AA Sox bounce back with five-inning thumping of Cabot
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HOT SPRINGS — Coming off a disappointing loss in the semifinals of the first Ryan White Memorial[more] wood bat tournament, the Everett Black Sox AA American Legion team of Bryant piled up 10 runs on 11 hits to back the pitching of Chase Tucker and Devin Dupree on the way to a 10-2 run-rule win over Cabot in the third-place game Sunday.
Tucker and Dupree combined to limit Cabot to three hits — one of them a two-run triple with two out in the bottom of the fourth.
By then, the Sox had built a 10-0 lead with two in the first and four in both the second and the top of the third.
Trevor Ezell, Jason Hastings, C.J. Phillips and Cody Gogus each had two hits for Bryant. The Sox’ offense was aided by five Cabot errors.
Everett improved to 17-4 on the season going into a doubleheader at home against Clarksville on Wednesday.
Ezell opened the game with a base hit to center. He stole second and third then held when Hastings’ bunt was misplayed. Wes Akers picked up an RBI with a groundout and Hastings stole his way to third, scoring on a throwing error.
Tucker walked a batter and hit one in the bottom of the inning but picked the lead runner off second then got the final out on a pop to Korey Thompson at second.
Bryant’s second-inning uprising began with a one-out error that allowed Zach Cambron to reach base. Phillips beat out a bunt hit to start a string of six straight singles from Ezell, Hastings, Akers, Gogus and Harrison Dale.
Up 6-0, Tucker struck out the side in the bottom of the inning around a walk and Cabot’s first hit, a single. In the third, he issued another pass but fanned two more to preserve the shutout.
Bryant’s game-clinching four-run fourth was ignited by Gogus’ double. He took third when Dale reached on an error. Dupree was hit by a pitch to load the bases and, with two down, Phillips walked to force in a run. Ezell’s grounder to short was misplayed then Hastings singled to complete the onslaught.
Tucker walked a pair in the bottom of the fourth and, with two down, gave way to Hastings. Though Cabot’s Jess Reed greeted him with a two-run triple, the right-hander got the final out then pitched around a one-out single in the seventh to close out the win.
