East’s shutout lifts Junior Sox a win away from State crown
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Jake East fired a six-hit shutout and the Everett Black Sox of Bryant advanced to the championship round of the Junior American Legion State Tournament with a 4-0 win over Glen Sain Ford of Paragould on Tuesday night. The Sox will take on the Sheridan Yellowjackets at 5 p.m. The Jackets will need to beat Bryant twice to deny the Sox the title.
East walked three and struck out five but he was supported by some clutch defense. The Sox turned three doubleplays and catcher Garrett Misenheimer threw out a would-be base-stealer.
Paragould had runners on base in every inning. In the first, a lead-off walk was erased by a doubleplay so a single to follow up was wasted.
In the bottom of the inning, the Sox got all the runs East would need. Logan Allen and Connor Tatum singled, putting runners at first and third. Misenheimer lofted a sacrifice fly to left to make it 1-0. And, after Dylan Hurt walked, Jordan Gentry cracked an RBI single.
East pitched around a one-out single in the second, thanks to Misenheimer. In the third, an error was erased by the Sox’ second doubleplay. A fourth-inning walk came to naught as East fanned two and induced a grounder into a force at second.
Paragould’s biggest threat came in the fifth when a lead-off single and a one-out knock had runners at the corners. But East picked off the runner at third then ended the uprising with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the inning, the Sox tacked on a run. Cameron Coleman singled, was bunted to second by East then scored on Allen’s double to left-center. He tried to stretch it to a triple but was thrown out at third.
Tatum followed with a double and Misenheimer walked but both were stranded.
East worked around a two-out single in the top of the sixth. The Sox then made it 4-0 with an unearned run in the home half. Weston Jones reached base on an error and took second on a wild pitch. Gentry singled him to third but was out trying to steal. Aaron Orender walked and, with two out, East beat out an infield hit.
Paragould managed a lead-off single in the top of the seventh. A hit batsman had two on and no one out. But East induced a popup to Gentry at second then the game ended on the Sox third twin-killing, a liner to Jones at third and a throw to second to nail the runner there trying to scramble back to the bag.
The Sox improved to 31-6 on the season with the victory; 32 will make them champions.
