Jolley nearly perfect in opening win at Pine Bluff; Yazza sparks romp in game two of twinbill
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be 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
PINE BLUFF — In the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday at Pine Bluff, Bryant pitcher Kayla Jolley had chances at a perfect game and a no-hitter. Instead, she had to settle for a shutout as the Lady Hornets drilled the Lady Zebras, 15-0.
Because of the run-rule, Jolley pitched just four innings and retired the side in the first two innings. In the second frame, she stuck out all three batters, a rarity for her. She started the third stanza with a walk which took away the perfect game. In the fourth inning, she relinquished a double thus erasing the no-hitter. For the game, she fanned six batters.
“She did well,” Bryant Coach Debbie Clark said. “She always goes out and gives her best.”
In four innings, Bryant (10-8, 6-3 6A-South) scored three, five, four and three runs, respectively, smashing 10 hits. Freshman Julie Ward highlighted the Lady Hornets’ offensive production with her 3-of-4 performance. Her two-RBI single in the first inning capped off that frame. Her single in the fourth also plated a run, and a sacrifice fly in the third scored a run giving her four RBIs. Freshman Shayla McKissock also finished with four RBIs on a walk in the second, an error in the third and a two-run single in the fourth.
The Lady Hornets took advantage of eight walks and six Pine Bluff errors. In addition to Ward, freshman centerfielder Sierra Jones also had multiple hits with her two singles, scoring a run in the second. Also tallying base hits were senior Carly Yazza and sophomore Sydney Gogus with Jolley and junior Katy Stillman adding RBI singles.
“I told the girls they had to be patient and couldn’t swing away,” Clark said. “They had to be smart because if they grounded out, we wouldn’t have any base runners.”
In the first frame, Bryant scored after Stillman reached on an error and also went home on an error. Ward’s single plated Gogus and Jolley. The five-run sixth stanza was highlighted by Jolley’s and Jones’s run-scoring singles and McKissock’s bases-loaded walk. Stillman went home on a wild pitch, and Yazza reached base on an error but got an RBI as the runner would have scored.
In addition to Ward’s sacrifice fly and McKissock’s reaching on an error that scored a run, Stillman hit a run-scoring single in the third and Yazza went home on an error.
Game two
Yazza doubled twice and Stillman and Gogus also added doubles as Bryant pounded Pine Bluff, 18-1, in the second game of a doubleheader Wednesday.
Yazza also added a single to pace the Lady Hornets with her 3-of-3 performance. Gogus paced Bryant with four RBI on a run-scoring single in the first and a two-run double in the fourth in her 2-of-2 performance. She also recorded an RBI fielder’s choice. Stillman and sophomore Alex Taylor chipped in three RBIs each. Going 2-for-2 with two walks, Stillman smashed her three-run double in the second frame and also singled in the first. Taylor singled just once in the fourth, but it plated two runs. She also recorded an RBI in the first after reaching base on an error.
“We did what we had to do,” Clark said. “There was no way we couldn’t win these. We had to win the two games.”
Pounding out 14 hits, the Lady Hornets also got multiple hits from Breanna Sanders, who had two singles in her two plate appearances, and McKissock. With two singles and a walk, she finished with a 2-of-3 performance. Jolley and Ward also recorded singles.
Sophomore Jordan Williams picked up the pitching win and recorded five strikeouts. She gave up five hits, one walk and also hit a batter. Pine Bluff recorded two hits in each the first and third innings. Williams’ walk also happened in the third frame when Pine Bluff notched its run.
“I expected her to be stronger than she was,” Clark said. “It was more of a struggle, and she was just missing the strike zone.”
The Lady Hornets put the contest away in the first inning with their eight-run feat. The runs were tallied on seven hits along with three errors. Stillman’s three-run double highlighted the frame, and she scored twice on errors as Bryant sent 12 batters to the plate during the stanza. They notched just one run in the second of Ward’s sacrifice fly.
Adding four runs in the third on no hits, the Lady Hornets scored a run on Gogus’ fielders’ choice, and her courtesy runner, Sierra Jones, Jolley and Yazza all went home on the same error.
Going into the fourth inning with a 13-1 lead, Bryant secured the run-rule with a five-run inning. Gogus highlighted the frame with her two-run double, Taylor added her two-run single and Jolley sent Jones home on her single.
The Lady Hornets (10-8, 6-3) are scheduled to host defending Class 6A State champion Lake Hamilton on Friday.
