Bryant Senior Legion team reaches Battle of Omaha final four
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OMAHA, Neb. — Coming within an out of pitching his team’s third consecutive shutout, Zach Jackets extended the team’s streak of shutout innings to 19 in a row as the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team advanced to the final four of the 2014 19-and-under Battle of Omaha Classic with a 6-2 win over the Grove City, Ohio, Titans in the divisional finals at Skutt Catholic High School Field.
Jackson struck out six and blanked the Ohio team on one hit over the first six innings as his teammates built their 6-0 lead. A one-out double and a pair of two-out walks loaded the bases in the top of the seventh. A two-run single broke up the shutout streak but Jackson fanned the next batter to strand runners at second and third and close out the win.
It was Bryant’s sixth win in as many games at the event. It was the 20th win in as many outings on the season thus far.
The Sox are set to play at Bellevue West High School on Monday morning for a spot in the championship game of the tournament to be held at Burke High School late in the day.
The Black Sox jumped on the Ohio team for three runs in the bottom of the first. Trevor Ezell ripped a double to right-center and sent to third on a single by Drew Tipton. A passed ball allowed Ezell to score from third and, with Tipton at second, Hayden Lessenberry drove an RBI single to left.
Harrison Dale came in to run for the Sox’ catcher and Chase Tucker moved both runners up with a bunt. Dalton Holt picked up the RBI on a grounder to second.
The Titans’ first base-runner came with one out in the second on a third-strike wild pitch but a Ezell took a grounder at short and started a 6-4-3 doubleplay to end the frame.
The Sox then tacked on a pair of runs in the home second. Justin Emmerling singled and Korey Thompson drew a walk to set the table. Ezell beat out an infield hit to load the bases and Tipton walked to force in a run. A free pass to Blake Patterson forced in another run, making it 5-0.
Grove City got an out at the plate on Lesseberry’s grounder to short. With two down, Tipton was thrown out trying to score on Tucker’s bouncer to first.
Jackson retired the side in order in the third and set down the first two in the fourth before giving up the first Grove City hit. An error put runners at first and second but Jackson escaped with a strikeout.
That started a string in which he retired eight in a row before giving up the seventh-inning double.
In the meantime, the Sox added on a run in the home fifth. Warner singled and, with two down, so did Ezell and Tipton to bring him around, making it 6-0.
