Grant blanks Montana team, Senior Sox split two at tourney
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be posting 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).
Photos courtesy of Kim Lester
OMAHA, Neb. — Logan Grant tossed a one-hit shutout over five innings, recording 15 outs in all, nine on strikes as the Bryant Lady Sox blanked the Bozeman, Mont., Bucks in the first game of two at the Creighton Prep Pre-Regional Tournament on Friday morning.
In a second game, the Sox rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead only to have the Brandon Valley, S.D., Senior Legion team come back with a tying run in the home sixth and a walk-off game-winner in the bottom of the seventh.
The Sox, now 2-2 so far in the tournament, take on Rapid City, S.D., on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
Bryant is now 11-5 overall this season.
Bryant 9, Bozeman, Mont. 0
Grant retired the first six batters he faced as his teammates built a 5-0 lead. In the top of the third, a walk and an error provided the Bucks with their first base-runners. Grant struck out the next two batters to preserve the whitewash.
He set down the side in order in the fourth and took a no-hitter into the top of the fifth. A ground single up the middle to lead off the fifth broke up the no-hitter but, after he fanned the next batter, the base-runner for Bozeman was thrown out trying to steal by catcher Cade Drennan. Another strikeout ended the game.
The Sox scored in each of their four plate appearances. Noah Davis continued to be hot with a 2 for 3 day with two runs scored and two knocked in. Logan Catton and Peyton Dillon each drove home a pair.
In the bottom of the first, Bryant took the lead. Davis singled and stole second but remained at second as the next two were retired. Jake Wright worked a walk then a wild pitch allowed Davis to take third as Wright held at first. Moments later, the Bozeman catcher tried to pick off Wright only to throw the ball away, allowing Davis to score. Wright went to third but was stranded.
In the second, Ryan Riggs drew a one-out walk and Coby Greiner belted a double. When Lawson Speer drew a four-pitch pass, the bases were full for Davis, who lined a single to left to drive in two.
A double by Catton made it 5-0.
Gage Stark led off the bottom of the third with a double. Riggs walked then a wild pitch allowed Stark to score.
Bryant’s fourth began with Drennan getting plunked by a pitch with one out. Wright was struck two pitches later, setting the stage for Peyton Dillon’s two-run double. Dillon followed when Riggs lined a two-out single to center setting the final score.
Brandon Valley, S.D. 5, Bryant 4
Stark had two hits including a triple. Catton tripled as well and Jake Wright doubled.
Christian Motes started on the bump for the Sox and pitched in poor luck as his teammates committed five errors. He surrendered four runs but only one of them was earned.
Blaine Sears relieved in the sixth and limited the damage as the South Dakota team tied it. But a pair of walks and a base hit produced the game winner in the seventh.
The Sox out-hit Brandon Valley, 7-6. They took a 1-0 lead in the second. With one out, Dillon was hit by a pitch and Grant singled tonight. Stark’s first hit loaded the bases then Greiner got the run home with a knock to center.
But Bryant could muster no more in the inning as Brandon Valley turned a doubleplay.
South Dakota’s three-run second began with three consecutive errors, producing two runs. With two away, a single plated the third run.
Brandon Valley loaded the bases in the bottom of the third but Motes ended the threat with a strikeout.
In the top of the fourth, Wright led off with his double. He took third on Dillon’s grounder to short then scored on Stark’s two-out triple.
But Stark was stranded at third with the score 3-2.
After Brandon Valley was retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth, the Sox surged into the lead. Brayden Lester lined a single to center and, with Speer in to run for Lester, Davis grounded out, allowing Speer to advance. Catton followed with his triple to make it 3-3 and, this time, he scored too as Drennan delivered a sacrifice fly.
The Sox turned a doubleplay in the bottom of the fifth to erase a one-out single. In turn, they got a pair aboard n the top of the sixth but could not add on.
A pair of singled and a sacrifice fly produced the tying tally in the bottom of the sixth.
In the seventh, Drennan drew a one-out walk and Wright was hit by a pitch with one out but Brandon Valley escaped with the game tied 4-4.
A walk and an error opened the door for Brandon Valley to score the game-winner. A grounder to Wright at third resulted in a force there but a walk loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly ended the game.
