Bryant wins lone tournament game
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be 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).
JONESBORO — After a bitter defeat in AAAAA-South Conference action at home against the Texarkana Razorbacks on the previous Friday, the Bryant Hornets were looking for a little redemption when they traveled to a tournament at Nettleton High School on Thursday, April. 4.
Though most of the event was washed out, the Hornets were able to get back on the winning track with a 6-2 win over Freeport, Ill., in the first round, notching their 13th win in 16 games this season.
Cody Graddy and Matt White each had two hits and a trio of Bryant hurlers limited Freeport to five hits. Scott Yant earned the win, working four innings of shutout ball. He walked one and struck out seven while giving up two hits. Jeff Carpenter worked the fifth and sixth surrendering a couple of hits. Kevin Littleton closed out the win.
Bryant snapped a scoreless tie with a three-run third. Littleton led off with a walk, Yant sacrificed him to second and White singled him home. White then stole second, went to third when B.J. Wood’s grounder to short was botched and scored on a passed ball. Graddy capped the inning with an RBI single.
In the fourth, White drove in another run. Littleton scored after drawing another walk and advancing to second on an error.
In the fifth, Graddy drew a free pass. Courtesy runner Justin Woods advanced on a passed ball, took third on a grounder to first by Derek Chambers and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Carpenter.
In the top of the seventh, White walked, advanced to second on Wood’s grounder and scored on Graddy’s second hit of the game.
An error opened the door for Freeport’s two-run home seventh. A pair of singles and a pair of walks produced the runs but Littleton fanned a couple as well including the last Freeport batter with the bases full.
