Bryant bounces back, drubs Pats
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
Senior Aaron Davidson struck out 11 and allowed just two hits as the Bryant Hornets bounced back from their worst loss of the season (11-0 to Watson Chapel) to drub the Little Rock Parkview Patriots 12-2 in six innings.
The win improved the Hornets to 2-0 in AAAAA-Central Conference play and 8-3 overall going into spring break. They were scheduled to play twice during the break. On Thursday, March 23, they were set to travel to Searcy. The next day, they would meet Jonesboro in a game at Arkansas Tech in Russellville.
The Hornets hammered Parkview pitching for 13 hits with Ryan Wilson going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in. David Guarno had three hits and was on base all five times he came to the plate.
Davidson retired the first nine batters he faced in order. The first Parkview baserunner came when Andrew Pelky led off the fourth with a single up the middle. Trailing 5-0, the Patriots mustered their two runs when Dustin Pelky beat out an infield hit with one down and Alex O’Neal’s grounder to short drew a wild throw to first. With one run in and runners at the corners, Parkview worked a double steal to get its second run.
Davidson struck out Jerome Sims then hit Nathan Longinetti. Terrell Brown followed with a shot up the middle that Davidson got a glove on. Shortstop Danny Riemenschneider made a sparkling play behind the mound to throw out Brown and end the inning.
Parkview was unable to get another batter aboard after that.
The Hornets had taken a 4-0 lead in the first. Guarno led off with a single, took second on a passed ball and scored on Riemenschneider’s base hit.
With one out, Davidson singled in a run. Courtesy runner Chris Lawrence then stole his way to third before scoring on David Martin’s bouncer to second.
Drew Short got things going again with a single up the middle and a stolen base. Wilson’s first double chased him home, making it 4-0.
In the second, Jake Jackson drew a lead-off walk. Guarno hit a long fly to center that was dropped allowing Jackson to reach third. He scored from there on Riemenschneider’s grounder to short.
After Parkview cut it to 5-2 in the top of the fourth, the Hornets took the mystery out of the outcome with a four-run home half of the inning. Guarno again instigated things with a single up the middle that was booted in the outfield, allowing him to take second.
The error was the first of five that Parkview committed in the inning. Guarno took third on a tap to the mound by Riemenschneider. Joey Winiecki followed with a liner that was speared by Patriots shortstop Trey French. Trying to catch Guarno off third, French threw wildly. The ball went into the Bryant dugout allowing Guarno to score.
A walk to Davidson followed. Lawrence stole his third base then scored when Martin’s hot grounder to third was botched. A wild pitch moved Martin to second. Short followed with a grounder to second that was misplayed and when Martin circled third and headed home, the throw to the plate was dropped by the catcher allowing him to score and Short to take second.
Wilson then capped the inning with an RBI double, making it 9-2.
The Hornets made it a run-rule win in the bottom of the sixth. With two out, Wilson singled and swiped second. He scored on Tyler Pickett’s hit then Jackson slapped a triple to right to chase home courtesy runner Jordan Knight. Guarno then ended it with an RBI single to left.
