CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Two walk-off wins in a row is phenomenal. Three would be incredible.
But the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team was unable to pull it off again on Thursday as they were ousted from the bracket round of the Perfect Game/East Cobb Invitational as the 643 DP Jaguars of Marietta, Ga., eked out a 2-1 win.
It was not only Bryant’s first loss at the event, but the Sox’ first loss of the season. At 6-1, they’re set to host new Zone rival Searcy for a doubleheader on Monday.
The Jaguars’ Cole Hamel and Ian Burnstine shackled the Sox on just one hit while Bryant’s Peyton Dillon limited the Georgia team to only four safeties. One of those, however, was a two-run homer by Trey Yunger in the bottom of the first. Dillon held the Jaguars to two hits the rest of the contest.
Gavin Skaggs singled ahead of Yunger’s blast.
Cade Drennan had Bryant’s lone hit, a single to lead off the top of the fifth inning. Gage Stark walked then both advanced on a wild pitch. Logan Grant hit a grounder to shortstop, which resulted in Stark being retired at third on the fielder’s choice but Drennan scored on the play for the Sox’ lone tally.
Grant stole his way to third with two out but was stranded.
After the homer, Dillon worked around a walk and an error in the first. In the third, he surrendered a walk to Jamel Rookard and a single to Scaggs. But Rookard was caught trying to steal third and, after Scaggs swiped second, Yunger bounced out to second.
The Jaguars’ Benjamin Olson led off the fourth with a single to right but was stranded. Dillon then set down nine of the last 10 batters he faced, a stretch interrupted only by a hit batsman with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Dillon walked two and struck out three in the contest.
In Bryant’s sixth, Coby Greiner worked a one-out walk, took second on an errant pickoff throw but got no further. Burnstine then retired the side in order in the seventh to close out the win.
The Jaguars, who won the tournament two years ago, were ousted early Friday morning by the Rawlings Southeast National team of Alpharetta, Ga., 4-1.
