Wood handcuffs Jackets in semifinal
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).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
BENTON — Travis Wood had it going on Thursday, March 3.
The cluster of scouts behind homeplate at Benton Panthers Field, wielding their radar guns, clocked his fastball as hot as 93 miles per hour and his heartbreaking, hard-breaking curveball was snapping.
The Sheridan Yellowjackets were waving.
Wood, the Bryant Hornets’ senior left-hander, struck out 17 hit a batter and walked just one without allowing a hit in his six innings of work in the tournament semifinal. Junior Danny Riemenschneider pitched the seventh and, though, he allowed a pair of unearned runs, completed the no-hitter as Bryant forged a 7-2 victory to advance to the finals of the tournament against Benton (see related story).
Wood also contributed two hits to the Hornets’ offense. Zack Young had two as well and Richie Wood drove in three runs.
Travis Wood’s first pitch of the game hit Sheridan’s Freddie Flores, who then stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw. But the next three batters fanned and Flores was stranded.
In the third, Wood issued a walk to Chris Hurtt but then picked him off. He went on to strike out seven in a row before pinch-hitter Bryce Lunday reached on an error to open the sixth inning. Lunday stole, too, and drew a bad throw to make it to third. Again, however, Wood struck out the side to leave him at third.
The Hornets took a 2-0 lead in the second. With one out, Young doubled. Bryan Griffith doubled as well but Young could only get to third after holding up to make sure the fly wasn’t going to be caught. But a sacrifice fly by Corey Lambert brought Young home and an infield hit by Riemenschneider plated Griffith.
In the third, Justin Wells drew a one-out walk and Travis Wood doubled. Wells scored on a sacrifice fly by Richie Wood to make it 3-0.
A lead-off walk to Griffith set things up in the fourth. He swiped second and scored on a triple by Todd Bryan. An infield hit by Aaron Davidson brought Bryan home, making it 5-0.
Travis Wood tripled to open the fifth, scoring on cousin Richie’s single to center.
In the sixth, Bryan walked, Davidson reached on an error, Wells sacrificed and, after Travis Wood was intentionally walked, Richie Wood came through with another sacrifice fly to make it 7-0.
Riemenschneider relieved in the top of the seventh because Travis Wood had reached his pitch-count limit. A walk and a hit batsman opened the inning. Riemenschneider struck out the next batter but Matt Kimball got down a sacrifice bunt, drawing a wild throw to first that allowed Sheridan’s first run to score. A sacrifice fly by Matt Buie made it 7-2 before Riemenschneider ended it with his second strikeout and the 19th of the game for the Bryant pitching duo.
