Hornets collect two more victories in Florida
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).
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Bryant Hornets captured two more victories today at the Tampa Spring Training Classic at Walter Fuller Park.
In their first game, they scored four runs on just two hits in the first inning and the trio of Alex Shurtleff, Seth Tucker and Myers Buck made that hold up, combining to shackle the Yorktown Huskers of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., on four hits and one unearned run in an 8-1 victory.
Later in the afternoon, Logan Allen, Garrett Misenheimer and Jake East each had two hits while Evan Lee drilled a two-run homer on the way to a 13-1 drubbing of the Rosemount, Minn., Irish. Lee threw five innings of one-hit ball, walking three and striking out nine. Aaron Orender pitched a scoreless sixth in the run-rule victory.
The Hornets are 4-0 on the trip and 8-0 overall this season. They’ll have Wednesday off from competition. On Thursday, they’re schedule to play a split doubleheader with Maple Grove, Minn., with the first game at 10 a.m., EDT, and the second at 4 p.m.
Hornets 8, Yorktown, N.Y. 1
Allen had the lone hit of the four-run first, a lead-off single. After he stole second, Dylan Hurt walked. Lee was hit by a pitch from starter Jake Bichler who then walked Misenheimer to force in the first run.
Jordan Gentry, running for Hurt the Bryant catcher, scored on a passed ball then Joey Cates beat out a bunt single to get Lee home. East earned a four-pitch walk and, on a passed ball, Misenheimer came in to make it 4-0.
After pitching around an error and a walk in the top of the first, Shurtleff needed just eight pitches to get through the second and 12 to retire the side in the third.
Bryant had base-runners in both innings but couldn’t get anyone home. Misenheimer had a two-out single in the second then Cameron Coleman was struck by a pitch, Orender singled and Allen was hit to load the bases in the third.
Yorktown got on the board in the top of the fourth on a walk, a force out then another walk. Matt Boccia reached on an error as Luan Biberaj scored.
In the Hornets’ half of the frame, Lee worked a lead-off walk and Misenheimer sacrificed him to second. Cates lined a single to right to pick up the RBI. After Cates swiped second and third, Tucker walked. He then took off early from first, drew a throw and Cates sprinted home with this third stolen base of the inning, making it 6-1.
The Huskers got two aboard with no one out in the top of the fifth and sacrificed them to second and third. But Shurtleff picked off the runner at second and got out of the inning by inducing a fly to Lee in left off the bat of Scott Weaver.
Tucker relieved in the sixth and Yorktown loaded the bases. Biberaj reached on an error then Andy Greene and Boccia singled. But Tucker struck out the next two batters and got the final out when Matt Kintish flew out to Allen in center.
Bryant wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Lee, Misenheimer and Cates each walked to load the bases. East got an RBI with a grounder to short that resulted in a force at second. On the relay to first, Misenheimer rounded third and scored. With a late throw to the plate, East hustled into second.
Tucker followed with a grounder through the right side for a single but East was thrown out trying to score to end the inning.
Buck relieved and retired the first two before Weaver singled. But Biberaj flew out to Lee in left to end the game.
Hornets 13, Rosemount, Minn., 1
Bryant took advantage of nine walks and three errors with 10 hits to back Lee, who started the scoring with his two-run blast in the bottom of the first, moments after Hurt drew a walk.
The only hit Lee surrendered was a two-out single in the top of the first. The lone run was the product of a pair of walks in the third, a passed ball and a wild pitch.
By that time, the Hornets had put up seven runs. In the home second, East blooped a single to right, stole second and third on a wild pitch as Tucker drew a walk. Orender singled to drive in East.
With runners at first and second, Allen slapped a single to right, chasing home Tucker. A walk to Hurt filled the bags for Lee. Orender scored on a passed ball but Lee drew a free pass to load the bases again. Misenheimer grounded out to second to get Allen home then Gentry, running for Hurt, scored on a wild pitch.
The barrage resumed in the bottom of the fourth with Allen revving things up with a single. He stole second and reached third on an errant throw. Hurt singled him in.
Lee walked and Misenheimer, trying to sacrifice, beat out the bunt for a hit. An error on the play allowed Gentry to score.
With one out, East beat out a bunt hit on a squeeze play to make it 10-1. Misenheimer tried to sneak home on the play as well but was thrown out. East, however, swiped second and third as Tucker walked. Tucker stole and on an error, East sprinted home to make it 11-1.
Lee ended his stint on the mound, pitching around an error and a two-out walk, picking off the lead runner to end the frame.
In Bryant’s fifth, Gentry, who had taken over at catcher, singled with one out and, after Konner Clontz came in as the courtesy runner, Austin Kelly walked. Misenheimer proceeded to rip a double to center that chased both of them home to set the final score.
Orender issued a lead-off walk in the top of the sixth but the Hornets turned a doubleplay, Buck to Scott Schmidt to Cates. Orender fanned the next batter to end the game.
