Bryant 15’s sweep twinbill at Sheridan
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SHERIDAN — The bats came on full force for the Bryant Black Sox Junior (15) American Legion team on Thursday night as they swept the Sheridan 15’s, 10-4 and 14-3. (Wating out walks helped too.)
In the opener, the Sox pounded out 11 hits to take advantage of seven walks and four errors. Lawson Speer, Blaine Sears and Noah Davis each had two hits with Speer and Davis coming up with triples.
The quartet of Will Hathcolte, Garrett Wilson, Aaron Morgan and Ryan Riggs held Sheridan to six hits, though they combined to walk six. Only one of their runs was earned.
Sheridan led 3-2 through three innings but the Sox scored four times in the top of the fourth to gain the upper hand. Bryant led 7-3 then scored three in the top of the seventh to make it a route.
Speer tripled to start the game. He scored on an error as Sheridan relayed the ball from the outfield. Sheridan tied it in the bottom of the second with an error, a single and a walk loading the bases. After Hathcote got a strikeout, an infield hit got the run in.
In Bryant’s second, Slade Renfrow singled with one out and Davis chased in courtesy runner Zion Collins with his triple to left. Up 2-1 with a man at third and one out, the Sox stranded the runner at third.
Sheridan used a single, a stolen base and an errant throw to get a runner to third in the bottom of the inning. A single tied it again. Hathcote got the first out on a hot shot back to the mound as a run scored to give Sheridan took a 3-2 lead. Wilson relieved and struck out the next two batters to send it to the fourth.
Christian Motes led off the inning with an infield hit. Ethan Andrews did likewise. An error allowed Motes to reach third then Josh Turner singled him in.
Speer beat out a bunt and an error allowed runners to reach second and third. Renfrow got a squeeze bunt down as Turner scored and, when Davis doubled, it was 6-3.
The first two Sheridan hitters got singled in the bottom of the fourth, but Wilson struck out the side to keep it 6-3.
Conner Coleman led off the top of the fifth with a walk. She stole second and third then scored on Tyler Bates’ sacrifice fly that was caught by the first baseman going away from the infield.
In the seventh, Coleman drew another free pass and stole second. Bates got a sacrifice bunt down then reached safety when the ball was misplayed by the pitcher. Coleman scored to make it 8-3.
Walks to Andrews and Turner loaded the bases for Sears, who cracked a two-run single to right.
Morgan, who had worked around a walk in the bottom of the sixth, issued a walk and hit a batter to start the seventh. An error allowed the lead runner to go to third. He scored on a wild pitch. The next batter was plunked by a pitch and Riggs relieved to get the final two outs.
In the nightcap, Sheridan pitchers issued 12 walks and hit three batters. Of Bryant’s eighth hits, Hathcote had two. Bates and Collins each doubled.
Collins, Motes and Davis did the pitching in what turned out to be a four-inning contest when the Sox scored eight runs in the top of the fourth.
Bryant had taken a 6-0 lead in the top of the first. Renfrow drew a lead-off walk and Sears beat out a bunt single. Davis sacrificed the runners to second and third ahead of a walk to Riggs that loaded the bases. A walk to Hathcote forced in a run then another to Wilson made it 2-0.
With two down, Bates came through with his double to chase home a pair then Collins doubled to make it 6-0.
Sheridan got on the board in the bottom of the first on a pair of singles and a wild pitch.
White the Sox stranded two in the second and two more in the third. Sheridan whittled another tally off the lead in the bottom of the third on a hit batsman, a single and a groundout.
The game-breaking top of the fourth started with a single by Davis. Riggs walked and Hathcote singled to load the bases. Wilson was hit by a pitch to force in a run then Morgan walked to bring home Riggs.
Motes singled to right to drive in two and, after Collins walked, Renfrow drew an RBI pass. Sears walked, and Turner was hit by a pitch as the lead ballooned to 13-2. Renfrow scored as well to cap the inning.
Sheridan used a trio of singles to get a run home in the bottom of the fourth as the game concluded.
The Sox 15’s are scheduled to return to action at The Hagan, a showcase tournament in Memphis June 29 through July 4.
