Sory’s slam helps Lady Hornets erase early deficit, defeat Conway
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CONWAY — If you happen to shake hands with Kayla Sory right now, beware. You[more] might get burned.
She’s that hot.
A game after smacking a pair of two-run homers in a 6-0 win over the Russellville Lady Cyclones, Sory blasted a grand slam and an RBI double to help the Bryant Lady Hornets dismiss the upstart Conway Lady Wampus Cats, 9-2, on Friday night.
Both teams came into the game 4-0 in the 7A/6A-Central Conference. And the Lady Wampus Cats and their fans were awfully excited when they took a 2-0 lead in the second inning against the two-time defending Class 7A State champs now came into the game with a 20-0 record.
But the excitement didn’t last very long. The Lady Hornets came up in the top of the third and pinned a half dozen on the board. Peyton Jenkins doubled in the first then with Sory’s slam and a solo shot by Kaley Coppock coming before the outburst was over.
Both of Conway’s runs were unearned. After giving up two hits in that second-inning rally and one in the first, Jenkins allowed just two hits the rest of the game. She retired the last eight batters she faced and finished with nine strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Bryant cracked 12 hits, half of them for extra bases. Jenkins had three hits. Sory, McKenzie Rice and Jessie Taylor had two each.
After taking the 6-2 lead in the third, the Lady Hornets tacked on two in the fourth and a final tally in the seventh.
Both teams had runners on the in the first but were unable to get anyone home. Jenkins and Taylor had singles with one out for Bryant. In the bottom of the inning, Conway was unable to capitalize on a single and a two-out walk.
In the second, Bryant was retired in order then Jenkins struck out the lead-off batter in the home half. But a single, a hit batsman and a two-out error produced a run and extended the inning. A base hit made it 2-0 before Jenkins forced the Lady Cats to strand runners at the corners with another strikeout.
Rice started Bryant’s answer with a single to left. Jenna Bruick got a sacrifice bunt down and beat the throw to first for a hit, setting the table for Jenkins’ RBI double. With first base open, Conway walked Taylor to load the bases. Sory made them pay with her blast to center. After Cassidy Wilson lined out to third, Coppock unloaded on an 0-2 delivery for her homer and a 6-2 lead.
Jenkins worked around her second (and last) walk of the game in the bottom of the inning and the Lady Hornets went back after it in the top of the fourth with, again, Rice getting things started with a single. She scored on a double by Bruick who, moments later, took third on a hit by Taylor, who took second when Conway held Bruick at third. Sory drove in the run with a double. Kayla Jolley, running for Taylor was thrown out, however, when she tried to get home too.
Conway managed a single in the bottom of the fourth and a single and a hit batter in the fifth then nothing.
In the top of the seventh, Carly Yazza reached base on a two-out error. She stole second and scored on a base hit by Katy Stillman to cap off the win.
With the win, the Lady Hornets are in sole possession of first place in the conference. They’ll take on Cabot at home on Tuesday, April 10.
