Allison Grappe sparks Lady Hornets’ win at NLR
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By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — For all her heroics in the Bryant Lady Hornets’ 6-4 win over the defending State runner-up North Little Rock Lady Charging Wildcats on Tuesday, April 5, Allison Grappe’s most important contribution may have gone overlooked by some.
Grappe cracked her first-ever over-the-fence home run to go with a double, a single, a walk and two runs batted in. She was in the middle of all three of Bryant’s scoring innings with her seventh-inning solo shot providing much-needed insurance as the Lady Hornets improved to 3-0 in the AAAAA-Central Conference and 11-6 overall.
But, when the game was tied in the top of the fifth, it was Grappe’s hustling, alert base-running that proved vital, too. With two down in the top of the fifth and the game knotted 3-3, Kara Vaughan had drilled a double to right center. Grappe, on a 1-2 count, sliced a clutch RBI single to right to snap the deadlock. Kristin Dorsey followed with a bunt that was fielded by North Little Rock third baseman Felicia Wright. Dorsey beat the play at first and, with third base unoccupied, Grappe rounded second and continued on getting to the base at about the same time as shortstop Devon McWayne. The return throw from first base got away from McWayne and rolled into shallow left, allowing Grappe to score another run. Though Dorsey was eventually tagged out after rounding second as the Lady Cats threw the ball around, the Lady Hornets led 5-3.
And the run Grappe scored was amplified when, in the bottom of the inning, North Little Rock mounted a rally.
Working in relief of starter Kelly Norman, Vaughan issued her only walk in six innings or work to Kelsey Whitlock to open the inning. Sarah Springer grounded into a force at second but Courtney Young followed with a double on an 0-2 pitch to put the potential tying runs in scoring position. Moments later, McWayne’s bloop to center was dropped and Springer scored to make it a one-run game. Young, with the tying tally, advanced to third with one out.
With Wright at the plate, however, Bryant catcher Randie Julliusson fired a throw to Kaci Melhorn at third and caught Young napping. The pickoff was the second out of the inning and Vaughan did the rest, striking out Wright to end the inning.
It was one of 10 strikeouts by Vaughan.
Still, there was drama to be had. After Grappe’s two-out homer in the top of the seventh, North Little Rock made a bid to rally in the bottom of the inning when Whitlock singled and Springer reached on an error with one out. Young followed with a pop on the infield. The homeplate umpire invoked the infield fly rule, though in the excitement, not everyone heard. So when Vaughan rushed in and dropped the pop up, not everyone realized that the batter was already out and the baserunners didn’t have to run. Vaughan, in fact, threw to first where, technically, Springer would’ve been out having strayed off the base, not Young the batter. But no call came and Allison Grappe, the first baseman, saw Whitlock caught between second and third. She threw to shortstop Amie Hubbard who tagged her out as she tried to get back to second.
If the Lady Hornets had needed it, it would’ve actually been a triple play. Still, the umpires had to discuss the events of the play before concluding that, yes, the Lady Hornets had recorded the necessary outs to end the game.
Bryant had taken the lead initially in the second inning. Allison Grappe walked to start the inning and Laci Rowland pinch-ran. Dorsey followed with a roller to the second baseman, who fumbled the ball then tried to get the force on Rowland at second to no avail.
Norman’s sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third. Kalin Dreher, unable to play in the field because of an injury, pinch-hit for Haley King and ripped a shot off the glove of the first baseman. The ball ricocheted into shallow right-center as both Rowland and Dorsey scored to make it 2-0.
Keisha Stickley kept the inning going with a bunt hit. Hubbard then bounced to third. Wright got the force at third but her throw to first for a possible doubleplay eluded first baseman I.B. Resimont and Stickley hustled around to score, making it 3-0.
Two singles and a walk to start the bottom of the second put North Little Rock in position to rally. Vaughan relieved Norman and struck out the first two she faced before Whitlock cleared the bases with a long double to left, tying it up.
