Hornets earn first win behind Schmidt’s pitching
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).
WAXAHATCHIE, Texas — Scott Schmidt pitched a complete game, allowing just three hits as the Bryant Hornets captured their first victory of the season and at the Waxahatchie, Texas, Classic, 4-1, over the Duncanville, Texas, Panthers on Thursday.
The Hornets had four hits, a double by Austin Ledbetter, a single by Peyton Dillon and back-to-back triples by Gage Stark and Logan Chambers that helped add some insurance in the top of the seventh.
Schmidt walked no one, hit a batter and struck out three, throwing just 63 pitches. The lone Duncanville run was unearned.
The Hornets started to play another game, against Corsicana, Texas, Thursday evening but a bank of lights went out and, after playing on, the game was called when a second bank of lights went out. The game will be made up on Saturday morning.
“We swung it better, but we didn’t swing it good,” said Hornets head coach Travis Queck. “We competed better and that’s what I wanted to see.”
Duncanville scored first. In the third, Devin McFail beat out an infield hit and took second when on a grounder to short that resulted in a high throw to second. A relay to first by Logan Catton managed to get the batter. With two down, a single to center by David Budzinski plated the run but the batter was thrown out trying to go to second to end the inning.
The Hornets scored twice in the fourth without a hit. Jake Wright was hit by a pitch then Matthew Sandidge’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed. Brandon Hoover sacrificed runners to second and third and, with two down, both scored when Schmidt’s grounder to first got through. Dillon was hit by a pitch, but a strikeout ended the inning.
The Hornets threatened in the sixth when Hoover and Schmidt each drew walks but they were stranded.
Meanwhile, Schmidt and the Hornets’ defense set down eight in a row before Budzinski was hit by a pitch with two down in the sixth. Ray Jaramillo flew out to center to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Stark led off with his triple and Chambers followed with his three-batter to make it 3-1. With one out, Wright was walked intentionally to set up a doubleplay only to have Sandidge get down a squeeze bunt to plate Chambers.
In the home half, the Panthers’ clean-up hitter Mark Ibarra singled with one out but Schmidt retired the next two on a pop to Ledbetter at short and a fly to Sandidge in left.
The Hornets were set to play this morning at 10 against Birdville followed at 12:15 p.m., with a game against Trinity, Texas.
