Jenkins finds her footing, Lady Hornets rally twice to beat Greenbrier

Jenna Bruick had three hits for the Bryant Lady Hornets on Monday against Greenbrier. (Photo by Mark Hart)

By Rob Patrick

BRYANT, Ark. — After seven illegal pitches in the first inning, no doubt Bryant freshman pitcher Peyton Jenkins spent the rest of her team's game against the Greenbrier Lady Panthers on Monday, April 6, thinking about her footwork as much as where her pitches were going. 

Though she had two more in the second and about a dozen for the game, she settled in for the most part over the final three innings to preserve her team's 11-8 win.

The Lady Hornets overcame 3-0 and 7-6 deficits along the way, rallying for six runs in the bottom of the third and four more in the fifth as they improved to 12-6 on the season going into a 7A-Central Conference doubleheader on Tuesday against the Mount St. Mary's Belles.

Jenna Bruick had three hits for the Lady Hornets while Christen Kirchner, Jessie Taylor and Brandi Barnes added two each. Barnes keyed the big third-inning with a bases-loaded triple. Taylor drove a run in the third, knocked in the tying run in the fourth and another in the decisive fifth.[more]

Greenbrier took advantage of those illegal pitch rulings in the first with a double by Taylor Jones and a two-out RBI single by Cicely New to take a 2-0 lead.

Brandi Barnes belts a three-run triple to highlight a 6-run inning for the Bryant Lady Hornets on Monday as teammate Kelsie Works (24) warms up on deck. (Photo by Mark Hart)

Despite the calls in the second, Jenkins struck out two as the Lady Panthers went down in order.

But Greenbrier added a run in the third on a two-out double by Jones, a single by Kayla Waters and, after a walk to New loaded the bases, an infield hit by Kailey Madden. But Jenkins got Lauren Rose to ground to Taylor at third for a force that ended the inning with the bases loaded.

Bryant's initial comeback in the bottom of the inning began with Bruick's one-out infield hit. She took second on Kirchner's sacrifice and third on a wild pitch as Kayla Sory drew a walk. Jenkins walked to load the bases then Tayor was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Sarah Hart followed with a shot up the middle that was stopped with a diving stab by New, the Greenbrier second baseman. Her ill-advised throw to first was wild and into the dugout allowing Jenkins to score behind Sory, tying the game 3-3.

Lana Naumann drew a walk to load the bases for Barnes who ripped an 0-1 pitch down the right-field line, just fair for a three-run triple.

Christen Kirchner (7) settles under a pop up as teammate Peyton Jenkins hustles to cover first during Monday's game against Greenbrier. (Photo by Mark Hart)

But the 6-3 lead disappeared in the top of the fourth. Ashley Hankins singled off Taylor's glove at third but was forced on a bouncer to first by Kaki Tapley. An illegal pitch sent Tapley to second and a wild pitch got her to third. Gabby Milam walked then she and Tapley worked a double steal to plate a run. An infield hit by Brittney Merritt put runners at the corners again and, again, a double steal produced a run that made it 6-5.

Jones drew a walk and another illegal pitch advanced runners to second and third for Waters who doubled to deep center to put Greenbrier back in the lead. 

In the bottom of the inning, Bruick slapped a single to left but was thrown out trying to steal. Kirchner singled but was forced on a grounder to New off Sory's bat. Sory just beat a relay to first to avoid the inning-ending doubleplay and that proved to be key. Jenkins followed with a walk to put runners at first and second for Taylor who shot a single up the middle, tying the game 7-7.

Rose led off the top of the fifth with a single and was sacrificed to second but Jenkins worked through it to keep the game tied.

Kim Wilson breaks off second. (Photo by Mark Hart)

Barnes beat out a hit that drew a late, wild throw to first to start the bottom of the fifth and, with one down, Bruick cracked a double to drive her home with the go-ahead run. Kirchner belted a triple to right to make it 9-7. She scored on a groundout by Sory. Jenkins singled and courtesy runner Shanika Johnson scored all the way from first on a lined double into the left-center gap by Taylor.

Jenkins retired the first two batters in the top of the sixth then New singled down the left-field line. Bruick hustled over to field the ball and got it back to the infield to catch New, who was thinking double, trying to get back to first. The Lady Hornets executed the rundown and she was tagged out to end the inning.

After Bryant went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Greenbrier tried to mount a comeback in the seventh when Madden walked and Rose reached on an unsuccessful fielder's choice as Madden beat throw to second by Taylor from third. Ashley Hankins singled in a run but Jenkins struck out the next two and, when the third strike to Milam for the second out was in the dirt, both runners tried to move up only to have the trail runner thrown out by Hart, the Bryant catcher, to end the game.

In the JV game, Bryant improved to 10-0 on the season with a 12-0 win in three innings. Jessica Cudd pitched the shutout and Jessie Taylor hit a three-run homer. 

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