Fresh arms contribute to no-hitter
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
With Todd Bryan nursing a sore wrist, Daniel Price at the high school All-Star game this week and national tryouts and showcases looming for Travis Wood and Justin Wells, Bryant Blacksox AAA American Legion team manager Craig Harrison is looking for more pitching on an already deep staff as his team enters the heart of their season including tournaments in Mountain Home and Alton, Ill.
He may have found two more on Monday, June 14, when Richie Wood and Zack Young made their first mound appearances in relief of James Leigh as the trio combined on a five-inning no-hitter in a 12-0 win over Morrilton Chart Bank.
The Sox improved to 18-0 on the season with the victory. Combined with the Bryant High School season (with most of the same players) going 32-2, that’s an incredible 50-2 in 2004.
Bryant racked up 11 runs on seven hits against Morrilton starter Jeff Hart who, earlier this season, had dueled with Wells in a tight game that Bryant wound up pulling out 6-2.
This time, Hart’s effort was initially undermined by his defense. A pair of errors in the bottom of the first inning led to a three-run frame that set the stage for the Bryant rout.
Leigh, in three innings, recorded eight of the nine outs on strikeouts as he overpowered the Bankers. He walked two with one of those base runners erased in a rundown after catcher Dustin Easterly pounced on a wild pitch.
Young and Richie Wood, who both pitched last summer for the Bryant AA squad, eased through the fourth and fifth, respectively. Young issued a one-out walk but that was the lone Morrilton base runner. Wood, in fact, snapped off an impressive curve to end the game with a strikeout.
And he was the offensive star for the Sox, as well, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and five runs batted in. Jeff Carpenter had two hits, running his hitting streak to 10 games and Travis Wood had a first inning double to extend his hitting streak to eight in a row.
That double plated the game’s first run and it was followed by Richie Wood’s first hit, a two-run single.
The Sox then blew the game open in the second, scoring eight times. Easterly’s infield hit got things started. Korey Hunter walked and Carpenter blooped a single to right to load the bags for Wells who was hit by a pitch to force in a run.
Likewide, Travis Wood took one for the team to bring in a run then Richie Wood cleared the bases with a long double to left center.
With one out, Young singled in a run. With two down, Easterly walked then followed Young home when Hunter dropped a double behind first base, making it 11-0.
The Sox added a run in the third when Dustin Tinkler walked, raced to third on Richie Wood’s second two-bagger and scored on Young’s sacrifice fly.
Bryant was set to begin play in the Twin Lakes Classic in Mountain Home on Thursday, June 17, against a highly regarded team out of Memphis. Pool play also includes games against Russellville and West Plains, Mo.
