Lady Hornets bust Benton
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).
BENTON — Bryant Lady Hornets pitcher Jennifer Smith gave up a rare over-the-fence home run in the second inning of her team’s game against the rival Benton Lady Panthers. But she didn’t let it slow her down.
In fact, she and the Lady Hornets never relinquished the lead. Smith closed out the game by retiring the last 10 batters she faced to sew up a 6-3 victory.
“Jennifer was great,” commented Lady Hornets coach Stacy Mallett. “She gave up the home run but kept her composure. And our defense was like old times behind her. Of course, when she’s on, they hit it into the teeth of the defense.”
Smith struck out four while allowing just five hits. She walked no one.
The Lady Hornets grabbed the lead in the first inning when Meagan Clancy drew a walk then scored on a single by Mistica Phillips.
In the second, Smith walked and courtesy runner Lindsey Sullivan stole second. After a walk to Stephanie Kennedy, Sarah Medlin moved the runners up with a sacrifice and Stacy Workman drove in Sullivan with another sacrifice.
After Benton cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second, neither team scored until the fourth. That’s when the Lady Hornets broke the game open with three runs.
Walks to Kelly Bennett and Smith set the table. Kennedy then beat out a bunt single to load the bases. After a force at the plate on a grounder by Medlin, Workman singled in a run and Andrea Hammock doubled to drive in two.
Benton rallied for two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 5-3 but, in the fifth, the Lady Hornets got one of those back. Clancy walked then Bennett and Smith followed with singles to produce the 6-3 lead that Smith and the Bryant defense protected the rest of the way.
“Tiffany Kennedy has been great at shortstop,” mentioned Mallett. “She’s just made so many plays for us. Meagan Clancy has been solid at third. She has a knack for this game. And Kelly Bennett did a good job catching. She made two big plays for us in one inning. She threw out a base stealer then caught a foul pop against the backstop.”
The win improved the Lady Hornets to 3-1 on the season with a game scheduled at home on Tuesday, March 21, against North Little Rock up next.
