Hornets clobber Parkview twice
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be posting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Bryan Griffith drove in six runs in the first game and Corey Lambert pitched a three-hit shutout in the second as the top-ranked Bryant Hornets rolled to a AAAAA-Central Conference doubleheader sweep of the Little Rock Parkview Patriots, 21-5 and 11-0, at Hornets Field on Tuesday, April 12.
The wins improved the Hornets to 19-6 overall and 7-0 in conference play going into a showdown on Thursday, April 14, against Little Rock Catholic (see related story), one of two teams tied for second place in the league, two games off the Bryant pace.
Griffith, who last year led the Hornets’ in hitting with a .352 average, came into the game batting just .233 this season, an all-too-common occurrence up and down the Bryant lineup. But he bashed a double and a triple in three trips, clearing the bases which were loaded both times. In the second game, Griffith was robbed of hits on hard-hit liners in his two official plate appearances, showing signs that he may be busting out of his slump.
His three-run double in the first inning was part of a 12-run outburst that set the tone for the day. The 21-runs was the most scored in a game by a Bryant team since March 9, 2001 when the Hornets drubbed Little Rock Catholic 22-3.
Twelve different Hornets batters hit safely in the game with Todd Bryan and Travis Wood getting two apiece.
Lefty Casey Grisham made his first start of the season and picked up the win with four innings of work. He allowed just one hit and one unearned run. In 10 appearances this season, it was the first run Grisham, who has been serving as the team’s closer lately, had allowed. He walked one and struck out six.
Sophomore Ryan Wilson made his first varsity appearance on the mound in the fifth and Parkview took advantage of a pair of walks and a hit batter to a trio of hits, two of which didn’t get out of the infield to score four times.
Bryant’s big first inning began with Bryan’s first hit, a single to right. Devin Hurt walked then Travis Wood drove Bryan home with a single to left.
Aaron Davidson grounded into a force at third but Zack Young walked to load the bases for Griffith. After the three-run double, the inning continued with Richie Wood getting hit by a pitch. Danny Riemenschneider drove in Griffith with a bloop single to right. Wood raced to third on the play and when Riemenschneider drew a wild throw as he stole second, Wood scored.
With Riemenschneider at third, Lambert got a bunt down to bring him home. Lambert was able to reach second as the Patriots botched the play with a wild throw to first.
Bryan beat out an infield hit and another error allowed Hurt to reach as Lambert scored. Travis Wood then singled in two to make it 10-0.
Another error allowed Davidson to reach base then Young cracked a double to the base of the fence in left center to drive in a pair, capping the inning off.
A walk and two errors allowed Parkview to score in the second but Bryant got four more in the third with Griffith’s triple accounting for the first three. He then scored on Richie Wood’s sacrifice fly.
In the fifth, the Bryant reserves got in on the fun. Young walked with one out then Drew Short reached on an error and Joey Winiecki beat out an infield hit to load the bases. Riemenschneider’s sacrifice fly made it 17-1 then Wilson singled in a run and Bryan tripled to chase in two more. Hurt’s infield hit drove in Bryan.
In the nightcap, Lambert had to pitch out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first then cruised. He struck out 11 in the five-inning game. Parkview managed two hits in the fourth but both baserunners were picked off, one by Davidson, the Hornet catcher, the other by Lambert.
Bryant took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a double by Travis Wood and a single by Davidson.
In the second, Richie Wood beat out an infield hit and Grisham walked. Wood scored on a wild pitch and Grisham scored when, with two out, Hurt’s grounder to second resulted in a wild throw to first.
In the third, Zack Young was hit by a pitch but forced at second on a grounder by Richie Wood. With two down, Wood stole second. Riemenschneider walked then a wild pitch moved the runners up. Wood scored on an error and Riemenschneider came home on yet another wild pitch.
The Hornets only needed two hits to score six times in the fourth. Young’s double drove in two and Riemenschneider singled in a pair.
