For more photos of this event by Rick Nation, go here
In a game befitting a conference championship battle — or even a preview of a State championship set-to, the Cabot Lady Panthers eked out a run in the top of the seventh to snap a 4-4 tie then held off the Bryant Lady Hornets in the bottom of the seventh to earn a victory that all but clinched the 6A-Central Conference title on Friday night.
Scoring four runs on 10 hits, the Lady Hornets did as much against Cabot’s star pitcher Akayla Barnard as anyone has all season. But Barnard retired the last seven batters she faced after Bryant had tied the game in the bottom of the fifth.
The two teams came into the game with identical 10-1 conference records. The Lady Hornets are clinging to second now, a half-game ahead of Conway, the only team to have defeated Cabot this season.
The Lady Hornets host North Little Rock on Tuesday then Conway on Friday, May 7. The Lady Hornets won at Conway on Tuesday, April 13, 8-7.
Barnard and Bryant freshman Leah Hicks were locked in a scoreless pitcher’s duel through three innings. The Lady Hornets had three hits, Cabot two. Two of Bryant’s knocks came in the second. With two down, Caitlyn LaCerra beat out a bunt single then Bella Herring lined a single to right. But Barnard got a strikeout to escape.
In the top of the fourth, Cabot’s Savannah Snow singled to center and Emily Whitman walked. With Olivia Geater in to run for Snow, Hicks got Jarah Potter to fly to right. Paige Pierpoint got a bunt down that Hicks fielded but Geater beat her throw to third.
With the bags full, Graci Hock lined a single to center to make it 1-0. Emma Holland grounded to Abby Gentry at third. She threw home for a force. Then Jordan Williams grounded out to Alissa Suarez at second.
In the top of the fifth, Barnard led off with a homer to left. Adreya Braddy doubled then Snow belted a two-run homer to make it 4-0.
On a hit batsman and a pair of singles, Cabot loaded the bases with two down. But Hicks got Williams to fly to Marissa Bracey in right to keep anyone else from scoring.
Herring led off Bryant’s fifth with a lined single to center. Macy Hoskins singled to left then, Bracey, batting for Hicks, belted a double to make it 4-1.
Suarez singled in a run then took second as Bracey reached third. Chritine Mefford’s infield hit got Bracey home to make it 4-3. And when the Lady Panthers made sure Suarez held at third, Mefford hustled into second with the potential go-ahead run.
Gentry followed with a shot that was hauled down in centerfield by Holland. On the throw back to the infield, Mefford was caught off second for a doubleplay. However, Emma Bonvillain smacked a single to right, Suarez scored to tie the game.
Mefford, on in relief of Hicks, pitched around a two-out walk to Snow in the sixth but the Lady Hornets were unable to muster any offense in the bottom of the inning.
The winning uprising in the top of the seventh started with a walk to Potter. But catcher Regan Dillon pounced on Peirpoint’s bunt and fired to Herring at second in time for a force. Hock tapped back to the pitcher as Peirpoint advanced to second.
Holland kept the inning alive with a two-out single to left. A throw home from LaCerra kept Peirpoint from scoring but Holland took second.
Mefford and Williams battled to a 3-2 count then the batter hit a pop behind second that no one could get to for an RBI single.
The Lady Hornets were retired in the bottom of the inning on a pair of groundouts and Mefford’s lined shot to Whitman at first.
