Five-run third lifts Bryant baseball team to first win
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WAXAHATCHIE, Texas — Drew Tipton and Jason Hastings each drove in two runs and a five-run third inning boosted the Bryant Hornets to their first win of the season on Friday. The uprising produced a 7-0 lead that held up for a 7-3 win over the Birdville Hawks of North Richmond Heights, Texas at the Robert Dulin Tournament.
Right-hander Devin Dupree picked up the win with 4 1/3 innings of work on the mound, scattering seven hits, walking two and fanning four. Hayden Daniel closed out the five-inning contest, retiring the last two batters.
The win came on the heels of a 9-0 loss to the Midlothian Panthers. The Hornets were set to play a final game in the tourney on Saturday against Stephenville, Texas.
Tipton’s two-run double came in the bottom of the second against Birdville, breaking up a scoreless game. Hastings’ one-out single and an errant pickoff throw put him at third. After Blaine Jackson was hit by a pitch and Marcus Wilson came on to run for the catcher, Harrison Dale drew a walk to fill the sacks for Tipton who laced a 3-2 pitch into left-center for the two-run double.
Dupree had pitched around a walk and a single in the first inning and another hit in the second. After his teammates gave him the lead, he worked around a one-out single in the top of the third.
The game-breaking home third started with a walk to Korey Thompson. Trevor Ezell reached on an error then Hayden Lessenberry drew a free pass to load the bags. Hastings laced an 0-1 pitch into left for his two-run single. Jackson followed with a sacrifice fly that made it 5-0.
After Dale sacrificed Hastings to third and Holt to second, Tipton hit a hard grounder to short that was misplayed allowing both runs to score.
Birdville got on the board in the top of the fourth on a single, a double and a groundout but the Hawks were forced to strand a runner at third as Dupree induced a fly to Tipton in left and a groundout to Dale at third.
In the top of the fifth, Dupree surrendered a lead-off single then recorded his fourth strikeout. But a walk was followed by a single that was misplayed in the outfield allowing two runs to score.
Daniel relieved and hit a batter but then picked off the runner at second and ended the game with a grounder to Ezell at short.
In the loss to Midlothian, the Hornets surrendered nine runs in bottom of the first inning. Though freshman lefty Evan Lee came in to relieve and shut out the Panthers the rest of the way, Bryant was unable to break through on offense and the game ended in four innings.
Ezell had two of the Hornets’ five hits. Lessenberry, Hastings and Green also had hits.
Bryant threatened to score in the top of the first when Ezell singled to start the game. He was picked off first, however. With two down, Lessenberry reached on an error and Jackson walked but both were stranded.
Midlothian’s first four batters had hits before Bryant starter Blaine Knight fanned a batter on three straight pitches. A double and an error extended the inning, which included another pair of Bryant miscues to go with eight hits.
The Hornets threatened again in the third when Green grounded a single to left and, with one out, Thompson walked. Green was thrown out trying to steal third before Lessenberry singled and Jackson walked to load the bases. Holt bounced into a force at third to end the threat.
Lee struck out two while working around a pair of singles in the bottom of the third. In the fourth, Hastings lined a two-out single to center, Green walked and Ezell singled to load the bases. Thompson lifted a fly to right that chased down to end the inning.
