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).
Wood fires three-hit shutout at hot-hitting Zebras
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
PINE BLUFF — Not that there’s anyplace where he doesn’t pitch well, but Travis Wood has to love pitching at Taylor Field in Pine Bluff.
Back on March 17, Wood fired a no-hitter against the Conway Wampus Cats there in the opening round of the Billy Bock Classic. The Hornets returned on Thursday, March 31, and he whipped up a three-hit shutout against the home-standing Zebras in which some observers felt he pitched even better.
The Hornets cranked out 10 hits in the 7-0 victory including three by shortstop Justin Wells, who has a history of hitting Pine Bluff pitching.
Wood walked just one, hit a batter and struck out 13 in the win. After the third inning, he appeared to have complete command of all three of his pitches the devestating 92 mile per hour fastball, a knee-buckling curve and a change-up that left the Zebras waving at wind. Ten of his strikeouts came after the third inning and only one of the hits, a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh.
And it wasn’t against just any old team. Pine Bluff came in rolling, winners of six straight including a tournament championship in Harrison in which they were bashing the baseball.
The shutout lowered Wood’s earned run average for the season to 0.74. In 38 innings, he has struck out a whopping 80 batters and allowed just 13 hits and 15 walks.
Wood later admitted it took him a little while to get comfortable. And the Zebras threatened in the first to score in the first two innings. In the first, a one-out single by Billy Ryan Smith and a two-out error had runners at the corners. Pine Bluff tried to steal a run with the runner at first breaking early but the Hornets worked a play in which Wood threw to second baseman Devin Hurt who relayed home to nail Smith to end the inning.
In the second, Wood hit Sean Prater. Moments later, Prater appeared to have second base stolen but Jerrod Lewis, the next batter, was called out for interference and Prater had to go back to first. Wood struck out the next batter then seemed to be out of the inning with a strikeout of Devonte Whitmore. But the third strike got away from Aaron Davidson, the Bryant catcher and Whitmore reached. David Johnson then singled to load the bases and bring up the top of the batting order. But Wood struck out B.J. McDonley to end the inning and Pine Bluff never really threatened again.
The Hornets were tied up by Pine Bluff lefty Garry Thomas through the first three innings but the second time through the lineup, they got a bead on him.
Bryan Griffith led off the top of the fourth with a single to left then swiped second. A wild pitch allowed Griffith to take third as Zack Young drew a walk.
Thomas was lifted for Nick Makris but Makris hit Richie Wood with an 0-2 pitch to load the bases for Hurt who singled over the drawn-in infield to plate the first two runs of the game.
After Casey Grisham walked to load the sacks again, Todd Bryan beat out an infield hit to drive home a run. An out later, Wells came just short of a grand slam on a drive off the wall in right that made it 5-0.
The Hornets tacked on two more in the sixth and, this time, Wells instigated things with a one-out shot off Whitmore at third base. Whitmore recovered and threw wildly to first allowing Wells to take second. Davidson followed with an RBI single to left that was booted, allowing him to take second. Courtesy runner Joey Winiecki moved to third when Griffith slapped a grounder to the right side for the second out of the inning. Young then made it 7-0 with a RBI single.
