Davis, Sox walk it off in 11
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OMAHA, Neb. — Noah Davis spanked a bases-loaded single to left with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team to a 2-1 walk-off win over the Cheyenne, Wyo., Sixers this morning at the Creighton Prep Pre-Regional Tournament.
Peyton Dillon had opened the bottom of the 11th with a lined single to left then pitcher Blaine Sears sacrificed Dillon to second. A wild pitch allowed him to take third as Gage Stark drew a walk. The Sixers intentionally walked Coby Greiner to load the bases and set up a force at any bag. Davis fell behind in the count 0-2 then lined the game-winner through the left side.
It was the first win of the tourney for the Sox, now 10-4 overall. They lost 5-3 to the host team on Wednesday. On Friday, they’ll play twice starting with Bozeman, Mont., at 8 a.m., followed by a tilt against Brandon Valley, S.D.
Omaha will apparently be the site of the Legion regional that the Arkansas champion has been assigned to this summer, so it could indeed be a preview for the Sox, if they can capture another State title to advance to Regionals.
Bryant used five pitchers in the win. Will Hathcote started and worked into the fifth when Cheyenne picked up its run. Slade Renfrow got out of that jam then Coby Greiner took over in the sixth. Tyler Bates relieved in the ninth but struggled with his control. Sears took over and got out of that jam and blanked the Sixers through the 11th, picking up the win.
Cheyenne finished with six hits, Bryant seven. Davis had three knocks. Aidan Colgan led the Sixers with two. Bryant benefitted from six walks and three errors. Cheyenne was gifted nine walks, but the Sox played errorless defense.
After falling behind 1-0 in the fifth, the Sox tied it in the sixth with Davis instigated the uprising with a lead-off double. Logan Catton sacrificed him to third. Davis tried to score on Cade Drennan’s tap back to the mound, but the Sixers’ pitcher Cody Brooks threw home for the second out.
Drennan hustled to second on the play, however. And when Brooks balked, he advanced to third. Jake Wright drew a walk then an errant throw on a pickoff throw to first allowed Drennan to score.
Cheyenne’s fifth began with a single by Brooks. He advanced on a wild pitch and Keldon Hastings singled him home. After Jackson Hesford was hit by a 3-2 pitch from Hathcote, Renfrow relieved, fanning Nico Vite and Andrew Johnson to retire the side, stranding runners at first and second.
Both starters were tough before that. Hathcote walked a pair in the top of the fourth but in between, the Sox turned a doubleplay.
After Bryant tied it, the Sixers made a little noise in the seventh with a one-out single and a two-out walk but Greiner got Vite to fly to Stark in center to end the threat. In the eighth, he pitched around a two-out walk.
In the bottom of the eighth, Davis singled with one out and Catton beat out a bunt for a hit. A wild pitch moved them up, but they were stranded.
In the ninth, Bates issued a pair of walks and, after a strikeout, a third one to load the bases. Sears relieved and picked off Brooks at third as Wright and Drennan ran him down. A strikeout ended the inning.
In the home ninth, Dillon walked with one away and Sears reached on an error, but nothing came of it.
In the 10th, Cheyenne was unable to take advantage of a two-out walk and Bryant couldn’t cash in on walks to Catton and Wright even after they were balked to second and third.
Colgan doubled with one out in the top of the 11th but Sears got the next batter Dawson Macleary to tap out to Dillon at first then got Hesford to fly to Stark in left, setting up Bryant’s game-winning burst.
