Hornets out-slug Lake Hamilton, 10-7
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PEARCY — Pounding out a dozen hits, the Bryant Hornets continued to show signs of a revival from a mid-season swoon by whipping the Lake Hamilton Wolves, 10-7, on Monday, April 16, on the heels of a pair of crucial 7A-Central Conference wins the week before.
The Hornets built a 7-2 lead but Lake Hamilton, among the top teams in the 6A-South Conference, rallied to tie with five runs in the sixth only to have Bryant win it with three in the top of the seventh.
Sophomore right-hander Drew “Doc” Ransdell, after relieving in the sixth, set down the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to close it out, earning his first varsity win.
Sophomore Kaleb Jobe made the start and scattered six hits through five innings before running into trouble with two out in the sixth.
Another sophomore, Tyler Sawyer, led the Hornets’ offense with three hits, driving in a pair. Junior Jake Jackson and seniors Joey Winiecki, Tyler Pickett and Ryan Wilson had two hits each. Winiecki drove in three.
The Hornets took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Pickett beat out a grounder to deep short for an infield hit. Courtesy runner Nick Suggs swiped second and took third on a wild pitch. With two down, Sawyer slapped a single to left to bring him home.
Wilson was hit by a pitch from Lake Hamilton starter Tyler Atkins, then Winiecki doubled to chase Sawyer home to make it 2-0.
The Wolves collected an unearned run in the bottom of the inning with a walk, a single and an error. The Hornets turned an inning-ending doubleplay to preserve a one-run lead.
In the top of the third, Atkins hit Cody Walker and walked David Guarno to bring up Pickett who not only got down a nice sacrifice bunt but reached base when catcher James Rucker’s throw couldn’t be handled by Kyle White, the second sacker who was covering first. Walker scored and Guarno sprinted to third. Suggs, in again for Pickett the Bryant catcher, stole second and drew a throw allowing Guarno to race home, making it 4-1. On the throw to the plate, Suggs thought about going to third but was caught in a rundown and tagged out.
The inning continued, however, with a walk to Alex Kehrees and a base hit by Sawyer. Wilson looped one just inside the line in right for an RBI double and, after a pitching change, Sawyer scored on a grounder to second by Winiecki to make it 6-1.
White doubled to start the Lake Hamilton third but was still there with two out. The count went to 3-2 on clean-up hitter Jared Baier but Jobe couldn’t get the call on the next pitch and Baier walked bringing up Dennis Fuller who singled up the middle to drive in White. But Jobe kept it 6-2 by striking out Paul Welch to end the frame.
Lake Hamilton reliever Jared Webb held the Hornets in check until the sixth when Wilson cracked his second double to the fence in right and scored on a two-bagger by Jackson to make it 7-2.
In the home half, Jobe retired the first two on four pitches and was a strike away from a 1-2-3 inning. But Nick Sanders lined a 1-2 delivery to right-center for a single. Sean Coakley doubled him home bringing up Webb. The count went to 1-2 again and Webb appeared to hit one off his foot. The ball rolled toward Wilson at third but Webb beat the throw for an infield hit despite the protests of Bryant head coach Terry Harper.
A bloop single by White drove in another run and Jobe gave way to Ransdell.
Brock Green greeted the new hurler with a triple to center, making it 7-6. Phillip Butterfield’s RBI single tied it.
Ransdell walked Baier but then struck out Fuller to keep it tied.
The Hornets’ offense cranked back up against Lake Hamilton’s third pitcher, Zach Treece. Guarno walked and Pickett beat out a bunt for a single. Guarno went to third on an errant throw but was picked off by Treece before Kehrees drew a walk. Sawyer then came through in the clutch with a single to snap the tie. And when the ball was misplayed in center, Kehrees scored to make it 9-7. Sawyer, who wound up at second, was chased home with the final run on a two-out, two-strike double by Winiecki.
The win improved the Hornets to 12-9 on the season. It was their final non-conference contest.
