March 22 in Bryant athletic history: 2016

Boston Heil delivers a pitch.

Hornets win first two games 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 baseball team opened their annual spring break trip to Florida with a pair of wins on Monday. Behind shutout pitching from Beaux Bonvillain, Boston Heil and Logan Grant, the Hornets buried the Rebels of Fairfax, Va., 14-0. Later, the Hornets held off a Canadian team from Quebec, 5-2, with Zach Jackson and Seth Tucker combining on six scoreless innings before the Canadian team scratched out two runs in the top of the seventh. Heil relieved and earned the save by getting the last two outs.

Bryant is set to play two more games on Tuesday.

Hornets 14, Fairfax, Va. 0

Logan Allen had four of Bryant’s 15 hits and Aaron Orender went 3 for 3. Evan Lee, Garrett Misenheimer and Jake East added two hits apiece. Dylan Hurt drove in three runs and Tucker knocked in two.

Bonvillain allowed four hits, walked three and struck out seven over the first five innings. Heil pitched a 1-2-3 sixth, fanning two then Grant retired the side in order in the seventh.

The game was scoreless until the third inning. Fairfax threatened with a single and a pair of walks in the second but Bonvillain wound up striking out the side to escape without giving up a run.

Orender singled to left to start the home third. He took second on a wild pitch and reached third when Allen beat out a bunt single. Hurt got a sacrifice bunt down and reached when it was misplayed.

With the bases loaded, Misenheimer came through with an RBI single. With two down, East laced a single to right to make it 2-0.

In the top of the fourth, Bonvillain surrendered a one-out walk to Chris Brubaker and a single to Kyle Hoeth. But Kyle Casey hit a liner to Tucker at second that resulted in an inning-ending doubleplay.

Bryant blew the game up with an eight-run home fourth. Cameron Coleman walked and Orender was hit by a pitch. Allen beat out a bunt single to load the bags for Hurt, who laced a two-run single to right.

Allen scored on a wild pitch and Jordan Gentry, running for Hurt, raced to third on a single by Misenheimer and scored on a bunt hit by Joey Cates.

When East singled, the sacks were jammed again. This time, Tucker yanked a single to left and two more scored.

After a pitching change, Orender and Allen each strokes RBI singles to make it 10-0.

Lee singled to open the home fifth. With one out, Austin Kelley walked. Gentry grounded into a force at second. Lee reached third and scored on a passed ball.

Tucker fanned the first two he faced in the sixth then induced a grounder to short. In the home sixth, Orender lined a single to right, took second on a passed ball and third on a base knock by Allen. Hurt made it 12-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Lee drilled an RBI triple then scored on a three-bagger by Kelly to set the final score.

Hornets 5, Team Canada 2

Bryant jumped out to a 5-0 lead over the first two innings then was shut out the rest of the way. But Jackson held Canada to five hits over five frames, fanning six without a walk.

Allen had two more hits as the Hornets mustered just five as a team in the contest.

Jackson worked around a one-out single in the top of the first then the Hornets went to work offensively. Allen opened the bottom of the inning with a lined single to center. After Hurt was struck by a pitch and Gentry came on as a courtesy runner, Lee walked to fill the sacks for Misenheimer, who drew free pass to force in the first run.

Gentry scored on a passed ball and, after Cates was plunked by a pitch to load the bases again, East grounded into a force at the plate. Tucker kept the inning going with a walk on a 3-2 pitch, forcing in Misenheimer. Coleman picked up an RBI when he grounded into a force at second then beat the relay to foil an attempt at an inning-ending doubleplay.

Beaux Bonvillain

Canada managed a two-out double in the top of the second but Jackson picked him off.

Bryant added a run in the home second. Allen singled to center, stole second and raced to third when Hurt grounded out to the right side. Lee delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.

Canada threatened in the top of the third with a two-out single followed by a double. Jackson again ended the inning with a pickoff.

Lee tripled in the bottom of the fifth for Bryant but was stranded. Tucker, in turn, pitched around a two-out triple in the top of the sixth.

East singled, Coleman walked and Orender beat out an infield hit with one down in the bottom of the inning but all three were stranded.

Canada used an error, a double, a squeeze bunt and a two-out RBI double to get on the board in the top of the seventh. But a liner to Allen in center ended the contest with the potential tying run at the plate.