Bryant outslugs Pine Bluff
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
For the first couple of innings of their game on Thursday, March 30, it looked like the Bryant Hornets and the Pine Bluff Zebras were in for a slugfest. As it turned out, the Hornets kept up their end but right-hander Aaron Beard, after giving up three runs on six hits in the first two innings, found his stride and stymied the Zebras into the fifth then got stingy relief help from Danny Riemenschneider as the Hornets rolled to a 14-5 win to snap a three-game losing streak.
Pine Bluff managed only two hits after the second inning, both singles, and, though they took advantage of an error to score an unearned run against him, Riemenschneider worked 2 2/3 innings without giving up a hit. He fanned five without a walk in his first mound appearance since late February.
Aaron Davidson went 4-for-5 with five runs batted in and Ryan Wilson drove in three runs, two on his second home run of the season to lead the Hornets’ offensive eruption.
Beard was greeted by three consecutive hits to start the game including a lead-off double by the Zebras’ B.J. McDonley, who was 3 for 3 in the game.
After scoring a run on an infield hit by Sean Prater, the Zebras loaded the bases with one out only to have Beard get off the hook, down just 1-0.
The Hornets were much more productive in the bottom of the inning, scoring five times off freshman lefty Sebastian Stargell.
Walks to David Guarno and Devin Hurt set the table. Riemenschneider sacrificed the runners to second and third for Davidson, who whacked a triple to right center to give Bryant a 2-1 lead.
After David Martin drew a walk, Joey Winiecki lined an RBI single to right, taking second when a late throw to third failed to get Martin. A walk to Drew Short loaded the bases for Wilson who was robbed of extra bases by left fielder Brandon Stargell but got a sacrifice fly for his effort.
And when Short drew a throw as he stole second base, Winiecki raced home to make it 5-0.
In the second, Pine Bluff scored two more runs with McDonley’s triple driving one home. A two-out RBI single by Prater made it 5-3.
Bryant’s four-run second started with a single by Riemenschneider and an RBI double by Davidson. Davidson advanced to third when Prater robbed Martin of a hit at short then scored when Winiecki was similarly denied. A walk to Short was followed by Wilson’s homer down the line in left which the Zebra fans and coaches protested was foul, but to no avail.
Beard worked around an error in the third and a one-out single in the fourth. Meanwhile, the Hornets added two more runs in the bottom of the third. Riemenschneider, Davidson and Martin slapped consecutive hits, Winiecki walked and Short reached on an error to make it 11-3.
A single, an error and a passed ball produced a run for Pine Bluff in the fifth. And when Beard issued a one-out walk on four pitches to Brandon Maddox, Riemenschneider got the call from Hornets head coach Terry Harper.
Though he had been able to play shortstop, Riemenschneider had been held back from pitching due to a sore shoulder. He looked plenty healthy as he struck out the first two he faced to end the fifth.
Bryant added an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, an error, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly by McDonley made it 12-5.
In the home sixth, Guarno tripled with one out and scored on a groundout by Hurt. Riemenschneider’s fly to left was dropped bringing up Davidson, who needed a home run to hit for the cycle. But he settled for an RBI single which made it 14-5.
Riemenschneider then closed out the win by striking out the side in the seventh.
