Everett Sox run past Benton Gingles
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).
Aggressive base-running and timely hitting proved to be a winning formula for the Bryant Everett Buick-GMC Black Sox on Monday night at Bryant High School Field. The Sox stole eight bases, three of them by out-running pickoff relays and added more bases thanks to errant throws on two other picks, to go with 10 hits in an 8-4 win over Benton Gingles in Junior American Legion action.
Logan Allen, Garrett Misenheimer and Jeffrey Hastings each had two hits for the Sox against Benton lefty Dylan McKinney who issued six walks and fanned six while throwing 137 pitches in six innings of work.
Meanwhile, the Benton batters were hit by pitches more often (seven times) than they got hits (six). Bryant’s Boston Heil worked the first five innings. Myers Buck finished up with two frames of relief. Heil plunked four batters, three of them as he tired in the fifth inning. Buck hit a pair in the seventh before closing out the win.
Everett, now 11-10-1 overall this season, begins play in the Junior Zone Tournament in Sheridan this Friday at 6 p.m., against the winner of Thursday’s game between Little Rock and Hot Springs Village. Tonight, they’ll host a practice game with the Bryant 14-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars at BHS.
The Sox scored in six of the seven innings but fell behind in the top of the first. Benton’s Beau Brewer blooped a single to shallow left then McKinney doubled. Zak Clement drove in a run with a grounder to third then Yates Prickett reached on an error as McKinney scored.
But Heil kept it to that. He fanned Ross Carter and got Trishton Hutchison to fly to right then held Gingles scoreless until the fifth.
The Sox tied it in the home first. Allen reached on an error and stole second. Aaron Orender walked then Misenheimer came through with a base hit to right to make it 2-1. And when the throw from right field was off target, Orender went to third and Misenheimer wound up at second.
Bryant tied it when, with two out, Scott Schmidt beat out an infield hit and picked up an RBI.
Benton threatened to regain the lead in the second when Chance Armstrong walked, Caleb Muns was hit by a pitch and Brewer beat out an infield hit to load the bases with one out. But McKinney popped out to Schmidt who doubled up Brewer at first to end the inning.
Hastings walked to start the home second but was picked off by McKinney. Allen legged out a bunt single. When McKinney made a move to pick him off, however, Allen took off for second and beat the relay from first baseman Reagan Jones.
Moments later, Orender got a bunt down that he beat out for a hit as Allen took third. He too appeared to be picked off by McKinney but, like Allen, Orender took off for second and beat the relay.
Misenheimer gave the Sox a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly. Orender stole third and Cameron Coleman drew a walk to put runners at first and third. Coleman left early and got in a rundown allowing Orender to sprint home. And when Benton’s rundown was spoiled by an errant throw, Coleman wound up at third.
But McKinney got Brandon Hoover to sky to Brewer in center to keep it 4-2.
Benton made a bid to score again in the third when Carver drove one to the gap in left-center. Going for a triple, however, he appeared to be headed for an out as Bryant executed the relay. But the ball was dropped at third and Carver slid in safely. Heil made it a mute point, however, when he got Hutchison to pop out.
In the home third, Christian Harp singled. McKinney had him picked off but the relay to second was dropped, allowing him to make it safely. Schmidt sacrificed him to third and, with two down, Hastings came through in the clutch, slicing a single to right-center on a 3-2 pitch, making it 5-2.
After a scoreless fourth, Benton got back on the board in the top of the fifth with the help of the first two hit batsmen. Prickett singled in a run. With two down, Preston Fleemon was struck by a pitch to load the bases but Heil got Logan Black to pop to Brandon Hoover at first to keep it 5-3.
A one-out error allowed Harp to reach again in the bottom of the fifth. With two down, Matthew Sandidge walked and, once again, Hastings came through with an RBI single to right. Allen then singled in Sandidge to make it a four-run lead.
Buck took over in the top of the sixth and worked around a hit batsman then the Sox tacked on a final insurance run when Misenheimer doubled, Coleman singled and courtesy runner Beaux Bonvillain scored on a wild pitch.
Clement and Prickett were each plunked to start the seventh. A single by Carver loaded the bases and when Fleemon bounced into a force at second, a run scored. But Buck got Black to tap back to the mound and Jared Kelly to foul out to Hoover to end the game.
