and scoring on Evans’ shot to center for a double. Jaramillo singled her in and it was 7-1.
Loveless returned to pitch the fifth. Conway managed to load the bases on a double by Bailey Beckham, a bloop single by Harris and a grounder to left for a single by St. John.
Stewart followed with a grounder to Lyles at short. She threw home for a force then Jordan flew to Regan Keesee in left to end the threat.
The fifth-inning score for the Lady Hornets was a product of two-out singles from Maddie Stephens and Ryan (on a bunt) then walks to Hulett and Chism, making it 8-1.
A single by Emily Cecil started the Conway sixth. She advanced at Loveless induced a comebacker from McKenzie Campbell then scored on an errant pickoff throw that also got away in the outfield.
Jaramillo walked to start Bryant’s sixth. She advanced to second when Lyles bounced out to third. She would score before Loveless popped out to Cecil at short to end the inning.
Stewart singled in Conway’s final run in the top of the seventh before Hulett ended the contest by striking out Brynn Schuetter.
The Lady Hornets are scheduled to host Bauxite in a non-conference game on Thursday. At last check, the Lady Miners were the last unbeaten team in the state at 20-0, ranked second in the State and first in Class 4A.
The second half of the conference schedule commences on Friday when Bryant travels to Fort Smith Northside.
