FORT SMITH — After opening the season with a disappointing 10-6 loss to Bauxite on Wednesday, the Bryant Black Sox 17U Junior American Legion team came through with a pair of victories in an event hosted by the Fort Smith Legion.
The Sox edged Harrison 6-4 then dismissed the hosting Fort Smith Forsgren team. They were scheduled to take on Texarkana and (Elite Athletic Performance (EAP) of Benton on Sunday.
Bryant 6, Harrison 4
The Sox built a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth. Harrison cut it to 4-2 only to have Bryant get those two runs back in the top of the fifth on the way to the victory.
Brandon Thomisee, Colby Morrow and Tyler Bates worked on the mound for the Sox. Thomisee picked up the win and Bates got a save.
Offensively, the Sox managed just three hits. They worked nine walks, had two hit batsmen and three Harrison errors.
Bryant took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning. With two down, Ryan Riggs and Parker drew walks. Connor Martin was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Jaxon Ham, running for Riggs, scored on a passed ball as Luke Dreher drew a free pass.
Thomisee gave up a lead-off single in the bottom of the inning but retired the next three, two on strikes. He then worked around a two-out walk in the bottom of the second.
The Sox responded with a two more tallies in the home half. Logan White’s lead-off fly to center was misplayed then Riggs’ grounder to second was booted allowing runners to reach second and third for Parker, who delivered an RBI single, taking second on the throw to the plate, which held Ham, again running for Riggs.
With one out, Dreher worked a walk then so did Morrow, forcing in a run to make it 3-0. With a strikeout and a flyout following, the Sox left the bases full.
But Thomisee struck out two while working around another two-out walk in the bottom of the third and the Sox tacked on in the top of the fourth. Lawson Speer singled, White walk and, after they moved to second and third on Riggs’ grounder to the right side, Parker picked up another RBI with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
A one-out error helped Harrison get on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Three singles and a sacrifice fly made it 4-2. With runners at first and third, Thomisee got a strikeout to end the inning.
Bryant’s answer in the top of the fifth began with Morrow getting plunked with one out. Drew Hatman came on as a pinch runner and stole second. After a pitching change, Will Hathcote, pinch-hitting for Thomisee drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch.
Jordan Knox flew out to right, but it was deep enough for Hatman to tag and take third. He scored on a throwing error by the Harrison catcher, which allowed Hathcote to sprint to third. Speer’s double got him home to make it 6-2.
Morrow relieved in the bottom of the fifth and struggled with his command. After a one-out walk, he got the second out but could not get the third. Four batters in succession drew walks, making it 6-4. Bates left the bases loaded with a strikeout.
Though Bates issued a pair of walks in the bottom of the sixth, he retired the side without giving up a run, closing out the win.
Bryant 7, FS Forsgren 1
Hatman, with sixth-inning relief from Braxton Prather, limited Forsgren to one run, which scored in the bottom of the first inning. In five frames, Hatman walked two and fanned two. Prather worked around a hit in the sixth before finishing the game.
Bryant took advantage of eight walks and two hit batsmen with six hits, breaking open a 1-1 battle with a four-run fifth.
White and Knox each had two hits for the Sox.
Forsgren’s run came as a result of a hit batter, a single and a grounder into a force at second. Another single followed but Hatman retired the next two to keep in 1-0.
Gavin Burton drew a lead-off walk in the top of the second but the next two struck out. Ham was hit by a pitch, setting the table for Knox, who singled in the tying run.
Forsgren managed a two-out single and a hit batsman but both were stranded in the bottom of the inning.
Both teams threatened in the third, but the pitchers worked out of those jams. The Sox left runners at second and third and Forsgren stranded three.
Bryant finally snapped the deadlock in the top of the fifth. Knocks by White and Riggs ignited the inning. With one out, Burton squeezed in White, who beat the throw to the plate by the Fort Smith pitcher. Burton reached on the fielder’s choice and, with two out, Cade Parker drew a walk to load the bases for Martin, who delivered a solid single to left, plating two. Knox capped the inning with an RBI single to right.
The Sox turned a doubleplay in the bottom of the fifth to erase a lead-off walk and protect the 5-1 lead. They then tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the sixth.
White drew a lead-off walk and, with one out, J.T. Parker worked a free pass. Burton was struck by a 1-0 delivery to fill the sacks. Hathcote walked on four pitches to make it 6-1 and, with two down, Martin picked up another RBI with a walk.
An error left the door open for a Fort Smith rally in the bottom of the sixth. It was followed by a single that put runners at first and third with one out. But Prather got a strikeout and ended the game by catching a pop up.
