10-run outburst lifts Hornets past Star City
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Photos by Kevin Nagle
Blake Patterson (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
One of the best teams in Class 4A played one of the best teams in Class 7A at Bryant High School Field Monday night. The first two innings gave no indication of what wound up happening in the third.
The visiting Star City Bulldogs, 19-4 overall coming in, took a 1-0 lead on a solo homer by Max Ross in the top of the second. Otherwise, Bryant starter Blake Patterson and Star City’s Austin Powell were pretty much in control. Powell worked around a walk to Drew Tipton in the first inning then got off the hook after surrendering a lead-off single to Jason Hastings in the second. Patterson gave up singles to Blake Wynn and Cole Muckleroy to go with Ross’ blast but he also struck out four.
And, in the top of the third, Patterson fanned another, gave up a single to Powell but nothing else as it stayed 1-0 going into the home third. That’s when the game blew up. Bryant scored 10 times, taking advantage of four Star City errors, two walks, and a hit batsman with four hits including a three-run triple by Trevor Ezell.
The Hornets won going away, 13-1, to improve to 23-2 overall this season, going into their final home game on Tuesday, a South Conference meeting with Lake Hamilton.
Given the 10-1 cushion after the bottom of the third, Patterson retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth to finish off the victory.
Korey Thompson started the home third with a solid single to left. Ezell then walked on a 3-2 pitch from Powell. Tipton got a bunt down but it was misplayed at third, loading them up.
Korey Thompson (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Chase Tucker followed with a bouncer to short that came up on Muckleroy. He booted it as Thompson scored the tying run. Trey Breeding followed with a sharp single to left to put the Hornets ahead. Tipton scored on a wild pitch then Hastings got a bunt down. First baseman Austin Capps field it but threw wildly to second and Connor Tatum, running for Breeding, came home as Hastings took second. He moved to third on Evan Lee’s grounder to the right side. Brandan Warner was hit by a pitch and Patterson walked on four straight to load the bases and force a pitching change.
Thompson greeted Muckleroy with a bouncer to short that was, again, misplayed. Hastings scored and the bags remained full for Ezell, who shot a groundball past Wynn at short. And when the ball scooted all the way to the wall before center fielder Garry Hill could flag it down, Ezell pulled into third with a three-run triple.
Evan Lee beats a relay from second to avoid a double play. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Already with a pair of inside-the-park grand slams this season, Ezell nearly had a third. He would score moments later, however, on Tucker’s sacrifice fly, making it 10-1.
The Bulldogs suffered another miscue in the bottom of the fourth. Hastings had walked to lead off the inning but was retired on a force on Lee’s grounder to short. Lee beat the relay to first on the play and, moments later, stole second then scored when Warner’s grounder to short was kicked.
Patterson singled Warner to third and Thompson picked up another RBI with a sacrifice fly. Ezell capped off the scoring with his fourth RBI on a double inside the bag at first.
Patterson needed just 61 pitches to get through five innings. He recorded his sixth strikeout in the top of the fifth.
BRYANT 13, STAR CITY 1
Bulldogs ab r h bi Hornets ab r h bi
Wynn, c-ss 3 0 1 0 Ezell, ss 3 2 2 4
Brown, rf 2 0 0 0 Tipton, lf 1 1 0 0
Powell, p-c 2 0 1 0 Tucker, cf 2 1 0 2
Courson, cr 0 0 0 0 Breeding, c 3 0 1 1
Capps, 1b 2 0 0 0 Tatum, cr 0 1 0 0
Ross, 2b 2 1 1 1 Hastings, rf 2 1 2 1
Hill, cf 2 0 0 0 Lee, dh 3 1 0 0
Muckelroy, ss-p 2 0 1 0 Warner, 3b 2 2 0 0
Patton, 3b 2 0 0 0 Patterson, p 2 0 1 0
Hall, dh 2 0 0 0 Emmerling, cr 0 2 0 0
Logan, lf 0 0 0 0 Thompson, 2b 1 2 1 2
Holt, 1b 0 0 0 0
Totals 19 1 4 1 Totals 20 13 7 10
Star City 010 00 — 1
BRYANT 00(10) 3x — 13
E—Muckelroy 2, Capps, Patton, Wynn. LOB—Star City 3, Bryant 4. 2B—Ezell. 3B—Ezell. HR—Ross. SB—Wynn, Tucker, Muckelroy, Tipton, Lee, Emmerling. S—Tipton. SF—Tucker, Thompson.
Pitching ip r er h bb so
Star City
Powell (L) 2.1 10 2 5 2 0
Muckelroy 1.2 3 1 2 2 0
Bryant
Patterson (W) 5 1 1 4 0 6
HBP—Warner (by Powell). WP—Powell. PB—Breeding.
Chase Tucker hauls down a fly to left-center at Drew Tipton backs up. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
