WHITE HALL — The Bryant Hornets snapped a 3-3 tie with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth then put away the White Hall Bulldogs with a three-run seventh on Tuesday to improve to 6-0 on the season.
The Hornets took advantage of six Bulldog errors with seven hits, two by Noah Davis including a double. Connor Martin had three runs batted in.
A trio of pitchers worked for Bryant. Garret Wilson went three innings then so did Will Hathcote, who picked up the win. Austin Ledbetter closed the game out by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
The Hornets took a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Ryan Riggs lined a single to center. With Jordan Knox in as a courtesy runner, Davis cracked a double that chased Knox home from first.
With one out, Turner Seelinger was struck by a 2-0 pitch. Martin then got a squeeze bunt down to get Davis home.
Wilson worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the inning. He fanned two.
Blaine Sears walked to open the top of the second, but he was thrown out trying to steal before Wilson lined a single to center. With Logan White in as a courtesy runner for the pitcher, Davis singled, and Ledbetter walked to load the bases.
But comebacker to the pitcher ended the inning.
White Hall got on the board in the bottom of the second. A one-out error allowed Carson Terrell to reach second. Aaron Warriner singled him home. Wilson ended the threat with another pair of strikeouts.
The Hornets got that run back in the top of the third. With two away, J.T. Parker singled and stole second. Sears reached on an error then he stole second as Parker held at third. A walk to Wilson loaded the bases and a walk to Riggs forced in the run to make it 3-1.
White Hall’s tying rally in the bottom of the inning began with a double by Kam Robinson. Wilson fanned Ryan Ursery but struck Caleb Taylor with a 3-1 delivery. A wild pitch moved both runners up and, after Christian Carnal walked to load the bases, Robinson scored on a wild pitch and Cade Harp singled in the tying tally.
Terrell flew out to Gideon Motes in left and, after Warriner walked, Wilson fanned Garrett Rhodes to conclude the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Ledbetter beat out an infield hit as Ursery took over on the mound for Harp. Seelinger walked then a wild pitch allowed Ledbetter to take third. He scored when Martin grounded to Harp at short who got a force at second.
With two down, Parker’s grounder to short was misplayed and Martin scored from second to make it 5-3.
Hathcote struck out the first two he faced in a 1-2-3 fourth. In turn, Ursery pitched around his own one-out error that allowed Davis to reach.
An error that allowed Taylor to reach base was followed by an RBI double from Carnal to make it 5-4.
But Hathcote fanned the next two before walking Warriner. Rhodes struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ursery managed a two-out knock but was stranded when Taylor fanned.
Bryant’s game-clinching top of the seventh began with a one-out walk to Riggs. With Knox running for him again, Davis hit a pop up that was misplayed by the third baseman. Ledbetter followed with a drive to right that was caught but Knox tagged and went to third. Davis followed up to second.
Both scored when Seelinger’s grounder to short was misplayed. With Logan White pinch-running, Martin lined an RBI single to center for the Hornets’ eighth run of the game.
Bryant is set to return to action on Thursday against Texarkana at UALR.
