Bryant secures 8-1 win over Little Rock Christian in rain-shortened contest
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Photo by Rick Nation
Evan Lee went 2 for 2 with a walk and Trey Breeding doubled in two runs as a mixed squad of varsity underclassmen and junior varsity Bryant Hornets put together an 8-1 win over the Little Rock Christain Warriors varsity on Thursday night. The game was called in the bottom of the sixth due to rain.
Blake Patterson (Photo by Rick Nation)
Lee, the Hornets’ starting pitcher picked up the win with relief help from Chase Tucker and Harrison Dale.
The Hornets’ varsity is set to travel to El Dorado for their final South Conference game on Friday, weather permitting.
Little Rock Christian, the defending Class 5A State runner-up, scored its run in the first inning when Ryan Panyard beat out an infield hit, stole second and scored on a one-out single by Nate Alberius.
The Warriors threatened to get more when Austin Ply walked and Lee unleashed a wild pitch. But, with runners on second and third, the Bryant lefty fanned Joe Hampton and got Brandon Monk to bounce out to third.
Lee didn’t allow another base-runner until issuing a two-out walk in the top of the third. Ply followed with a single but Lee picked off courtesy runner Adam Wright to end the inning.
The Hornets countered the solo run in the top of the first with five of their own in the home fifth. Drew Tipton reached on an error and Lee sliced a single to left. A wild pitch moved Tipton to third and courtesy runner Aaron Orender to second and Breeding drilled a double into the left-field corner to bring them around.
A walk to Blake Patterson and a bunt single by Jason Hastings loaded the bases for Garrett Misenheimer who picked up an RBI with a groundout. Brandan Warner then got a squeeze bunt down to plate Patterson with the fourth run of the inning.
Connor Tatum drew a walk then left the bag early, got in a rundown and stayed in it long enough for Hastings to sprint home.
Alberius settled in after that and worked around a two-out walk to Lee in the second and a two-out double by Misenheimer in the third. The Hornets went down in order in the fourth.
Tucker, meanwhile, pitched around a one-out single in the top of the fourth. Luke Van Dover singled to lead off the fifth. Dale relieved and retired the side, finishing with a strikeout of Alberius.
Monk relieved in the bottom of the fifth for Little Rock Christian. Lee greeted him with a single. He stole second and, after Breeding was hit by a pitch when he squared to bunt, a wild pitch got Lee to third and courtesy runner Austin Kelly to second. Patterson hit a grounder to short but an errant throw allowed both runs to score.
Patterson wound up at second. He was bunted to third by Hastings and scored when Misenheimer’s grounder to short was misplayed, making it 8-1.
Dale pitched around an infield hit and a throwing error in the top of the sixth as the rain began to intensify. A sparkling play by shortstop Jake East and Patterson at first, with a scoop of the throw from East, ended the inning. Before the bottom of the sixth got underway, the game was halted and eventually called.
