Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding
Two Bryant American Legion teams begin their quest for a State championship on Friday as the Bryant Black Sox Senior Legion team plays at Crowder Field at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith while the Bryant Sport Shop Black Sox AA team opens play at Sheridan.
The Senior Sox will be trying to repeat as State champions and return to the MidSouth Regional, which will be held at Hendrix College in Conway. Last year, the Sox came within a win of capturing the Regional title and advancing to the American Legion World Series. As the champion of Zone 4, Bryant will begin its quest at 10 a.m., against Cabot Centennial Bank, the 2 seed from Zone 3.
The Sox and Bankers played to open the 2015 season back on June 2. Though Bryant won 14-1, both teams figure to have improved over the season. The game, a nine-inning affair like all those in the Senior Legion post-season, will indicate which one may have improved the most.
At Sheridan, the AA Sox open play against a familiar foe in Morrilton. It’ll be the seventh meeting between the two teams this season. Morrilton has won five of the previous six meetings but four of the games were decided by one run.
Here are the brackets for the two tournaments:
2015 SENIOR AMERICAN LEGION STATE TOURNAMENT
At Crowder Field, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Friday, July 24
Game 1 — Bryant (1 Zone 4) vs. Cabot (2 Zone 3), 10 a.m.
Game 2 — Blytheville (1 Zone 2) vs. Texarkana (2 Zone 4) (doubleheader)
Game 3 — Conway (1 Zone 3) vs. Jonesboro (2 Zone 2), 4 p.m.
Game 4 — Fort Smith (1 Zone 1, host) vs. Russellville (3 Zone 3) (doubleheader)
Saturday, July 25
Game 5 — Game 1 loser vs. game 3 loser, 10 a.m.
Game 6 — Game 2 loser vs. game 4 loser (doubleheader)
Game 7 — Game 1 winner vs. game 3 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 2 winner vs. game 4 winner (doubleheader)
Sunday, July 26
Game 9 — Game 6 winner vs. game 7 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 10 — Game 5 winner vs. game 8 loser (doubleheader)
Game 11 — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, July 27
Game 12 — Game 9 winner vs. game 11 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 13 — Game 10 winner vs. game 11 winner, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 28
Game 14 — Game 12 winner vs. game 13 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 15 — If necessary
NOTE 1: Pairing for Game 12 and 13 will not match previous opponents against each other unless absolutely necessary.
NOTE 2: If three teams remain after Game 13, the winner of Game 11 automatically draws the bye in Game 14.
Game 12 – Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11 (see NOTE 1 below)
Game 13 – Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11 (see NOTE 1 below)
Game 14 – Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13 (see NOTE 2 below)
Game 15 – (If necessary) fifteen games will be needed if Winner Game 11 loses Game 13 or Winner Game 12 wins Game 14
2015 AA AMERICAN LEGION STATE TOURNAMENT
At Sheridan
Friday, July 24
Game 1 — Malvern vs. Pine Bluff, 12 p.m.
Game 2 — Bryant vs. Morrilton, 2:30 p.m. (F1)
Game 3 — Hot Springs Village vs. North Little Rock, 2:30 p.m. (F2)
Game 4 — River Valley vs. Stuttgart, 5 p.m. (F1)
Game 5 — Hot Springs Lakeside vs. Crossett, 5 p.m. (F2)
Game 6 — Monticello vs. Little Rock Eagles, 7:30 p.m. (F2)
Game 7 — Sheridan vs. Beebe, 7:30 p.m. (F1)
Saturday, July 25
Game 8 — Harrison vs. game 1 winner (F1)
Game 9 — Game 2 winner vs. game 3 winner (F2)
Game 10 — Game 4 winner vs. game 5 winner (F2)
Game 11 — Game 6 winner vs. game 7 winner (F1)
Game 12 — Game 4 loser vs. game 5 loser (F2)
Game 13 — Game 6 loser vs. game 7 loser (F1)
Game 14 — Game 2 loser vs. game 3 loser
Sunday, July 26
Game 15 — Game 1 loser vs. game 10 loser
Game 16 — Game 8 loser vs. game 12 winner
Game 17 — Game 9 loser vs. game 13 winner
Game 18 — Game 14 winner s. game 11 loser
Game 19 — Game 8 winner vs. game 9 winner
Game 20 — Game 10 winner vs. game 11 winner
Friday, July 31
Game 21 — Game 16 winner vs. game 17 winner
Game 22 — Game 15 winner vs. game 18 winner
Game 23 — Game 21 winner vs. game 20 loser
Game 24 — Game 22 winner vs. game 19 loser
Saturday, Aug. 1
Game 25 — Game 19 winner vs. game 20 winner (winners bracket final)
Game 26 — Game 24 winner vs. game 23 winner
Game 27 — Game 26 winner vs. game 25 loser (losers bracket final)
Sunday, Aug. 2
Game 28 — Game 25 winner vs. game 27 winner
Game 29 — if necessary
