Harp tosses two-hitter, AA Sox bury NLR
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 continueposting 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).
SHERIDAN — Christian Harp tossed a two-hitter over five innings and the Bryant Sport Shop Black Sox made the most of six hits to advance to the winners bracket semifinals at the AA American Legion State Tournament Saturday with an 11-1 run-rule win over the North Little Rock Blue Colts.
The Sox are set to take on Harrison, a 5-0 winner over Malvern, on Sunday at 5:30 p.m., with a spot in the winners’ bracket final on the line.
Harp fanned just one so he relied on his defense and, despite three errors, the Sox made the plays to when they needed to.
North Little Rock’s lone run came in the first inning when Alex Cauley reached on an error, was sacrificed to second by Jordan Reed and scored on a single by Chance Harger.
The only other hit the Colts managed was a lead-off single by Harger in the fourth.
Harp pitched around a two-out error in the second and an error later in the fourth.
The 1-0 lead held up until Bryant batted in the third. With one out, Jeffrey Hastings walked. But he was forced at second on a grounder by Cameron Coleman. Hunter Oglesby followed with a double that allowed Coleman to score all the way from first to tie the game.
Joey Cates reached on an error then a balk allowed Oglesby to score. After Caleb Chaffin walked, Jordan Gentry struck out on a pitch in the dirt. The catcher recovered the ball but threw wildly to first and both Cates and Chaffin scored to make it 4-1.
In the fourth, Daniel Darbonne drew a lead-off walk for the Sox. Though he was forced at second on a grounder by C.J. Wallace, Hastings delivered a single bringing the top of the order back around.
Coleman singled in a run then Oglesby made it 6-1 with a sacrifice fly. Cates capped the inning with an RBI double.
Gentry singled to open the top of the fifth and stole second. Walks to Harp and Darbonne loaded the bases for Grayson Prince, who singled in a run. Another scored when Hastings grounded out then another when Matthew Sandidge’s grounder to third was booted. A wild pitch made it 11-1.
Harp then retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to sew up the victory.
