Dreher, Sox stop Oxford Printing
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
History told Craig Harrison to expect a letdown from his Bryant Blacksox in Tuesday night’s Zone IV AAA American Legion game against Oxford Printing of Little Rock. That’s just something that happens about every year the team plays in the Twin Lakes Classic in Mountain Home. Good or bad at the tournament, the Sox invariably returned to central Arkansas with a less than splendid performance.
This time, however, not only did the Sox hand their coach a surprising effort at the tournament, with a runner-up finish, but they provided him another unexpected pleasure when they thwarted Oxford 9-1 in five innings at Bryant Field.
Left-hander Cody Dreher, pitching on just three days rest, continued to emerge as another reliably effective starter for the Sox. On the heels of a 12 strikeout performance in a route-going win against Sikeston, Mo., in Mountain Home, Dreher allowed just one unearned run and four hits to improve to 2-1. He has allowed just one earned run in his last three outings, covering 15 2/3 innings.
Bryant broke open a close game with a three-run third then ended it with a run-rule margin of eight runs with a four-run fifth.
A.J. Nixon continued his re-emergence offensively with a pair of hits. Kevin Littleton also had two.
The Sox got a defensive spark right away. With one out in the top of the first and Jonathan Ashworth was at first, Michael Arnold drove a flyball to center that Matt White chased down. Ashworth, convinced White wouldn’t get to the ball, had taken off for second and wound up being doubled up before he could get back to first on a strong throw by White.
In the bottom of the inning, B.J. Wood drew a walk and White singled to left. Wood was caught off second when Cody Graddy lined to Arnold at third. But White swiped second and scored on Littleton’s two-strike single to left.
Oxford managed its lone run in the top of the second, aided by a Bryant error. Dreher recovered nicely, however, forcing the Printers to leave the bases loaded when he struck out Brett Hays looking to retire the side.
The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Oxford pitcher Antoine James lost track of the strike zone and walked four. White picked up the RBI pass.
Dreher worked around a walk and an infield single in the third to set up Bryant’s uprising in the home half. Littleton singled up the middle to start things off then raced home on a triple by Derek Chambers. Nixon followed with a grounder into the hole at short. With Chambers holding at third, Nixon easily had the play beat at first but Oxford shortstop Jeff Mack made an ill-advised throw to first that enabled Chambers to come home.
Nixon stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder to first by Scotty Yant, making it 5-1.
Dreher allowed just one baserunner over the next two innings. Hays singled to open the fifth then stole second, but Dreher waltzed through the heart of the Oxford lineup, using well-placed change-ups and a cut fastballs, to strike out Arnold and Eric Sessions, the Printers’ third and fourth batters to finish things off.
Bryant ended the game with a little help from Oxford in the home fifth. Nixon’s single to left got past Sessions, allowing him to reach third. An out later, walks to Yant and Carpenter loaded the bases for Wood, who lashed a triple to left-center, clearing the bases. And when White’s bouncer to third was botched, Wood scored the game-ending run.
Bryant improved to 16-6 with the win, 3-2 in Zone IV play.
