Last one standing
Lady Hornets defeat Van Buren in 7A tourney
LAJUAN MOONEY Features editor

WELCOME LAJUAN MOONEY PHOTO The Bryant Lady Hornets stand with bats raised as their players are introduced at the 7A State tournament at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville on Saturday. The Lady Hornets won the game 4-3.

There is a tradition for softball at Bryant - they just don't lose the tight games.

"When the seventh inning ended with the score tied, I knew we would win the game," said Coach Lisa Dreher of the Lady Hornets 4-3 win over the Van Buren Lady Pointerettes in the quarter-fi- nals of the 7A state softball tournament on the campus of Arkansas Tech in Russellville on Saturday.

"We just don't lose the tight games," says Dreher. "I know these kids and we always seem to have more heart than the other team in these situations."

Both teams were scoreless in the first two innings of play. Van Buren scored in the top half of the third. With two outs Kana Haauser got a single on a ball hit into shallow right field. Kelsey Williams reached first on a Bryant error and attempted to make second base getting caught in a run down long enough for Haauser to cross the plate.

LADY HORNETS LAJUAN MOONEY PHOTO The Bryant Lady Hornets defeated Van Buren in a rain-delayed game at the 7A State tournament.

Bryant answered in its half of the inning with senior Lindsey Carson reaching first on a single to the left side of the infield. Paige Turpin hit a pop up fly to the short stop for the first out. Kristen Dorsey got a long single on a line shot to center field sending Carson to third base. Katie Wilson hit a pop fly to the third baseman for the second out of the inning. Christen Kirchner ripped a line drive to center field picking up an RBI as Carson crossed the plate. Brandi Barnes was thrown out at first to end the inning.

Although three Van Buren players reached base in the fourth inning the Lady Hornets held them scoreless with their defensive work including the execution of a run down between third and home by catcher Sarah Hart and short stop Shanika Johnson.

Bryant was also held in the fourth with Monique McDaniel being thrown out at first, Hart flying out and Johnson being thrown out at first.

OUT LAJUAN MOONEY PHOTO Bryant's Mo McDaniel tags out a Van Buren runner at the game.

Both teams were set down in order in the fifth though Bryant had three hard hit balls in the inning. Carson had a deep shot to the centerfielder. Turpin was robbed on a well-placed ball hit to short center field that was fielded with a diving shoestring catch. Dorsey was also robbed of a hit when her line drive shot was caught by the second baseman in self-defense.

In the sixth inning both teams left one runner on base without scoring to keep the game tied at 1-1. For Bryant that runner was Kirchner who doubled on a ball that nearly went the distance for a home run.

The seventh inning could have been the undoing of the Lady Hornets as the Pointerettes had the bases loaded and no outs after back-toback errors by Bryant. This was not to be the case as the team with 'heart' stepped it up and got themselves out of this jam by cutting down a runner at home on a throw from Johnson to Hart and pulling a double play on a line drive caught by second baseman Kim Wilson and a quick throw to first to end Van Buren's chance at a win in regulation play.

RUNNING LAJUAN MOONEY PHOTO Bryant's Brittany Welton runs to first base after getting a hit.

With rain and lightening in the area the teams were taken off the field and the tarps rolled out for a 37-minute delay before extra innings could begin.

Under tie breaking rules Sarah Haauser was placed at second base for Van Buren. Haauser scored on another Bryant error. The Lady Hornets again pulled themselves together and kept three other Van Buren runners from reaching the plate.

Bryant started the eighth inning off with Morgan Seelinger at second base. Turpin hit to the third baseman and was thrown out at first sending Seelinger to third base. Dorsey was thrown out at first base after a dropped third strike and Seelinger scored on the throw to first to knot the score at two. Bryant had a chance to end the game after Wilson doubled to right field putting herself in scoring position. Kirchner hit a long fly ball to center field to end the inning.

CELEBRATION LAJUAN MOONEY PHOTO The Bryant Lady Hornets celebrate in the infield at ATU after defeating Van Buren 4-3 in extra innings.

Neither team scored in the ninth inning. In the 10th inning Van Buren was able to score after starting with Emily Gardner on second base. Kirchner struck out the next batter, and then caught a pop up from the next. A long fly ball to center field plated Gardner to give Van Buren the lead 3-2. After walking the next batter, her only base on balls, Kirchner fielded the ball and threw to first for the last out.

Bryant started the bottom of the tenth with Brittany Welton at second base. Johnson got caught looking on the third strike for the first out of the inning. Carson doubled to left field scoring Welton to tie the game at 3-3. Turpin grounded out moving Carson to third. Dorsey stepped to the plate with two outs in a game that started more than three hours before. It only took one pitch for the senior to drive in the winning run with an infield single.

"I could not be any prouder of these girls," said Dreher. "Christen pitched a great game. She moved the ball around really well. Every pitch that I called for she delivered. And our bench really stepped up and played the way we needed them to when we needed it."