Dupree, Hornets subdue St. Louis team
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continue 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).
Photos courtesy of JAnn Boyd Lessenberry
TAMPA, Fla. — Right-hander Devin Dupree took a two-hit shutout into the seventh then closed[more] out a 6-2 win after St. Louis, Mo., Lutheran South scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the seventh today.
The victory was the Bryant Hornets’ fourth in five games at the Tampa Bay High School Spring Training event at Walter Fuller baseball complex. It was their second win over the St. Louis-area team. They were set for a rematch against Faith Baptist of Brandon, Fla., later on Thursday with a chance to avenge their lone loss of the event.
Dupree walked two, struck out five and wound up surrendering three hits. He needed just 90 pitches to go the distance.
Offensively, Hayden Daniel and Hayden Lessenberry each had two hits. Lessenberry drove in two. Marcus Wilson and Korey Thompson added a hit apiece and Tyler Green scored three times.
Dupree gave up a two-out single in the top of the first but catcher Trey Breeding threw out the runner trying to steal to end the inning.
The Hornets grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning when Green reached second on outfield error. He advanced to third on a bouncer to the right side by Trevor Ezell then scored on Lessenberry’s lined single to center. Wilson singled and Daniel walked to load the bases with two out but they were stranded.
And it settled into a pitcher’s duel. Dupree worked around a lead-off error in the top of the second then the Hornets turned the first of their two doubleplays to erase a one-out walk in the third. A bunt hit came to naught in the top of the fourth then Lutheran South’s Eagles couldn’t muster another hit until the seventh as Dupree set down nine of 10.
In the meantime, the Hornets were blanked until the bottom of the fifth. Thompson ignited the uprising with a double on a line to left. Green got a bunt down and reached when it was misplayed. Chase Tucker, in to run for Thompson, scampered home on a grounder to short by Ezell then Lessenberry shot a double to right to plate Green to make it 3-0.
In the sixth, Daniel singled and stole second. Jason Hastings bunted him to third then Drew Tipton walked. And when Tipton stole second, Daniel was able to swipe home. A wild pitch allowed Tipton to take third with two down as Green drew a walk. An error allowed Tipton to score then Green followed on a wild pitch to make it 6-0.
In the top of the seventh, Dupree got the first out on a grounder to Ezell at short. But a passed ball on a third strike then an error on a liner to right allowed a run to score. A single make it 6-2 but the Hornets turned another doubleplay, started by Thompson, to end the game.
