Hornets’ big inning breaks open game at Phillies’ complex
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 Samantha Breeding
Evan Lee (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
TAMPA, Fla. — A seven-run third broke open a 4-1 game as the Bryant Hornets dismissed their third opponent of their trip to Florida in a game played at the Carpenter Complex, spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies, 13-1.
The Hornets and the William Penn Charter School Quakers were invited to play at the Complex because Penn Charter is the alma mater of Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr.
Earlier in the day, the Hornets’ junior varsity dropped a 6-4 decision to the Prospect Knights of Mount Prospect, Ill.
Blake Patterson went the distance on the mound in the win over Penn Charter. He allowed one unearned run on four hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. The Quakers committed six errors in the game and the Hornets cracked 13 hits.
“They had some athletes,” head coach Kirk Bock said of Penn Charter. “We really played well and they just had some errors.”
The Hornets built an 11-1 lead over the first three innings. They got three in the first. Connor Tatum walked then Evan Lee, Patterson and Brandan Warner struck consecutive singles. Lee scored when Garrett Misenheimer bounced into a force at second then Seth Tucker, running for Patterson, scampered home on a wild pitch.
Trey Breeding blocks a pitch in the dirt. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
In the second, the Quakers picked up their lone run. In the bottom of the inning, Trey Breeding singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dylan Hurt. With two down, Tatum came through with an RBI single to make it 4-1.
The game-breaking home third began with a one-out single by Warner. Misenheimer ripped a shot off the pitcher’s leg. When the hurler recovered the ball and tried to throw to first, his toss was errant and Warner was able to sprint all the way home.
Base hit by Hastings and Breeding followed, filling the sacks for Hurt who got another bunt down and when the throw to first was wild, two runs scored. Drew Tipton’s single loaded the bags again. With two down, Lee lashed a single to left that was misplayed allowing all three runs to score.
Logan Allen (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
Lee, who wound up at second, stole third and scored on Patterson’s base hit to make it 11-1.
It stayed that way until the sixth.
“It was going to be a run-rule after five but their coaches wanted to play another inning,” Bock related.
But the Quakers were unable to score in the top of the sixth and Bryant tacked on a pair in the bottom half. Patterson doubled and scored on a single by Warner. With one out, Hastings reached on an error and the final run scored when Breeding bounced to third, who got a force at the bag but threw the ball away when he tried to turn it into a doubleplay.
Bryant will be off on Wednesday but there are varsity and JV games scheduled for Thursday and Friday. The original schedule includes a varsity game with Eastview Lightning of Apple Valley, Minn., at 10 a.m. EDT followed at 1 p.m. by a JV game against the JV from Absolute Baseball Academy of Mentaca, Calif. At 4 p.m., the varsity is set to play the Faith Baptist Christian Eagles of Brandon, Fla.
Jason Hastings squares to bunt. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
Shortstop Jake East makes a throw to first. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
