Bryan County pitching standout Hayden Joyner was at her best Monday evening as she struck out 12 and gave up only three hits in leading the Redskins to a 4-0 win over Richmond Hill.
The Redskins (2-1) pushed across runs in the first and fifth innings and then tacked on two in the sixth to support Joyner who was picking up her 46th career win against 14 losses. Joyner also aided her own cause with an RBI single.
It was a return to form for the Redskins ace who dropped a 1-0 decision to Savannah Christian in the season opener and then gave up 12 hits to the Raiders in a rematch which Bryan County won 7-4.
“I started a lot stronger than I have been,” Joyner said. “I felt mentally stronger than I did against Savannah Christian last Wednesday.”
Being mentally focused could have come as a result of it being a county rival, but Joyner said that was not the case.
“I understand they’re a rival,” Joyner said. “The fans probably get into it more than we do. They’re a good team but we (players) have to look at it as just another game. We’ve got a lot of games left.”
The two teams will meet again next Monday at Bryan County’s new field which has left everyone who has seen it in awe. The Redskins’ win over Savannah Christian was the field’s inaugural game.
Amber Gray’s RBI single in the second inning to score Pascal Ellison turned out to be the only run Joyner needed in twirling her masterpiece. She walked one and the Redskins made one error as the Wildcats left five batters stranded.
Bryan County made it 2-0 in the fifth when freshman standout Elizabeth Harvey singled to score Alex Robertson. It was Harvey’s second straight multi-hit game and gives her three RBI on the season. Any hopes Richmond Hill had were dashed when it let the visitors score twice in the sixth. It all started when Ellison walked with one out and Xandria Dean followed with a double. Robertson then drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Ellison then scored on a passed ball and Dean crossed the plate when Joyner’s pop fly to short center dropped in.
“That’s one of the better teams we’ll face this year,” Richmond Hill Coach Chris Jenkins said, “and she’s (Joyner) one of the better pitchers we’ll see.”
Although the Redskins had 10 hits after getting nine the previous game Coach Jason Roundtree is looking for better things at the plate.
“I would feel a lot better if we could get the hitting going,” Roundtree said. “We’re not getting the timely hits. It’s looking like pitching and defense is going to have to carry us.
“I still have confidence these girls are going to hit. They’ve done it for three years.”
Jenkins, meanwhile, likes the potential of his new team which features sophomore pitcher Addy Brooks who pitched well against Bryan County and freshman Bria Milledge who got her second win on Tuesday when the Wildcats rallied to beat Islands, 3-2.
With Milledge, who gave up three hits, keeping her team in the game Richmond Hill (2-4) scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to beat the Sharks despite getting only four hits.
Brooklyn Meyer and Avery Fisher got the rally started by drawing backto- back walks. Lucy Tuttle got an infield single to load the bases and Abby Laidler, who had two of her team’s three hits against Joyner, followed with a two-run double.
Tuttle scored the winning run on a passed ball.