Everett Sox force ‘if’ game before loss, to play at Junior State Friday
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).
SHERIDAN — With a 3-1 win over the Texarkana Razorbacks, the Bryant Everett Buick GMC Black Sox forced the “if” game in the championship round of the Zone 4 Junior Tournament on Tuesday night. But Texarkana rallied for a comeback win to capture the title, 12-6, at Oliver Williams Field.
Both teams, along with host Sheridan, will advance to the Junior State Tournament. The Sox are set to play this Friday at 11 a.m.
Bryant 3, Texarkana 1
The Sox handed the Razorbacks their lone loss of the tournament behind the pitching of right-hander Christian Harp. Locked in a 1-1 deadlock, the game went to the bottom of the sixth. Matthew Sandidge led off with a single and took second on a passed ball. Cameron Coleman then came through with a triple to snap the tie. Austin Kelly walked and stole second before Seth Tucker made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly.
Harp retired the first two batters in the top of the seventh, bringing his string to 12 in a row set down. A single by his pitching counterpart Tanner Vaught brought up Tyler Rucker as the potential tying run but Harp got him to groundout to Tucker at short to end the game.
The Bryant right-hander allowed just three hits in the game. A one-out single in the first was erased by a double play. In the third, Brett Cox singled and advanced on a pair of groundouts to reach third. Trevor Pipkin hit a grounder to Tucker at short and it looked like the Sox were out of the inning but the throw to first was mishandled and Cox scored an unearned run.
Harp induced a fly to left by Matt Goodhearted to end the inning and start his string of 12 straight.
In the bottom of the inning, the Sox tied it. Jeffrey Hastings walked and reached second on an error as Schmidt hit a comebacker to Vaught. His throw to second was misplayed. Logan Allen followed with single to center to load the bases. Sandidge followed with a sacrifice fly to center to get Hastings home though Allen was doubled up trying to advance to second as Schmidt made it to third.
Caught walked Coleman in the fourth but then retired six straight before the single by Sandidge that started the home sixth.
Texarkana 12, Bryant 6
The Sox jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and held a 6-4 edge going into the bottom of the fifth when Texarkana rallied for two to tie it. After holding Bryant in the top of the sixth, the Razorbacks rallied for six runs to put themselves in position to win. In the seventh, Garrett Misenheimer singled and Coleman doubled to give the Sox hope. But Texarkana retired the next three batters to lock down the championship.
Sandidge started Bryant’s opening burst with a one-out single. With two down, Coleman launched a home run to right. Kelly was hit by a pitch and Tucker’s grounder to short was booted. Aaron Orender chased them both home with a triple.
Texarkana got a run back in the home first with two hit batsmen and two singles. With one out and the bases loaded, Hastings, the starter, settled in and struck out Tye Shelton and got Vaught to fly to left to keep it 4-1.
In the second, a hit batsman, a walk and a two-out error allowed a run. Two more walks forced in another, making it 4-3.
Neither team scored in the third. In the fourth, Bryant threatened. Orender reached on an error and Brandon Hoover doubled him to third. But, on a grounder to short by Schmidt, Orender was thrown out at the plate.
In turn, Texarkana nudged home the tying run. Hastings set down the first two but a double and an error allowed Parker Ribble to reach third. Kelly relieved but, as Beau Burson walked, Ribble scored on a passed ball.
But the Sox responded in the top of the fifth. With one out, Misenheimer and Coleman each singled. With two down, Tucker lashed a triple to chase them home and put the Sox back on top.
Kelly got the first out of the home fifth but then walked the next two. A wild pitch and an error allowed the runs to score, tying the game.
Allen walked with two down in the top of the sixth but it went for naught. In the home sixth, things broke open with two down and a runner at first. An error and a walk loaded the bases forcing another pitching change. Myers Buck came on and issued a walk to force in a run. A wild pitch and a passed ball brought in two more. Matt Goodhearted and Ribble singled before Burson doubled and Rucker singled to complete the uprising.
