Homers lift Bryant at Malvern
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MALVERN — Sophomores Matt White and Zack Dickson each belted home runs in support of senior lefty Anthony Rose as the Bryant Hornets baseball team picked up its first win of the season Thursday, 11-3, over the Malvern Leopards.
Rose worked the first four innings, allowing one run on three hits. Chris Sory relieved in the fifth with Kevin Littleton closing out the win with an inning of relief.
The Hornets, who dropped their opener 2-1 to Little Rock Catholic, hammered out 10 hits to take advantage of eight Malvern walks.
Rose had three hits, White and Brandon Nichols two each.
Bryant jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when White walked and swiped second and, an out later, Michael McClellan and Nichols were issued free passes. Rose then slapped a two-run single.
The Hornets turned a doubleplay in the bottom of the inning to negate a lead-off single and it stayed 2-0 until the third. After Bryant left runners at second and third, Malvern pushed across its first run with a pair of one-out singles.
Bryant struck back in the fourth with White’s two-out solo homer, making it 3-1.
After Rose worked around a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning, the Hornets created a little breathing room with a three-run fifth. The inning began with the third walk of the game to McClellan. Nichols bounced into a force out but Rose followed with a double. Nichols scored on a sacrifice fly by Beau Hamblin then Dickson cracked a two-run shot to make it 6-1.
Sory fanned two around a hit batter in a scoreless home fifth then the Hornets’ offensive output continued in the top of the sixth. With one out, White singled and swiped second. Dustin Morris walked then McClellan picked up an RBI by grounding into a fielder’s choice which erased Morris as White came home.
Nichols then doubled to plate a run, Rose singled him home and took second on the late throw to the plate. Hamblin singled to left to drive in the fourth run of the inning as the lead ballooned to 10-1.
A pair of lead-off singles led to a pair of Malvern runs in the sixth, but Sory fanned two more on the way to getting out of the inning.
The Hornets tacked on an extra run in the top of the seventh when Cody Graddy was hit by a pitch to start the inning, White walked and Morris singled in the run to complete the scoring.
