SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Logan Catton and Noah Davis combined on a two-hit shutout over five innings for the seven whitewash of the season by the pitchers of the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team on Saturday. The result was an 8-0 win that made the Sox 2-0-1 in pool play at the Mid America Premier Showcase.
The Sox will return to action this evening as bracket play commences. Bryant finished first in their pool, tied with the team they tied in the first round on Thursday, 417 Hooks.
In bracket play, the two teams will be rematched tonight at 6, in the championship division.
The 8-0 win came against the Hillcrest Merchants of Springfield at Hillcrest High School.
Along with the stingy pitching, the Sox hammered out 12 hits including two each from Connor Martin, Cade Drennan, Catton and Davis. Martin drove in two.
Hillcrest managed both of its hits in the first inning off of Catton. The Sox turned a doubleplay after the first one then Catton left the other stranded by ending the inning with a strikeout.
He finished his three innings with five strikeouts without a walk. Davis fanned five more and walked one in his two innings of mound work.
Hillcrest escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first that included walks to Catton and Peyton Dillon around a single by Drennan.
After Catton pitched around a lead-off error in the top of the second, Bryant took a 1-0 lead.
Blaine Sears drew a lead-off walk and stole second. With one out, Lawson Speer’s double brought him home.
It stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when Martin ignited a rally with a single to left. With two down, he stole second then scored on Davis’ double. Davis swiped third and scored on a single by Ryan Riggs to make it 3-0.
Dillon singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth. A bunt hit by Coby Greiner had two aboard head of a walk to Sears to load the bags. Martin’s looping single to center drive in two then Sears scored on a passed ball. As Speer walked, another passed ball allowed Sears to score, making it 7-0.
Davis moved the potential game-ending run to second with a single to left. Riggs grounded into a force at second as Speer took third. Catton then ended the game with a sharp single to left to make it a run-rule win.
