Bryant Senior team adds 2-1 win at Firecracker Classic
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ALTON, Ill. — Brandan Warner singled in Chase Tucker in the top of the seventh to snap a 1-1 tie and right-hander Blake Patterson finished off a three-hitter with his sixth and seventh strikeouts in the bottom of the inning as the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team improved to 3-0 in pool play at the Southwest Illinois Firecracker Classic Saturday.
The 2-1 win over Eureka, Mo., improved the Sox to 28-4 overall this season going into a final pool contest Jerseyville, Ill., this evening.
Bryant is the defending champion of the tournament.
Patterson had a two-hit shutout through five innings. After he struck out the first two in the sixth, a walk and an RBI triple put Eureka on the board, tying the game.
Bryant had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Trevor Ezell doubled, went to third on Drew Tipton’s grounder to the right side, then scored on Patterson’s single to left.
In the seventh Tucker drew a lead-off walk and advanced on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Warner lashed his RBI single to left. He stole second but was stranded.
The Sox had threatened in the second when Dalton Holt reached base on a one-out error, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With two out, Trey Breeding walked but Eureka escaped further damange.
Breeding walked again in the fifth and stole second. Korey Thompson sacrificed him to third but he got no further. Patterson singled again in the top of the sixth but was thrown out trying to steal.
On the mound, Patterson retired the first seven batters he faced before surrendering a one-out single in the third. Eureka stranded the runner as Patterson induced a grounder for a force at second then ended the frame with a strikeout.
The Missouri team managed a one-out single in the fifth. A sacrifice got the runner to second but a grounder to first ended the threat.
The Black Sox have been on the road for 10 days so far, starting in Memphis with a tournament (in which they finished second) from June 26 through July 2, capped off by a three-game day. They traveled from there to Alton on Thursday and played twice on Friday.
The Firecracker Classic is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
