AAA Black Sox end skid by blasting Bulldogs
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 VILLAGE — It was all good for the Bryant Black Sox AAA American Legion team Tuesday night. After struggling for much of the season, right-hander Chris Sory turned in perhaps his finest performance and the Sox snapped a four-game skid with a 16-1 romp in four innings over the Hot Springs Village Star-Bolt Bulldogs.
The Sox, who improved to 12-9, blew the game open with a 10-run fourth inning. They hammered out 14 hits in the game including three by Tad Beene and two each for Anthony Rose, Beau Hamblin and Cody Graddy.
Sory, working in a new slider with his big-breaking curve and fastball, allowed just two hits in four innings. He fanned four and walked three in earning the victory.
The Bulldogs managed their only run in the second on a walk to Ronnie Stinson, a double by Michael Summitt and a dropped flyball in the outfield. Despite another error in the inning, Sory got out of the jam by picking Summitt off second. For the third out, Hamblin, playing third, made a tremendous stop on a hard grounder to his right. He knocked the ball down and scrambled after it in time to throw out Eric Wilson.
The only other Hot Springs Village hit was a one-out double by Justin Ritter in the third, but that was erased immediately as the Sox caught Ritter napping. He rounded second too much and Beene, the shortstop, took the relay throw from Brad Chism in left and whipped a throw to second baseman Dustin Morris behind Ritter, nailing him for the second out of the inning.
Bryant took the lead initially with a run in the first. Michael McClellan drew a two-out walk and, after Rose singled him to third, he scored on Hamblin’s first hit.
In the second, Cody Graddy ripped a single to left. He reached second when Sean Sebourn’s bouncer to first drew a bad throw on a force attempt. Graddy was, however, forced at third moments later on a tap to the mound by Chism.
But Beene came through with a bloop single down the line in right. Two runs scored and Beene wound up at second when Bulldogs’ outfielder Jay Richards booted the ball.
A two-out walk to McClellan set up Rose, who delivered an RBI double to make it 4-0.
After the Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom of the second, the Black Sox continued the onslaught with a two-run third. Sory reached on an error to get things started. He advanced to second on a passed ball then took third on a wild pitch as Sebourn drew a free pass.
After Sebourn swiped second, Sory scored on a wild pitch on ball four to Chism.
Beene walked to load the bases and Morris drove home the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
The big fourth inning was set up by walks to Rose and Sory that sandwiched a single by Hamblin, loading the bases. Graddy rifled a double over the third-base bag to drive home the first two runs.
An out later, Chism slapped an RBI single to left, hustling to second on a late throw to the plate.
Beene singled up the middle to add two more runs then Morris blasted a solo homer to make it 13-1.
McClellan just missed a follow-up blast but wound up with a double. He took third on a wild pitch and, after Rose walked, he scored when the Bulldogs messed up a force play at second.
Sory singled to load the bases then, with two down, Scott Yant capped the inning by driving a two-run single past HSV shortstop Nick Edgar.
The Sox were scheduled to host Sylvan Hills on Wednesday before heading to Alton, Ill., near St. Louis, for the Metro Tournament there.
