CONWAY — After each team had claimed a victory over the other earlier this summer, the Bryant Black Sox and Texarkana Farmers Bank met for a rubber match in the second round of the 2018 Junior American Legion State Tournament at Hendrix College on Saturday.
Behind the pitching of Cody Adcock, Texarkana extracted a 4-1 win to advance to the winners bracket final against Jacksonville Gwatney. Bryant now faces elimination when it plays on Sunday against the Russellville Pirates, a 10-9 winning in an elimination contest on Saturday against the El Dorado Drillers. In the other losers bracket contest, Benton Sport Shop, which fell to Jacksonville 13-1 on Saturday, will play Greenbrier/Southside, a 9-4 winner over the Brinkley Patriots in an elimination battle.
Bryant, now 16-10 this season, was held to just three hits by Adcock, who walked two and struck out nine. Bryant’s hits, all singles, were by Will Hathcote, Slade Renfrow and Ryan Riggs.
Texarkana scored all the runs Adcock wound need with three in the bottom of the second. A walk, an error and a bunt single loaded the bases. Bryant starter Tyler Bates came back to strike out the next batter. But Cameron Braley came through with a sacrifice fly to snap the scoreless deadlock. An RBI single by Seth Phillips resulted in an error in the outfield that allowed a third run to score.
The Sox scored their first run in the top of the third. Hathcote singled with one out then Lawson Speer was hit by a pitch. Noah Davis bounced into a force at second as Hathcote went to third. On an errant pickoff throw moments later, Hathcote scored.
Davis reached second on the play but was stranded.
Riggs singled but was left aboard in the fourth then Renfrow led off the fifth with a walk to no avail.
Texarkana tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth before Christian Motes, on in relief of Bates, escaped.
In the sixth, a two-out walk to Peyton Dillon came to nothing.
Down to their last three outs in the top of the seventh, the Sox picked up some hope when Renfrow cracked a one-out single. But Adcock finished strong, fanning the last two batters.
