Hornets hammer Lancers, remain unbeaten in Tampa
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 Crissy McEntire
TAMPA, Fla. — Cade Drennan and Logan Chambers continued their hot hitting with three knocks apiece as the Bryant Hornets won their fifth game in Tampa, Fla., 14-4 over the Lutheran South Lancers of St. Louis, Mo., on Wednesday.
It was the fourth run-rule game of the trip. Will McEntire went the distance on the mound for the Hornets. Through five frames, he allowed six hits, two walks and fanned seven. Only two of the Lutheran South runs were earned.
Bryant improved to 13-2 this season with the victory. The Hornets have one final game in the Classic, against Kennedy Catholic of Westchester County, N.Y., on Thursday.
Logan Grant, Gage Stark and Coby Greiner each had two hits for the Hornets on Wednesday.
The Lancers scored in the top of the first. Singles by Richie Minda and Jacob Hager started the uprising. Evan Sandt drew a walk but McEntire came back to fan clean-up man Brandon Hager.
Lutheran South tried to a suicide squeeze but the batter, Nathan Roth, missed the pitch. Drennan, the Bryant catcher ran, Minda back to third then tried to throw it to Chambers covering the bag. But the ball got away and Minda was able to run home. With runners at second and third, the second run came home on a throwing error after a grounder to Zion Collins at short.
But McEntire kept it at that with a strikeout and help from his catcher, Drennan, who snuffed out a double steal attempt by throwing Roth out at second before the lead runner could score from third.
The lead didn’t last long. In the bottom of the inning, Chambers greeted the St. Louis starter, Patrick Mohs, with a single to left. Noah Davis sacrificed him to second and Austin Ledbetter doubled him home.
A wild pitch allowed Ledbetter to advance to third then he scored the tying run on Drennan’s single up the middle.
Jacob Wright was struck by a pitch then Grant looped single to center to load the bases for Stark who shot a grounder to the right side for an RBI single, reaching first before the pitcher could get there to cover.
Greiner made it 5-2 with a lined single to right that chased home Wright and Stark.
McEntire settled in and retired the side in order in the second. In the home half, Bryant tacked on a run when Ledbetter drew a one-out walk, raced to third on Drennan’s double and scored on Wright’s sacrifice fly.
A two-out double by the Lancers’ Brandon Hager went for naught in the top of the third. In the fourth, McEntire pitched around a two-out walk.
In the bottom of the fourth, Chambers singled, and Davis was hit by a pitch from Roth, who was on in relief. Ledbetter’s sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third then Drennan’s third hit, another single to center made it 8-2.
Minda’s one-out single in the top of the fifth, set up an uprising for Lutheran South. Jacob Hager followed with a triple to make it 8-3 then Brandon Hager singled him home.
McEntire got Brendan Kuhlmann to ground into a doubleplay as Collins made a nice play on a short-hop of a hard-hit ball to get it started.
Greiner opened the bottom of the fifth with a single to center. Collins drew a walk and, after Conor Biggs came on in relief for Lutheran, Chambers beat out a bunt single to load the bases. Davis ripped a single to center, driving in two. Moments later, Davis stole second and, on an errant throw, Chambers was able to score from third.
With two away, Wright drew a walk. Grant doubled to make it 12-4 then Stark cleared the bases with a triple to end the game on the 10-and-five run rule.
