When Hancock County’s Bella Bryant hit a grounder to the left side of the infield, it seemed the 3rd Region All “A” Tournament Championship was headed to extra innings. Instead, a fielding error gave the Lady Hornets a second chance at life.
Three pitches later, Madyson Higdon delivered, blasting the ball through the right side of the infield for a 6-5 win over Trinity (Whitesville) and the Lady Hornets first 3rd Region A “A” title in three years.
“We were on the ropes down 5-1 late and not getting much together offensively, and we came through. Freshman Ryleigh French had a big base-clearing double and got us back in the game,” Hancock County Head Coach Dwayne Wroe said. “I can’t say enough about Bella Bryant coming in down 4-0 after the first inning. And she pretty much shut them down the rest of the way, only allowing one run. It gave us a chance to come back and win the game. I am very proud.”
Looking for their second straight 3rd Region All “A” title, the Lady Raiders jumped all over French in the opening inning. Ella Morris drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly, before Emersyn Beyke and Sadie Morris combined to drive in three more.
Ella Morris kept the Lady Hornets off-balanced early, cruising through the first three innings before allowing a run in the fourth. A one-out Jordyn Waltrip double set up Gracie Gaynor to single her home. Trinity answered right back in the top of the fifth, when Avary Emmick scored on a wild pitch.
Trailing 5-1 in the sixth, the Lady Hornets’ bats roared alive. A fielding error cut the lead to 5-2, before Ryleigh French drove in three with a double into left field to tie the game.
Trinity was on the verge of retaking the lead in the seventh, but Ansley House made a reaching grab to strand Kendall Howard.
“It’s a good thing she’s six feet tall because she about maxed out on her reach,” Wroe said. “It could have been a game-saving catch, and then it gave us the opportunity in the bottom of the seventh.”
Gaynor led the way for Hancock County at the plate, going 3-3 with an RBI, while House went 1-4. Pitching in relief, Bryant allowed one earned run over 6 1/3 innings, striking out six.
For Trinity, Sadie Morris went 1-3 with two RBIs, Aubree McKinney, Emmick, and Beyke all had a pair of hits, and Ella Morris went 1-3 with an RBI. Morris allowed one earned run over six innings, while Michaela Knight pitched in relief.
Hancock County has a few weeks before the All “A” State Tournament begins, and the Lady Hornets are looking to finally get over the hump, having finished runner-up six times.
“You never know how many more oppotunities you are going to get,” Wroe said. “I just try to instill into these girls that is a good accomplishment to get to State. Hopefully we can go there and make some noise and knock that door down.”
