Bryant Everett perseveres for victory in Junior State opener
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SHERIDAN — Trailing the Bryant Everett Buick GMC Black Sox 9-7 going into the bottom of the seventh inning Friday, the Morrilton Junior American Legion team no doubt wanted to somehow get clean-up hitter Rustin Hayes to the plate. Hayes was 3 for 3 with a walk and four runs batted in to that point. Morrilton needed a couple of base-runners to get him to the plate.
Boston Heil, the Sox’ sidewinder, took over on the mound to start the seventh, the third Bryant pitcher. He fanned Dylan White then hit Ben Jackson. But he struck out Jaylan Hawkins and the Sox were one out away from a victory with Ethan Roberts at the plate and Hayes on deck.
And the Sox came within a strike of a victory as Heil and Roberts battled to a 3-2 count. Roberts fouled off a tough pitch then took a delivery that was just low, drawing the walk and bringing Hayes to the plate.
On the very first pitch, Hayes turned on a Heil delivery and hit a one-hop shot towards first where Bryant’s Aaron Orender battled the tough hop, knocked it down and tossed to Heil just in time to retire Hayes and end the game.
With the dramatic win, the Sox advance in the winners’ bracket of the 2015 Junior American Legion State Tournament at Oliver Williams Field. They’ll play either Blytheville or Central Arkansas Christian on Saturday at 5 p.m. The tournament is an eight-team, double-elimination event that also includes Texarkana, Beebe, Paragould and Sheridan. All but Sheridan were winners or runners-up at their respective Zone Tournaments.
Against Morrilton, Bryant pounded out 12 hits including three each from Logan Allen and Garrett Misenheimer. Allen scored four times and Misenheimer drove in three runs with a pair of doubles. In addition, Cameron Coleman slugged his third home run in the last six games during post-season play. It was a three-run shot in the first inning. He had two hits and drove in four. Jeffrey Hastings had two hits as well.
Myers Buck started on the mound for the Sox and turned in a gutsy effort, working into the fifth inning. With Bryant up 7-4 and one out in the bottom of the fifth, Morrilton had the potential tying run at the plate. Buck, who played shortstop in the muggy heat at Malvern for the Sport Shop AA Sox the night before, had reached 91 pitches. So manager Tryce Schalchlin brought in Seth Tucker who needed just six pitches to get out of the jam, leaving runners standing at second and third.
Morrilton would score in three innings and, after the first two frames, the Sox immediately answered. The third time came when Morrilton whittled into Bryant’s 9-4 lead with three in the home sixth. Though the Sox’ Scott Schmidt was hit by a pitch and reached third on a pair of wild pitches at Allen walked, they were unable to match Morrilton uprising, adding to the tension in the bottom of the inning.
The Sox grabbed a 5-0 lead in the first two frames. The four-run first was highlighted by Coleman’s long blast over the high wall in right-center. Allen had singled to start the inning then Matthew Sandidge hit a grounder to second. Morrilton tried to get a force at second but threw the ball away. Allen hustled to third then scored on Misenheimer’s blast to right-center that bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double. Because it was a ground-rule hit, Sandidge, who would’ve also scored, had to hold at third.
But Coleman made that academic as he unloaded on a 3-2 pitch from Hayes, the Morrilton starter, making it 4-0.
In the second, Allen singled up the middle, moved up on Sandidge’s grounder to first, took third on Misenheimer’s single then scored on a passed ball.
Buck had held Morrilton without a hit over the first two frames but the third started with Jared Hill’s single to left. White followed with a base hit but the Sox then turned a doubleplay on a grounder to Tucker by Jackson. Hawkins, however, singled in Hill. After a walk to Roberts, Hayes drilled an RBI single to right to make it 5-2.
With runners at second and third, Buck got Tanner Albilar to tap back to the mound, ending the inning.
And the Sox had an answer in the top of the fourth. Allen slapped a one-out single to right and Sandidge stroked a knock to right. Allen stole third and scored when Misenheimer bounced into a force at second, making it 6-2.
Trying to pull off a doubleplay, Roberts, the Morrilton shortstop unleashed a wild throw to first and Misenheimer wound up at second. Coleman singled and it was 7-2.
Morrilton took advantage of a Bryant error and a pair of walks to fill the sacks in the bottom of the fourth. But Misenheimer made a big play. Buck fanned Jackson on a pitch in the dirt. Misenheimer picked it cleanly and with White wandering off first, fired to Orender, who made a diving catch but still had time to tag White out to end the inning.
In the fifth, Tucker made a sweet play at short to get the first out then Buck got Roberts to bounce back to the mound. But, trying to careful on his throw to first, Buck overthrew Orender and, with lots of foul ground at the Sheridan park, Roberts raced all the way to third. That brought up Hayes, who singled him in.
Hits by Albilar and Cade Chapman got Hayes home, making it 7-4. And when a throw back to the infield went awry, the runners wound up at second and third.
Tucker came on and fanned Zach Gullett on three pitches then caught a pop up off Hill’s bat.
And, once again, Bryant got those runs back. Allen was the instigator four the fourth time. He was hit by a pitch from Roberts, who was on in relief of Hayes. With one out, Miseneheimer banged a double off the left-field fence. Allen scored all the way from first and, moments later, courtesy runner Beaux Bonvillain advanced to third on a wild pitch and, after Coleman walked, scored on a balk.
Morrilton’s sixth-inning rally was highlighted by Hayes’ two-out two-run double. Albirlar singled him to third then a wild pitch allowed him to score as Chapman walked. A free pass to Gullett loaded the bases.
With the potential tying run in scoring position, Schalchlin visited the mound. A pitch later, Tucker got Hill to bounce to Buck at short for a force out to send it to the seventh with the Sox clinging to the 9-7 lead.
