Bryant led a solid offensive performance for the Bengals (0-1), who totaled eight hits but failed to hold a sixth inning lead. Bonanza committed three errors in the bottom of the sixth, allowing five runs.

    “We just didn’t pick the baseball tonight and couldn’t find the strike zone,” Bonanza head coach Derek Stafford said. “Kris (Bryant) came out swinging and our poor defensive effort overshadows a great day at the plate for our offense. A couple of breaks here and there and the outcome is completely different.

    “We just need to shore up the defense and I’m sure the pitching staff won’t struggle throwing strikes like this very much. We have practice Friday and then get right back after it Saturday. We have a lot of games in a short amount of time so there’s no time to hang our heads.”

    Bryant finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored while senior Philip Navarro went 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs and an RBI.
    
    Senior Jordan Hanley doubled in the Bengals’ first at-bat of the season but a pop-out, a walk and then an inning-ending double play ended the first scoring opportunity of the season for Bonanza.

    After trailing 2-0 in the top of the second, Navarro reached on an error before Bryant hit his first home run to tie the game. Junior Kyle Ross reached on a walk, stole second and – after a throwing error on a botched double play attempt – scored the go-ahead run.

    Basic (1-0) battled back in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead thanks to two Bengal errors, scoring two runs to lead 4-3. But senior Nick Bryant walked ahead of Navarro, who tripled him home to tie the ballgame. Kris Bryant followed with his second homer of the ballgame on the first pitch to give the Bengals the 6-4 lead before the disastrous bottom of the sixth.

    “We had them on the ropes but failed to knock them out,” Stafford said. “We’ll get there but we’re still playing without our starting shortstop, who is also our three-hitter in the line-up. No cause for concern, but we need to start relaxing and simply fielding the baseball like we know we can.”

    Senior Tomo Delp, who signed to play with the College of Southern Nevada, has been sidelined for cautionary reasons with a sore hamstring but Stafford expects him to return Saturday when the Bengals travel to Liberty for an 11 a.m. ballgame.

    “We’re a man short and when you lose someone of Tomo’s caliber, you’re going to feel like you’re playing with just eight guys,” Stafford said. “His return will most definitely energize our team, and remember, these aren’t league games.

    “Our first league game is still three weeks away (March 27), so we just need to keeping tweaking our faults.”