Hot-hitting Hornets crush Catholic
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
LITTLE ROCK — Behind the center field fence at venerable old Lamar Porter Field in Little Rock is a playground for the Billy Mitchell Boys Club. Before two innings were in the books in the AAAAA-Central Conference baseball game between the Bryant Hornets and the Little Rock Catholic Rockets, the kids in that playground had a couple of new playthings.
A.J. Nixon and Justin Wells blasted home runs into that playground and Travis Wood pitched a three-hit shutout while fanning nine as the Hornets buried the Rockets 18-0 in five innings at Lamar Porter Friday, March 21.
A day earlier, the Hornets had pounded out 12 runs on 16 hits at Sheridan. This time, they had 14 hits but, of the 19 players that got into the game, 17 reached base and 12 of them had hits, led by Wells and Korey Hunter with two apiece.
Wood allowed a single in the first, an infield hit in the third and a base hit in the fourth. He was backed by errorless defense — except for his own throwing error on a pickoff throw in the first — including a fine play by Todd Bryan in center, and he wound up striking out the last five batters he faced.
Bryan’s catch came after the single by Andrew Emrich in the bottom of the fourth. Emrich had advanced to second on a wild pitch. David Hum followed with a long drive towards the hill that descended from the outfield fence. Bryan calmly climbed the hill and hauled in the flyball for the first out of the inning.
Wood then began his closing rush of strikeouts.
By that time, however, the Hornets were cruising. They blasted Catholic starter Brandon White and reliever Ford Rogers for 11 runs in the first two innings.
In the first, A.J. Nixon walked, Hunter singled and Scott Peeler beat out a bunt for a hit to load the bases. Andrew Norman followed with a two-run double to right.
Peeler scored on a safety squeeze in which B.J. Wood picked up the RBI. After a walk to Daniel Minton, Travis Wood’s sacrifice fly made it 4-0. Wells followed with his booming homer, the first of his brief Bryant Hornets career.
In the second, Nixon led off with his dinger on a 2-2 delivery from White. Hunter followed with a single and Peeler drew a walk. With one out, B.J. Wood walked to load the bases and Rogers came in to relieve. He retired the first man he faced but then Travis Wood cleared the bases with a long double to downhill slope in left. And when Wells chased him home with a two-bagger down the right-field line, Bryant led 11-0.
Catholic turned a doubleplay to get out of a jam with no further damage in the third but the fourth brought fresh faces to the plate and more scoring, starting with a walk to Nick Dorsey. Bryan bounced to third but when Hum tried to get a force at second, his throw was dropped and both runners were safe. Justin Woods’ fly to left was dropped and the bases were full for Zack Young who drew an RBI walk. Josh Groves drove in a run with a groundout, making it 13-0.
With two down, Andrew Moseley got into the act with an RBI single. Another run scored when Bryan Griffith beat out a single in the hole at short. Dustin Tinkler then capped the inning, spanking a double off the fence in right.
In the fifth, the onslaught continued against the third Catholic pitcher. Richie Wood singled, Travis Wood walked and Young doubled in a run. With one out, Morgan Garner’s single chased home Wood with the 18th run.
The win improved the Hornets to 8-1 this season, 3-1 in league play going into spring break. They were scheduled to travel to Fayetteville on Thursday, March 27, for a game against Glenndale, Mo. On Friday, March 28, they were set to play Fayetteville. Their next conference game is scheduled for April 1 at Little Rock McClellan.
Hot-hitting Hornets crush Catholic
