BENTON — Carson Holloway hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Benton Panthers Junior Varisty team to a 3-2 win over Bryant JV on Thursday evening at Panther Field.
Benton rallied to tie it in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Trevor Nix and Greg Pryor.[more]
Bryant had a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh when Hayden Daniel walked, reached second on a throwing error on Evan Jobe's rap back to the mound and Landon Pickett drew a free pass to load the bags with one out. But all three were stranded when Jimi Easterling's bloop on the infield was pulled down by shortstop Joseph Henry, who make a sprawling, juggling catch to end the inning.
Bryant had built a 2-0 lead early. In the first, consecutive walks to Daniel, Jobe and Pickett loaded the bases. After Cameron Price lined out to third, Tyler Nelson grounded to second. Benton got a force at second but when Price beat the rap at first, Daniel had scored to make it 1-0.
In the second, Josh Pultro singled sharply to left but was forced out on a grounder to second by Hayden Lessenberry. Ozzie Hurt got a sacrifice bunt down to get Lessenberry to second and he scored when Daniel hit a dribbler up the first base line that pitcher Lucas Haley threw away past first.
Nelson, the starter on the mound for the Hornets, worked three scoreless innings, pitching around a two-out error in the second and a two-out single in the third. In the fourth, however, Henry walked. Zach Johnson grounded out to short and the Hornets appeared to have Henry caught rounding second too far as Pickett, the first baseman threw behind him. Henry got in a rundown and was able to get into third getting past Tyler Brown at third as he took the relay throw from second.
Nix followed with an RBI single to make it 2-1. Pryor grounded into a force then stole second. Levon Steward was hit by a pitch but Nelson got out of the inning by striking out Chase Kaplinger.
Neither team scored in the fifth. Bryant threatened in the sixth. Price walked but was erased in a doubleplay. Brown, after just missiing a home run down the left-field line, blooped a single to left then Pultro beat out a bad-hop single. But they were stranded as the Panthers got out of the inning with a strikeout.
The Hornets JV are set to return to action Friday against Monticello.
