Littleton’s power display sparks Bryant
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).
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Kevin Littleton blasted a pair of home runs and drove in five and right-hander Matt Lewis improved to a team-best 8-0 as the Bryant Black Sox AAA American Legion team dispatched Mountain Home Twin Lakes/Lockerroom at DeJanis Memorial Field at Burns Park on Wednesday, July 18.
The game was part of a jamboree, of sorts, with Mountain Home taking on Bryant then hosting North Little Rock. In the second game, North Little Rock prevailed 16-6.
The results left top-ranked Bryant 33-11, North Little Rock 21-12 and Mountain Home 25-17.
Lewis scattered six hits. Just three of the five runs he surrendered were earned. He pitched with a lead after the first inning.
Mountain Home scored a run in the top of the first but the bottom of the inning brought a four-run uprising from the Sox including Littleton’s first blast, a two-run shot with two out.
Dustin Morris opened the inning with a single. He advanced on a passed ball and when Matt White grounded to short, Morris beat a throw to third and White reached safely. Michael McClellan followed with a single that drove in Morris. Jordan Davis followed with a bouncer to first with White breaking to the plate. A throw home was late, however, and Bryant led 2-1.
After Mountain Home turned a doubleplay, Littleton homered to make it 4-1.
Mountain Home took advantage of a pair of Bryant errors to score twice in the second, but Bryant tacked another run on in the bottom of the inning.
Bryant’s run was scored by Cody Graddy who doubled to lead off the inning. A passed ball allowed him to reach third then Chris Sory’s sacrifice fly to left brought him home.
The Sox turned a doubleplay in the third to keep it 5-3 then added more to the margin in the home half of the inning. McClellan singled to get things started. An out later, Beau Hamblin ripped a double. Littleton walked to load the bases and, with two down, Graddy came through with a two-run single. Sory singled in Littleton and it was 8-3.
A two-out solo homer in the fourth cut the margin to four but Bryant’s seven-run fourth took any remaining mystery out of the outcome.
Littleton belted a three-run homer early in that uprising. It followed singles by Davis and Hamblin.
Matt Brown’s single to center was booted and the Sox were revved up again. A balk allowed Brown to take third and, after Graddy walked, a wild pitch brought him home. Another walk put Sory aboard and Morris completed the inning with a three-run jack.
Mountain Home, aided by another pair of Bryant errors, pushed one more run across in the top of the fifth but a doubleplay helped the Sox keep it at that and close out the run-rule win.
