Will Hathcote had the Cabot Centennial Bank Junior American Legion team overmatched on Monday night. But, because a trio of Cabot pitchers struggled to get the Bryant Black Sox Junior Legion team out, Hathcote wound up with a no-hitter but over just four innings in the Sox’ 11-0 win in the second game of a doubleheader at Bryant High School Field.
In the opener, the Sox rallied from a 5-0 deficit to win 6-5 on Hathcote’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh after Gavin Burton had drilled a triple into the right-field corner to lead off the inning.
The wins improved the Sox to 12-7-1 this season. They’ve not won six of their last eight games. Though something could be added between now and then, the Junior Sox aren’t scheduled to play again until the opening of the Junior State tournament on Monday, July 13.
Bryant 11, Cabot 0
Hathcote allowed just two baserunners, both on walks to start the second inning. He struck out eight. The only batted balls in fair territory were a one-out liner to Lawson Speer in center in the second off the bat of Lucas Fuell and a groundout to Cade Parker at third by Hunter Belton to end the game. The only other batted ball ended the third inning and it was Cabot’s best chance for a hit. Hunter Ring hit a hard grounder to short that hit the lip of the infield and stayed down. But Connor Martin made a nice adjustment and fielded the ball cleanly, throwing to first for the out.
Offensively, the Sox used seven hits to take advantage of four walks, three hit batsmen and three errors. They scored four times in the first.
Speer opened the inning with a sharp single to left. He stole his way to third as Martin drew a walk. Ryan Riggs sliced a single to left to drive in the first run.
J.T. Parker followed with a sacrifice bunt. Cabot pitcher Carlos Llanes got to the ball and his only play was to third, but Martin beat the throw.
With the bases full, Colby Morrow ripped a single to right to drive in a pair and when the right fielder fell down as he was throwing the ball, Parker scored to make it 4-0 even though Morrow was thrown out trying to make it to second.
In the second, Luke Dreher led off with a single to left. Jordan Knox followed with a grounder to second. Cabot tried to get a force on Dreher but the toss to the shortstop covering, was errant and the Sox wound up with runners at second and third.
Dreher scored on Speer’s groundout then Knox came home on Martin’s single to right, making it 6-0.
With one out in the third, Morrow was struck by a 2-2 pitch and it started a five-run uprising. Jaxon Ham singled Morrow to third. After Ham stole second, Burton walked to fill the sacks. Braxton Prather then Caleb Greiner each drew RBI walks. Riggs singled in a run then both J.T. Parker and Hathcote was struck by pitches to force in Greiner with the final run.
Bryant 6, Cabot 5
A pitcher’s duel between the Sox’ Brandon Thomisee and Cabot’s Belton went to the fifth scoreless. Thomisee, who had walked just one through four and pitched around singles in the first and fourth plus a two-out error in the second, surrendered free passes to the first two batters in the fifth, Ring and Blake Evans. Though Thomisee picked off Ring from second then struck out Wyatt Parker, a four-pitch walk to Tyler Sharp by reliever Tyler Bates loaded the bases for Lucas Sullivan, who delivered an RBI single. And when the ball was bobbled in the outfield, a second run scored.
The 2-0 lead felt huge as the Sox continued to be shackled by Belton. Bryant’s best chance to score had come in the first when Speer doubled but had to hold at second to see if Martin’s drive to right would be caught. When it got down, Speer made it to third where he would be stranded. A two-out walk to Morrow had the bases full when Belton got out of the jam.
He worked around a two-out infield single by Riggs in the third then a pair of errors in the fourth that had runners at first and second with one out. A strikeout and a grounder to second ended the threat.
The Sox were retired in order in the fifth and Cabot added to its lead in the top of the sixth. Colby Webb led off with an infield hit against Prather, the third Sox pitcher. A walk to Zach Ball and an RBI single by Conner Titus made it 3-0.
Bell scored when Evans bounced into a force at second. An error prolonged the inning so that, when Sharp beat out an infield hit on a chopper over the mound, Evans scored to make it 5-0.
On four pitches, Belton walked J.T. Parker to start the bottom of the sixth. With his pitch count up to 84, he was pulled in favor of Wyatt Parker.
After Parker struck out the first man he faced, Hathcote looped a single to center and Dreher was struck by a pitch to load the bases. J.T. Parker scored Bryant’s first run on a wild pitch.
With two out and two strikes on Knox, Wyatt Parker hit him to continue the rally.
Speer’s single off the leg of the Cabot pitcher plated Hathcote then Martin walked to force in a third run. Riggs followed with a shot to right for a two-run single that tied the game.
Caleb Greiner relieved to the Sox in the seventh and pitched around a two-out walk and his own errant pickoff throw. He struck out Titus to send it to the bottom of the seventh.
With Wyatt Parker still on the bump for Cabot, Burton mashed an 0-2 pitch into the right-field corner. He nearly had an inside-the-park homer as Belton, now in right, fell down chasing after the ball. But he would score moments later anyway when Hathcote smacked a 2-1 delivery into left.
