Gosnell errors help Hornets complete sweep
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JONESBORO — Here’s how the Bryant Hornets managed what proved to be the decisive runs in their 9-6 win over the Gosnell Pirates in the final game of the Xtra Innings Classic at Jonesboro High School:
In the bottom of the sixth, the Hornets led 6-4. Todd Bryan drew the seventh walk issued by Gosnell pitchers. He stole second and went to third on a passed ball. With two down, Gosnell issued an intentional walk to Justin Wells, who had driven in three runs with a single and a double earlier in the game.
That brought up Bryan Griffith. A third strike hit the dirt so Griffith took off for first. Catcher Derek McClung tracked down the ball but his throw to first was wild. Bryan scored. Wells circled the bases and drew a return throw to the plate where he might’ve been out had McClung held the ball. But he was safe because the catcher didn’t.
It was McClung’s second error of the play but not his last. Griffith was on his way to second and McClung rifled a throw in that general direction. It too was wild and Griffith scored to make it 9-4.
Three runs, no hits, two walks and three errors.
That’s how a team wins a game 9-6 even though they had just three hits. Dustin Easterly was the only Hornet besides Wells who had a hit, a second-inning single.
It was a rain-dampened field and the third game in three days for each team. They had both won their previous two. Bryant had bounced Jonesboro and Bentonville on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Gosnell had defeated Nashville on Thursday and, just before playing Bryant, downed Sheridan. So, both had seen their better moments in the Classic.
Bryant got a pretty good pitching performance from senior right-hander Daniel Price. He had a rough start and needed seventh-inning relief from Bryan but picked up his third win, the Hornets’ 12th in as many games this season. Price gave up five runs but just two of them were earned. He scattered six hits, walked three and hit two batters but he struck out 11.
The control problems created the problems. In the first, Price hit two of the first three Gosnell batters. Between them, he surrendered a single. One run scored on his errant pickoff throw. After a second error, a one-out single by McClung made it 3-0.
But Price found his groove after that and struck out five in a row on his way to retiring eight of nine.
That allowed the Hornets a chance to strike back. In the bottom of the first, Bryan was hit by a pitch, swiped second and took third on a bad throw. After Dustin Tinkler walked, a wild pitch allowed Bryan to score and Tinkler to reach second. Wells then singled him home to make it 3-2.
In the second, Andrew Moseley reached on an error and Easterly singled. After both moved up on a passed ball, Wells delivered a two-out, two-run double to push the Hornets into the lead. He later scored as well, on a wild pitch to make it 5-3.
Gosnell managed another run in the top of the fourth. Hunter Hughes’ single was misplayed allowing him to take second. He scored on a base hit by the next batter. But Price struck out the side to preserve the lead after that.
He worked around a single in the fifth and a walk in the sixth.
The Hornets tacked on a run in the fifth when Wells walked and pinch-runner Hunter Nugent advanced on a passed ball. Griffith struck out but reached base then Zach Young’s fly to left was misplayed allowing Nugent to score.
After Bryant’s wild three-run sixth, Gosnell made some noise in the seventh with a one-out walk, a stolen base, a passed ball and a two-out walk and another passed ball.
Bryan relieved with a runner at third and uncorked a wild pitch that allowed him to score then surrendered a single. But he struck out Hughes to end the game.
The Hornets were scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, March 23, with a conference game at home against Little Rock Catholic.
