AAA Sox shatter Woodlawn’s plans for payback in re-match
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).
WOODLAWN — In the early stages of what turned into a season-opening 12-game winning streak for the Bryant Black Sox AAA American Legion team, the Woodlawn Outdoors AA squad was dismissed rather easily at Bryant’s Ashley Park. That was then, however, and Woodlawn, no doubt, figured to fare a little better on Tuesday, June 12, when the Sox made a return visit, especially in light of the fact that the Outdoorsmen had put a few wins together including a 7-2 win over Bryant’s AAA Zone 4 rival Sheridan.
It didn’t work out that way, though.
Bryant swept Tuesday’s twinbill without giving up a run to Woodlawn. In the opener, Matt Lewis pitched a three-hit shutout over seven innings in a 7-0 win. In the nightcap, Chris Sory allowed just four hits in a five-inning, run-rule win, 8-0.
In the opener, Lewis retired nine in a row at one point. He fanned five and issued just two walks.
Two of Woodlawn’s hits were first-inning singles. Lewis left both runners stranded when he struck out Chris Weast to end the inning.
He worked around a lead-off walks in the third and fourth innings and didn’t surrender another hit until Weast led off the seventh with a single.
Bryant took its initial lead in the third inning when Matt Brown drilled a two-run homer. Dustin Morris, who had singled to start the inning, scored ahead of Brown.
In the fourth, Kevin Littleton and Scott Yant had singles as Bryant added two more runs.
One-out walks to Chris Sory, Matt White, Morris and Michael McClellan produced a run in the sixth and when Brown’s grounder to third drew a wild throw, two more scored to make it 7-0.
In the nightcap, Sory allowed first-inning singles to Weast and Kyle Lem but left both of them stranded when he struck out Jonathan Davis and got Kirby Hill to bounce to third.
He worked around a one-out double by Weast in the third and a one-out single by Hill in the fourth.
Bryant’s offensive outburst was highlighted by Jordan Davis’s power display. Davis slugged a pair of long home runs and drove in four. His first bomb led off the top of the second and gave Bryant a 1-0 lead.
In the third, Morris was aboard when Davis mashed a 1-2 delivery for a two-run blow, making it 3-0.
A three-run fourth began with a one-out double by Cody Dreher. Cody Graddy reached on an error and Michael McClellan was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Matt Brown who’s grounder to second was misplayed. An infield hit by Davis and a single up the middle by Beau Hamblin plated two more.
A bases-loaded single by McClellan in the top of the fifth closed out the scoring.
The Sox improved to 17-3 with the sweep. They were set to begin play in the prestigious Twin Lakes/Lockerroom Classic in Mountain Home on Thursday morning.
Their first pool play foe was scheduled to be the rival North Little Rock Colts.
