Pitching, four-run sixth lift Hornets to win over Florida team
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).
Photos courtesy of JAnn Boyd Lessenberry
TAMPA, Fla. — The Bryant Hornets made it five wins in six games as they avenged their lone[more] loss of the Tampa Bay High School Spring Training event at Walter Fuller baseball complex. Alex Shurtleff, Dylan Hurt and Hayden Daniel combined on a three-hitter as the Hornets prevailed 4-1 over the Eagles of Faith Baptist Christian of Brandon, Fla.
On the first day of the tournament, Faith Baptist had edged Bryant 4-3.
Bryant, now 11-5 overall, wraps up their trip to Florida on Friday with a final pair of games.
Shurtleff fired five innings of shutout ball, walking one and fanning four while scattering three hits. Hurt walked three batters in the sixth and surrendered a long unearned run before getting out of the frame. Daniel set down the Eagles in order in the top of the seventh to earn a save.
Offensively, Brandan Warner led Bryant with two hits. Drew Tipton, Austin Caldwell, Chase Tucker and Connor Tatum each had a hit as well.
But the Hornets were shut out through five innings as well. Shurtleff pitched around a pair of lead-off singles in the top of the second then the Hornets were unable to take advantage in the bottom of the inning when Justin Emmerling was hit by a pitch and Warner slapped a single to right.
Tatum and Caldwell singled in the third but were stranded. Faith Baptist got a pair aboard in the fourth with a single and an error but Shurtleftt got out of the jam by picking off the runner at second.
A two-out double by Chase Tucker gave the Hornets a shot in the fourth. C.J. Phillips was hit by a pitch but a strikeout ended the threat.
The Eagles’ run came as a result of a trio of walks ahead of a two-out error. But Hurt got out of trouble with no further damage as Faith Baptist left the bases loaded.
The Hornets answered with their four-run uprising. A one-out single by Warner got things started. Tucker walked then so did Phillips to load the bases. Tatum followed with a grounder to short that drove in a run then walks to Tipton and Caldwell forced in a pair. A passed ball allowed Tatum to score, making it 4-1.
Daniel needed just four pitches to work through the seventh to end it.
