AAA Sox survive upset bid despite Stuttgart lefty
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By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Earlier in the season, the Bryant Blacksox AAA American Legion team had drubbed the Stuttgart Ricemen 14-2 in five innings on the road. So, it was understandable that the Sox weren’t exactly pumped to play them at home on Monday, June 7.
But, this time, the Ricemen trotted out their ace left-hander Jett Jones whose mix of pitches combined with the Sox’ low intensity combined to threaten Bryant’s unbeaten record.
Fortunately, Bryant right-handers Daniel Price and Daniel Minton were even more effective that Jones and, in eight innings, the Sox extracted a 3-2 win.
All five runs in the game were unearned including the decisive one in the bottom of the eighth. The inning began with a walk to Richie Wood by Stuttgart reliever Alan Gentry. Wood stole second without a throw then Scott Peeler hit a bouncer up the middle that Stuttgart shortstop Zack Smith backed up to field as Wood moved up to third.
Smith’s throw to first, however, was off line and would’ve allowed the run to score had it not hit Peeler.
So, with runners at the corners and no one out, Stuttgart brought the infield in. Andrew Moseley bounced one to the left of Smith at short but Wood got such a great break off third and Smith was in such an awkward position to throw home, he dropped the ball and Bryant had the win.
“I contemplated bunting (with Moseley),” said Bryant manager Craig Harrison. “But we don’t bunt with no outs. I just told him to swing the bat and I told Richie, if he could read it — if it was right at the guy then hold but if he could read a hop, go ahead. And he read the hop and we were fortunate to get a win.
“I give credit to their lefty,” said Harrison. “He was tough. He kept us off-balance and, you know, he beat Pine Bluff 2-1 the game after we played (at Stuttgart). He did a good job.
“I told the guys that anytime we walk out here we’re going to, most of the time, get their best,” he added. “Stuttgart played a good ballgame tonight but we just hung in there long enough and we were fortunate that we could run on them.”
The Sox had scoring opportunities in the first and fifth thanks to stolen bases, both by Travis Wood, who went 3-for-3 with a walk in the game. Though they had runners in scoring position in all but one inning, they stranded 11 baserunners.
An error in the fourth helped them break through. The game was scoreless as Jones and Price dueled. Up to that point, Price had not allowed a hit and had faced the minimum. He had retired the first 10 Stuttgart batters before issuing a walk in the fourth but the Sox turned a doubleplay to get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Peeler singled up the middle with two out. Moseley then hit a grounder to Brad Holt at second. Holt looked to second but Smith, the shortstop wasn’t there, so when he turned to throw to first he had to rush it as Moseley hustled up the line. The throw sailed and the Hornets wound up with runners at second and third with Josh Groves at the plate.
Now, Groves had been up in the second with two down and Moseley at second after a double. Then, he had struck out. This time, however, he took advantage of the opportunity, stroking a 2-2 delivery into left-center for a two-run single.
The lead didn’t last long, though, as the Sox’ defense faltered in the top of the fifth.
Chris Hooker led off with the first Stuttgart hit then Ford Rogers got down a sacrifice bunt. Price moved toward first to field the ball but was called off by his catcher, Groves. But Groves fumbled the ball and couldn’t make the play.
A single by Smith followed, loading the bases. Price got Tyler Hornbeck to pop out then got the second out as Holt delivered a sacrifice fly.
Gentry followed with a grounder to short that figured to end the inning with the Sox still ahead. But Wells stayed back on the ball and it took a bad hop and hit him in the face as Rogers scored the tying run.
Price walked Caleb Dickson to load the bags again and gave way to Minton who got Joseph Lockwood to ground to Wells for an inning-ending force at second.
Minton went on to retire 10 of the 11 batters he faced, giving up a one-out single in the top of the eighth and picking up the win.
The Sox were scheduled to return to Zone IV action at Pine Bluff on Thursday.
