Lady Hornets take 2 of 3 at Saturday tourney
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).
By Bridget Bauer
Seeing diverse competition was the purpose of Bryant playing in a one-day tournament Saturday that took place at Beebe and Cabot.
The Lady Hornets had their ups and downs and came out of the tournament with a 2-1 record. They defeated Salem, 14-0, lost to Beebe, 4-1 and escaped with a 6-5 victory over Cabot in the final game.
“The reason I wanted to go was to see some different teams,” Bryant Coach Debbie Clark said. “We found out some things we need to work on next week.”
In the first contest with Salem, the Lady Hornets (5-3) scored eight runs in the first inning to take a commanding lead and added three runs in third and fourth innings for the final margin. Kaley Coppock highlighted the first frame with a three-run home run and added a two-RBI double in the fourth. In the first inning, Katy Stillman also smacked a two-run triple.
“I was proud of the girls,” Clark said. “We did what we were supposed to against a smaller school whose talent is not the same as ours.”
Of the Lady Hornets’ 15 hits, Breanna Sanders and Jordan Williams led with three apiece. Coppock, Stillman and winning pitcher Kayla Jolley all chipped in two each.
In the second game, Beebe tallied all four of its runs in the bottom of the first inning. Of Beebe’s five hits, three occurred in the first inning including a triple. Meanwhile, the Lady Hornets mustered just three hits and were guilty of an error in the first stanza.
“They have a good, solid pitcher who is 6-foot-0 and is going to Tulsa,” Clark said. “We had a real shaky first inning. We would take a strikeout or a groundout to the field with us, and we have to get over that.”
Bryant’s lone run occurred in the top of the third frame when Stillman scored on Coppock’s one-base hit. Stillman accounted for the Lady Hornets’ remaining two hits of the game.
Although the Lady Hornets picked up a victory against Cabot, it was tarnished as Jolly injured her knee and doesn’t know to what extent yet. However, a bright spot for Clark was the performance of Abby Staton on the mound in Jolley’s place. In five and two-thirds innings, she gave up three runs on two hits, struck out four batters and walked five.
“Abby has good speed and came in and did a good job,” Clark said. “I’m proud of her.”
Bryant led the Lady Panthers, 5-2, before Cabot notched three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the contest. Cabot’s final run came on a bases-loaded walk of which Clark questioned the call of the last pitch.
Because of the one hour and 30 minute time limit, Staton was placed on second in the top of the sixth and eventually scored on Tori Hernandez’s grounder to second base. In the bottom of the sixth, Cabot also had a runner placed at second with Staton forcing a pop fly to first base and then striking out the next two batters to preserve the victory.
The Lady Hornets’ most productive inning was a three-run second highlighted by Stillman’s two-run home run and Hernandez’s RBI single that scored Sanders who also reached base on a single. Coppock paced Bryant’s 11-hit production with three with Sanders and Julie Ward adding two apiece.
Bryant is scheduled to host a South Conference doubleheader against Little Rock J.A. Fair on Tuesday before traveling to Sheridan for a league contest on Friday.
