Wilson’s relief work helps Sox subdue Rams
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).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
HOT SPRINGS — In what was probably his best outing since early in the high school season, right-hander Ryan Wilson pitched four innings of one-hit relief and the Bryant Black Sox AAA American Legion team rallied for a 6-3 win over the Hot Springs Lakeside AA Rams on Monday, June 11.
Wilson, who suffered some arm trouble that limited his mound work during the spring high school season, allowed a single to the first batter he faced in Monday’s game. He then retired the next nine batters he faced before an error broke the string in the bottom of the seventh. Unfazed, he struck out the next two batters and ended the game by inducing a grounder to short by Lakeside’s Grant Dennis.
In the meantime, the Sox rallied from a 3-2 deficit. All three of the Rams’ runs were unearned as starter Tanner Zuber’s efforts were undermined by some shaky defense. In three innings, Zuber allowed just two hits, walked one and struck out six.
The Sox trimmed a run off a 3-1 deficit in the top of the fourth then took the lead with a two-run fifth, adding insurance runs in the sixth and seventh.
Jake Jackson led the Sox with three hits. Jordan Knight, Tyler Sawyer and Trent Daniel had two each as Bryant accumulated 12 hits off a pair of veteran Lakeside pitchers, Ray Slaton and Payne Spence.
“It was a good tune up for Mountain Home,” said Sox manager Craig Harrison, referring to his team’s trip to the annual Brooks Robinson Twin Lakes Classic featuring teams from Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. Bryant is the tournament’s defending champion.
“It was not your typical AA run-rule game,” Harrison said of Monday’s contest. “Lakeside has a pretty good team.”
Indeed, the Rams AA team features several college-age players.
“I thought we were a little sluggish to open the game, but we competed after falling behind and found a way to win,” Harrison continued. “Both pitchers (Zuber and Wilson) threw well. We also put the ball in play offensively, which is a good sign.”
Lakeside took advantage of a two-out error in the first to score twice. Brentley Green’s double just inside the line in right drove home the runs.
In the second, the Sox got on the board when Sawyer doubled to left-center, Trent Daniel reached on an error and Jackson singled to pick up the RBI.
Zuber struck out the side in the second but, in the third, a walk, a stolen base and wild pitch and another two-out error resulted in another Lakeside run and a 3-1 lead.
The Bryant comeback began with an answering tally in the top of the fourth. Daniel and Jackson singled with one out and, when Joey Winiecki bounced into a force at second, Daniel took third. With the speedy Winiecki breaking from first, Slaton nearly fell down trying to step off the rubber and a balk resulted, allowing Daniel to score.
Wilson relieved in the fourth and gave up a lead-off single to Robert Wright who wound up being stranded at third.
Aaron Davidson walked to start the Bryant fifth. Hurt sacrificed him to second and he scored from there when Knight laced a triple to the fence in right-center. With two down, Sawyer came through with an RBI single to put the Sox ahead to stay.
Winiecki tripled and scored on a groundout by Pickett in the sixth. In the seventh, Sawyer and Daniel drew walks. Jackson then beat out a bunt and drew a wild throw from Spence, the Lakeside pitcher, allowing Sawyer to score, setting the final margin.
