Hornets rally past Rams in 7th
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).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
BENTON — The hit hungry Bryant Hornets were on the verge of being shut out for the third time in just six games this season. Hot Springs Lakeside Rams right-hander Josh Wesson had shackled them on two hits over six innings, making two runs his teammates scored in the first inning hold up.
Wesson got the first out of the seventh then issued a walk to Corey Lambert. Danny Riemenschneider took two pitches then whacked a single into right-center that was bobbled by outfielder Aaron Crawley, allowing Riemenschneider to sprint safely into second as Lambert took third.
With the tying runs aboard and one out, Lakeside made a pitching change. Jay Robbins, a side-winding right-hander walked Todd Bryan to load the bases for the Hornets’ hottest hitter, Aaron Davidson. The first pitch Davidson saw, he cracked down the right-field line for a game-tying double.
Justin Wells, Bryant’s starting pitcher, followed with a bouncer to the drawn-in second baseman Grant Dennis who fielded the ball cleanly and fired home. But Bryan was too speedy and got off to too good a jump. He slid under the tag and scored the go-ahead tally.
Joey Winiecki, running for Davidson the Bryant catcher, then raced home on a bouncer to second by Travis Wood to make it 4-2.
Wells, a hard-luck loser in a 1-0 game in his previous start, retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh but a pair of errors followed as Lakeside put the potential tying runs on base.
Already at his pitch-count limit, Wells gave way to lefty Casey Grisham who proceeded to earn his first high school varsity save by striking out Payne Spence on four pitches leaving the heart of the Rams’ batting order waiting in the wings. Grisham pumped his fist as Spence waved at his 1-2 curveball to end the game.
The Hornets, now 4-3, advanced to the semifinals of the Benton Panthers Invitational Tournament. They were set to play Sheridan on Thursday evening at 7 p.m.
Lakeside had taken the lead in the opening inning after two were out. Callon McInvale singled then scored all the way from first on a triple to deep center by Taylor Bullard. Kendel Norman drew a walk then Richie McVey slapped a single inside the bag at third to drive home Bullard.
After that, Wells retired 14 in a row before issuing a one-out walk to McInvale in the sixth. Bullard followed with a double to right to put runners at second and third. The Rams tried a safety squeeze but Norman popped it up and Wells made a diving grab for the out. He then struck out pinch-hitter Robert Wright to end the inning.
Bryant had put its lead-off batter on base in three innings. In the second, Richie Wood was hit by a pitch, in the third Riemenschneider was hit by a pitch and, in the fifth, Lambert singled to right. And each time the Hornets successfully sacrificed the runner to second only to leave him stranded.
