File photo by Kevin Nagle
By Rob Patrick
WHITE HALL — Last year, White Hall ace right-hander Zac Motsinger out-dueled Bryant senior Beaux Bonvillain (now at the University of Central Arkansas) as the Bulldogs surprised the Hornets, 2-1, at Bryant High School Field.
On Friday, Motsinger out-dueled Bryant’s junior right-hander Will McEntire as the Bulldogs surprised the Hornets again, 2-1 again. Both White Hall runs were unearned.
It was the Hornets’ first loss since a 1-0 loss at Lakeside on opening day. They’re now 7-2-1 overall.
Motsinger gave up a lead-off single to the Hornets’ Logan Chambers then retired the next 19 batters in a row, striking out 10 without a walk. A single by Jake Wright with one out in the top of the seventh ended the streak and Devon Koonce relieved for the Bulldogs.
With two down, and the Hornets’ down to their last strike, Matthew Sandidge ripped one down the right field line. Wright appeared to be headed home as the ball was dug out of the corner, but he ran into the Bulldogs’ third baseman.
He was subsequently awarded home on interference as the Hornets picked up their first run but, with the tying run at second, Koonce ended it with a strikeout.
After scoring 14 runs on 11 hits in a 14-4 win over 7A-Central Conference rival Little Rock Catholic on Thursday, Bryant mustered just a run on three hits on Friday.
Letdown? Maybe.
But they could’ve won it 1-0 as McEntire absorbed a hard-luck loss. He got splendid support on defense from Scott Schmidt on a couple of plays, Logan Chambers with a stab behind third base for an out and Gage Stark on a sprawling grab in deep right-center.
But, with the game scoreless in the third, a pop up into shallow right by Adam Johnston fell in after it appeared Schmidt was settled under the ball. Right-fielder Myers Buck came charging in and, apparently called for the ball. Schmidt gave way and, with the ball’s backspin bringing it back toward the infield, the ball dropped in despite Buck’s diving attempt.
A passed ball put Johnston at second and, after a walk to Brandon Croft, Austin Terrell sacrificed the runners to second and third. With one out, Layne Hartsfield came through with a sacrifice fly to center.
In the fourth, just after a lunging grab of a line drive by Schmidt, the Hornets were a strike of getting out of the inning with ease. But Zack Harbison cracked a double to left-center. He took third on a passed ball as Dutton Day walked.
McEntire appeared to execute a fake-to-third, throw-to-first pick-off play that caught Day dead in his tracks. But the home plate umpire decided that McEntire had stepped too much toward home and called a balk.
Hornets head coach Travis Queck argued vehemently at that point then again between innings, insisting that neither umpire — working at the plate and in the middle of the infield — had any kind of an angle to see where McEntire stepped.
But the call stood, and White Hall had a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, the Hornets could hardly get the ball out of the infield. Wright lined to center with one out in the first then the Hornets didn’t get the ball out if the infield until Austin Ledbetter lined out to right with two out in the fifth. Then it wasn’t until Wright’s hit with one down in the top of the seventh.
The Hornets took a lot of pitches that wound up being strikes as Motsinger’s fastball moved and his curve had a pretty good break.
McEntire worked around a two-out bloop single in the fifth. In the sixth, Buck relieved and issued a walk. Ledbetter was called to the mound and retired the side with the help of Stark in right.
During spring break, the Hornets will compete (and host some of the games) in the Central Arkansas Classic, which will be held at four central Arkansas ballparks including Catholic’s Lamar Porter Field as well as the fields at Little Rock Christian and Sylvan Hills.
Bryant opens at home against Vilonia on Thursday, March 22, at noon. Watson Chapel and Southmoore, Okla., will play at Bryant at 2:30 p.m. The winners of the two games along with the losers, will play again later in the day.
Here are the brackets:
2018 CENTRAL ARKANSAS INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
#At Lamar Porter Field
&At Little Rock Christian Academy
%At Sylvan Hills
*At Bryant High School
+To be announced
Thursday, March 22
Game 1 — LR Catholic vs. Hot Springs Lakeside, 12 p.m.#
Game 2 — Bentonville West vs. Morrilton, 2:30 p.m.#
Game 3 — Alma vs. Springdale, 12 p.m.%
Game 4 — Lonoke vs. Conway, 12 p.m.&
Game 5 — Vilonia vs. Bryant, 12 p.m.*
Game 6 — Watson Chapel vs. Southmoore, Okla., 2:30 p.m.*
Game 7 — Game 1 loser vs. game 2 loser, 5 p.m.#
Game 8 — Sylvan Hills vs. Game 3 loser, 2:30 p.m.%
Game 9 — Little Rock Christian vs. game 4 loser, 2:30 p.m.&
Game 10 — Game 5 loser vs. game 6 loser, 5 p.m.*
Game 11 — Game 1 winner vs. game 2 winner, 7:30 p.m.#
Game 12 — Sylvan Hills vs. game 3 winner, 5 p.m.%
Game 13 — Little Rock Christian vs. game 4 winner, 5 p.m.&
Game 14 — Game 5 winner vs. game 6 winner, 7:30 p.m.*
Friday, March 23
Game 15 — Game 7 winner vs. game 8 winner, 10 a.m.#
Game 16 — Game 9 winner vs. game 10 winner, 10 a.m.&
Game 17 — Game 7 loser vs. game 10 loser+
Game 18 — Game 11 loser v.s game 12 loser, 12:30 p.m.#
Game 19 — Game 13 loser vs. game 14 loser, 12:30 p.m.&
Game 20 — Game 11 winner vs. game 12 winner, 3 p.m.#
Game 21 — Game 13 winner vs. game 14 winner, 3 p.m.&
Saturday, March 24
Game 22 — Game 17 loser vs. game 16 loser, 10 a.m.+
Game 23 — Game 17 winner vs. game 15 loser, 12:30 p.m.+
Game 24 — Game 15 winner vs. game 16 winner, 3 p.m.+
Game 25 — Game 16 loser vs. game 17 loser, 10 a.m.+
Game 26 — Game 16 winner vs. game 17 winner, 12:30 p.m.+
Game 27 — Game 20 loser vs. game 21 loser, 3 p.m.+
Game 28 — Game 20 winner vs. game 21 winner, 5:30 p.m.+