Brown silences Empire

When both pitchers are on their game, results always come down to who is able to break through on offense.

On Thursday, it was the Bray-Doyle bats that came through as they took out Empire, 4-0, on the Empire High School campus.

The Lady Donkeys move their record to 3-0, while the Lady Bulldogs falls to 1-2 in the early stages of the season. Empire is at home all weekend as it hosts the Empire Festival. The team plays at noon and 6:15 p.m. today to start the festival.

Jordan Brown picked up the win for the Lady Donkeys. She threw a complete game, where she struck out seven hitters. Brown stranded six Lady Bulldogs on base to secure the shutout, and showed control by not walking a batter.

“I thought she did well,” Bray-Doyle head coach Gordon Queener said. “Even if she’s not on her game, she’s usually able to pick it up when she gets in trouble. She did that tonight.”

Receiving the loss, but putting forth a strong effort was Kaylee Price of Empire. The freshman hurler picked up six strikeouts and stranded four runners on base. Her emergence as a solid pitcher is a factor in the Lady Bulldogs’ success this season.

“She’s very important to us,” Empire head coach Clay Davis said. “She did a great job tonight, but didn’t get the defensive or offensive help. We’re going to need her as a strong second pitcher for us.”

Brown and Brittany Crampton led the Lady Donkeys offensively with three hits apiece. Brown went 3-for-4 on the night, with one run scored. Cramton, who is the Bray-Doyle leadoff hitter, also went 3-for-4 with one run scored. Both hitters had three singles.

Bray-Doyle finished its game with 11 hits.

Ryan Rothner and Kayla Ledford led the Lady Bulldogs at the plate. Rothner went 2-for-4 with two singles. Ledford completed the game at 2-for-3, but was stranded on base each time.

“She’s one of our most consistent hitters,” Davis said. “She tried to start some rallies tonight, but we just couldn’t get anything going behind her.”

Empire ended the game with eight hits.

Bray-Doyle started its scoring in the second inning with a fielder’s choice RBI off the bat of Stinnett. Laci Bowen, who had reached with a single, scored the run, which put the Lady Donkeys on the board.

Morris scored the second run in the sixth inning, off a single from freshman Shayla Bingham.

“She did a good job with a bunt in the game,” Queener said. “And came up with a big hit there.”

The Lady Donkeys put separation between the two teams in the seventh with two more runs. A routine single from Brown turned into a two-run error. The hit scored Crampton from first, and saw Brown make it all the way home after an obstruction call at third. base.