AAA Sox overwhelm Sylvan Hills
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).
Beau Hamblin picked up his first win, allowing just one run over four innings, as the Bryant Black Sox AAA American Legion team bounced back from a disheartening 6-4 loss to Benton, with a 9-1 thumping of Sylvan Hills on Monday, June 4, at Ashley Park.
Following up a 3-for-4 performance in Friday’s game at Benton, Dustin Morris went 3-for-3 in the five-inning, run-rule win on Monday. Cody Graddy went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run.
The win improved the Sox to 6-4 going into Wednesday’s game against Little Rock’s Oxford Printing.
Hitting against a pitcher who played for Arkansas Tech University this spring, the Sox built a 7-0 lead in the first three innings.
In the first, Tad Beene drew a one-out walk and raced to third on a double by Morris.
With two down, Hamblin cracked a two-bagger to make it 2-0.
In the third, Graddy spanked a two-out double off the fence and, after Chris Sory drew a walk, Matt Lewis, making his first start for the AAA squad at third base, drilled a 3-2 delivery for an RBI single. And when Sean Sebourn’s pop was misplayed two more scored to make it 7-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Sylvan Hills managed its lone run on a solo round-tripper off the bat of Dominique Craft.
The Sox came back in the bottom of the inning to up the margin, however. Morris singled and Graddy unloaded for his second home run of the season.
Rose pitched the fifth for the Sox, closing out the victory.
