Pitching keys Hornets’ victory
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).
Ace lefty Trent Daniel struck out 11, walked two and allowed just one hit over four innings and combined with Jeremy Burge to make two first-inning runs hold up for a 2-1 victory for the Bryant Hornets over the Lake Hamilton Wolves on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
Burge picked up the save, getting the final two outs with the tying run at third.
Six different Hornets had hits in the game. Catcher Kaleb Jobe was on base three times.
The Hornets, 2-0, were scheduled to host White Hall on Thursday, Feb. 21, but the game was rained out. They were set to begin the Benton Panther Invitational Tournament on Monday, Feb. 25, against Malvern.
Daniel, who struck out six in a row during one stretch, pitched around a walk and a third-strike wild pitch in the first and an error and a walk in the third. The lone hit he surrendered was a two-out single in the fourth.
The Hornets took the lead in the first when Jobe doubled, Tyler Sawyer walked and Cody Walker delivered an RBI single. David Guarno picked up the second RBI with a sacrifice fly.
The Hornets threatened in the third when walks were issued to Jake Jackson and Jobe to start the frame. Sawyer sacrificed them to second and third but they were stranded there.
In the fourth, Daniel doubled but his courtesy runner was thrown out trying to tag and go to third on a flyout to left by Jordan Knight. Justin Blankenship followed with a double. He advanced to third on a wild pitch but was stranded.
Lake Hamilton made some noise against Burge in the sixth when a pair of walks put runners aboard. A passed ball and a stolen base got them to second and third but a liner to Walker at short turned into a doubleplay when the runner at second was caught off the bag then Burge induced an infield pop to end the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Guarno singled and stole second but he was caught trying to take third on Daniel’s bouncer to short. Daniel was then picked off first so Knight’s single came with no one on base and Lake Hamilton got out of the inning unscathed.
The Wolves picked up their lone run and just their second hit in the top of the seventh. With one out, a runner reached on an error then Tauno Vannucci ripped a triple to plate the run.
But he was stranded when Burge got the next hitter to pop to Jackson at second and, after a walk to Brock Green, retired the side on another pop up to the Bryant second-sacker to end the game.
