EMERSON, Ga. — The efforts of the Bryant Everett Buick-GMC Black Sox Junior American Legion team for a comeback win for the second time today fell short as the Team Elite Roadrunners of Winder, Ga., held on for a 3-2 win.
The game was the second for both teams in pool play at the Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational wood bat showcase.
The Sox complete pool play on Saturday at 2 p.m., against a travel team based in North Little Rock, the Rawlings Arkansas Prospects.
The Roadrunners grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first two innings. In the first, a two-out double by Garrett Hodges.
In the home half, Seth Tucker beat out a bunt single but was stranded. Team Elite answered with two unearned runs in the top of the second when the Sox committed errors on either side of a double by Brandon Marsh.
Bryant starter Austin Kelly got out of the jam without further damage then combined with Boston Heil and Aaron Orender to shut out the Roadrunners the rest of the way. Heil and Orender each allowed one hit over two innings apiece.
Dylan Hurt singled and Jordan Gentry walked to start the bottom of the second but the Sox were unable to take advantage.
In the third, Allen walked but was thrown out trying to steal before a strikeout ended the frame.
The Georgia team loaded the bases with one out in the fourth but Heil induced a pop to Scott Schmidt at second then got out the inning with a grounder to Misenheimer at third that resulted in a force at the plate.
The Black Sox turned a doubleplay in the fifth to erase a base-runner that reached on a hit-by-pitch.
In the home fifth, Bryant rallied. Orender shot a single up them idle then Cameron Coleman reached on an error at third. With one out, they moved up to second and third on a wild pitch and, with two down, Logan Allen came through with a clutch two-run single to right.
Misenheimer walked but Roadrunners’ pitcher Jake Lee escaped further damage with a strikeout.
Orender worked around a walk in the top of the sixth and, in the seventh, an infield hit by Marsh was erased when he was picked off first.
The Sox went down in order in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, Lee fanned the first two before Tucker beat out an infield hit to give Bryant life. But Lee induced a tap back to the mound to end the game.
