Daniel spins no-no against LR Central
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
There were some mighty feeble swings as the Little Rock Central Tigers tried to make connection at the plate against Bryant Hornets lefty Trent Daniel when the teams met on Tuesday, April 29.
There weren’t too many connections.
In a five-inning game, Daniel struck out 14 while firing a no-hitter against the Tigers in an 11-1 Bryant victory.
The Hornets improved to 15-5 overall and 8-4 in the 7A-Central Conference with a chance to catch the Conway Wampus Cats (18-8, 8-3) for second place in the league. And they were still mathematically alive for a share of the conference title though they would need to beat the Little Rock Catholic Rockets (17-5, 10-1) on Thursday, May 1, then get help from the struggling Cabot Panthers who play a doubleheader against the Rockets in their regular-season finale on Monday, May 5.
But a second-place spot would earn the Hornets a first-round bye in the Class 7A State Tournament in North Little Rock when it starts Friday, May 9.
Tied with North Little Rock for third and two games ahead of Pine Bluff in the standings, the Hornets could still finish anywhere from second to fifth but no worse than third if they can win their final two regular-season games at home against Catholic and Pine Bluff.
Daniel struck out the side in the first and the third, then fanned four in the fifth (one of which reached base on a third-strike wild pitch then eventually scored). The only other outs the Hornets recorded was a grounder to Jake Jackson at second with one out in the second and a grounder to shortstop Cody Walker to start the fourth.
Daniel worked around a walk and an error in the fourth after retiring the first 10 in a row. In the fifth, the third-strike wild pitch, an error and two walks produced Central’s lone run before strikeout number 14 ended the game with the bags loaded.
The Hornets quickly built a 7-0 lead. They scored two in the first off Central starter Brandon Showmar. Jackson, who scored three times in the game, walked to lead off the home first, raced to third on a double by Kaleb Jobe and scored on a grounder to short by David Guarno. Brennan Bullock, running for Jobe, advanced to third on the play then scored on a sacrifice fly by Daniel.
In the second, Tyler Sawyer drilled an opposite-field double and scored when Drew Ransdell’s grounder to short drew a wild throw to first. With one out, Jackson grounded into a fielder’s choice. But he stole second and Jobe worked a walk.
Showmar, a strike away from getting out of the inning on Jobe, came within a strike again on Guarno only to have him rip an 0-2 delivery to center for an RBI single.
Daniel walked to load the bases for Walker who cleared them with a shot to left-center for a double, making it 7-0 and knocking Showmar out of the game.
Lefty Clay Mathison retired the first four he faced but, in the fourth, walked three around a base hit by Jobe, forcing in a run. Luke Osborn became the third Central hurdler but, after fanning Walker, he issued RBI walks to Jordan Knight, Anthony Raby and Justin Blankenship to make it 11-0. Mark Murphy relieved and got the final two outs.
