Bryant 15U team opens season with shutout victory
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DONALDSON — Jaxon Ham, Hayden Thompson and Drew Hatman combined on a two-hit shutout and the Bryant Black Sox 15U Junior American Legion team used seven hits to take advantage of 10 walks and six errors in an 8-0 win over the Ouachita Junior American Legion team on Tuesday night.
Ham helped his own cause with a double and a pair of RBIs. On the mound, he worked four innings, allowing two singles with one walk and three strikeouts. Thompson relieved in the fifth and fanned four of the seven batters he faced. Hatman struck out the side in the seventh.
It was the season-debut for the young Sox who are set to play a doubleheader against Sheridan tonight at Bryant High School field.
Ouachita threatened in the bottom of the first inning with a one-out single and a walk. After a double-steal, however, the Sox turned a doubleplay on a comebacker to Ham who threw home to catcher Gavin Burton for the first out. Burton’s relay to Colby Morrow at first was in time.
Building on that momentum, Bryant scored three times in the top of the second. Cade Parker and Morrow each walked to get things started. A walk to Hatman loaded the bases for Ham, who delivered his two-run double.
With one out, Caleb Greiner drew a walk to load the bases and, with two away, Burton drew a free pass to force in the third tally.
Ham then struck out the side in the home second and the Sox went back to work at the plate to extend the lead.
Morrow drew a one-out walk and Hatman singled to left. Ham walked, and the bases were full once again. With two down, Greiner delivered an infield hit that made it 4-0. And when the late throw from third went awry, Hatman scored as well.
A two-out single for Ouachita in the bottom of the third came to naught and the Sox, in turn, added one with a two-out uprising. Cade Parker and Morrow each singled and when the ball was misplayed in right, Parker scored.
After a trio of groundouts left Ouachita scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, the Sox were set down in the top of the fifth despite a lead-off walk by Ham and a sacrifice by Calvin Myles.
Thompson relieved in the bottom of the fifth and walked the first batter he faced. After a tap out to Morrow at first, Thompson fanned the next two batters.
Bryant put the finishing touches on its scoring in the top of the sixth. Logan White singled but was forced at second on Burton’s bouncer. With Connor Martin in to run for Burton, Kyler Pabon looped a single to center. Martin hustled to third then scored on an error as the Ouachita pitcher tried to pick Pabon off of first.
Morrow reached on an error on a pop fly. Pabon raced to third on the play then scored when Hatman’s grounder to second was kicked.
Thompson fanned two more in the bottom of the sixth. Hatman took over in the seventh and closed it out.
