KINGSPORT, Tenn. - The Bryan College Lions made a statement Wednesday evening, shutting out Johnson University 6-0 in Kingsport to hand the top-seeded Royals a decisive defeat.
KP Smith was nothing short of dominant on the mound, tossing a complete game shutout and scattering just four hits across seven innings while striking out five. The sophomore also made her presence felt at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and scoring twice, including a clutch single up the middle in the seventh inning that blew the game open.
Bryan got on the board early in the second inning when
Kaycee Baldwin, who had been hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, came around to score on a single by Smith. The Lions then extended the lead when
Lakyn Lockhart came through with a two-RBI single up the middle, scoring
KP Smith and
Maddie Lee to make it 3-0.
The Lions put the game away with a three-run seventh inning, with RBI singles from Smith,
Juliana Santillanes, and Lockhart delivering the final blows. Lockhart finished the night a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, while Santillanes added three hits of her own.
Johnson's pitching staff struggled to contain Bryan's lineup, giving up 14 hits on the night. Starter Alyssa Nicely was charged with three earned runs in four innings, and reliever Bobbie Lozano surrendered three more over the final three frames.
With the win, Bryan improves to 28-22 on the season. They will continue to make a run in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament on Thursday.Â
