Bryant pounds out 11-5 win over Stuttgart in season opener
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Alissa Suarez drove in five runs while Maddie Thompson and Abby Gentry cracked three hits apiece as the Bryant Lady Hornets officially opened the 2020 season with an 11-5 win over the Stuttgart Lady Ricebirds on Tuesday.
Bryant snapped a 5-5 tie with a three-run uprising in the bottom of the fifth then tacked on some insurance in the sixth.
Hannah Work allowed just one run over the first four innings as the Lady Hornets established a 5-1 lead. Stuttgart rallied to tie in the fourth. Christine Mefford relieved and blanked the Lady Ricebirds without a hit over the final 2 2/3 innings.
Thompson singled to open the bottom of the first and sprinted to third when the bag was left open after Bella Herring grounded out. Regan Dillon followed with an RBI single.
After pitching around an error and a single in the top of the first, Work overcame a two-out error in the second by striking out the side. In the third, however, Stuttgart used a single, a sacrifice and an error to tie it, 1-1.
Gentry reached on an error to open the bottom of the fourth. She wound up at second then stole third before Joely Calhoun worked a walk. A passed ball allowed the tiebreaking run to score. Marissa Bracey singled to right and when the ball was misplayed, runners wound up at second and third for Suarez, who lined a single to center to make it 3-1.
Bracey scored on a wild pitch then Suarez came home on Thompson’s groundout.
A one-out triple opened the door for Stuttgart’s rally in the top of the fifth. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases then a double cleared them to knot it up.
Mefford came on and got out of the inning as the Lady Hornets got the lead runner on a tap back to Mefford. A walk was followed by a pop to Gentry at second to end the inning.
Gentry then opened Bryant’s fifth with a triple. After Haleigh Beck was hit by a pitch, Avari Allen came on as a pinch-runner and stole second. Calhoun walked to fill the sacks and, with one out, Suarez drew an RBI walk. Thompson singled in a pair to make it 8-5.
The Lady Ricebirds were retired in order in the top of the sixth and Bryant’s three-run home half began with a one-out single by Gentry. Base hits by Beck and Calhoun loaded the bases again. With two out, Suarez cracked a three-run triple to set the final score.
Mefford needed just nine pitches to get through a scoreless top of the seventh.
The Lady Hornets travel to northwest Arkansas this weekend for games against Farmington on Friday then Rogers and Bentonville West on Saturday.
