McClellan pitches Bryant past Searcy
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).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
In 98-degree heat, right-hander Michael McClellan went seven strong innings for a complete-game victory as the Bryant Black Sox AAA American Legion team (ranked No. 7 by arkansasbaseball.com) drubbed Searcy Crain Automotive (ranked No. 10 by arkansasbaseball.com) 11-3, Saturday, July 15, at Ashley Park.
Tad Beene had three hits and Beau Hamblin drove in three runs with a pair of hits to spark the offense which was aided by 10 walks from Searcy pitchers. McClellan allowed nine hits but walked just one. He struck out six and improved to 6-2 on the season.
The win snapped a two-game skid by the Sox who improved to 24-12 going into their final two regular-season games against Texarkana and North Little Rock.
Hamblin continued his hot hitting this season. His current six-game hitting streak is part of a stretch in which he has hit in 16 of 17 games. In the six games, he’s gone 12 of 24 with 12 runs batted in. The 2 for 5 day left him with a team-leading .412 batting average.
Bryant scored in all but one of its six at-bats, breaking the game with a four-run third.
The game was tied at 1 when Searcy right-hander Dusty Roddy issued walks to Dustin Morris and Michael McClellan to open the third. Anthony Rose singled in a run and, when his hit was mishandled in left field, McClellan reached third and Rose took second. Hamblin followed with his 15th double of the season, driving in two to make it 4-1.
With one out, Matt White reached first on an error. With Hamblin on third, Chris Sory hit a bouncer to third baseman Robert Johnson who threw home to retire Hamblin. But since Johnson had had to charge the ball, third base was left open and White alertly rounded second and went into third uncontested.
Sory then took off for second and, when he drew a throw, White jetted for home. The throw wound up being wild and both runners were safe.
McClellan, who had gotten out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the top of the third, worked around an infield hit in the fourth.
The Sox, in turn, added to their lead. Again, the patience of the Bryant batters paid dividends. After two were out in the inning, McClellan and Rose worked out walks and Hamblin came through again with an RBI single.
When Cody Graddy was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, Roddy was relieved by Johnson. But the new hurler fared little better as he walked White to force in a run, making it 7-1.
McClellan worked his own 1-2-3 inning in the fifth and the Sox all but put the game away with a three-run home half of the frame.
This time, a walk to Sean Sebourn set the table. Beene placed a bunt perfectly between the pitcher’s mound and third for a base hit then Morris walked. McClellan then walked for the third time in the game and picked up an RBI.
Adam Mason relieved for Searcy and unleaded a wild pitch that allowed Beene to score. After Rose walked, Mason’s second wild pitch brought Morris across the plate, making it 10-1.
McClellan’s lone walk of the game opened the sixth inning and Searcy clean-up hitter cashed in with a two-run homer. But McClellan didn’t let it phase him. He fanned Matt Garlington and retired the next two on grounders to end the inning.
Matt Parker became Searcy’s fourth pitcher in the sixth and the Sox touched him up as well, though he wound up striking out the side. Sory led off the inning with a single then Parker fumbled Sebourn’s sacrifice bunt. With runners at first and second Beene slapped his third hit to right to load the bases. An out later, McClellan cracked an RBI single to left to make it 11-3.
Mason doubled with two down in the seventh then Parker beat out an infield single. But Morris, the Bryant second sacker chased down the ball and caught Mason rounding third too liberally and fired behind him to Sory who tagged him out to end the game.
