Bryant AA bounces back with 10-2 romp
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By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
The Bryant Blacksox AA American Legion team bounced back from a pair of disappointing losses at the Harrison Tournament over the weekend and drubbed the Stuttgart Ricemen 10-2 on Monday, June 7.
John Newman went 3-for-3 with a run batted in, Aaron Davidson had two hits and an RBI while Blake Zuber drove in three runs for the Sox who improved to 10-5 with the win.
Zuber picked up the win with three innings of shutout pitching. He allowed three hits and struck out two. Though Cory Caldwell struggled in relief in the fourth, Tanner Zuber came on to close out the win, getting out of a bases-loaded jam with two out in the fourth then retiring the side in order in the fifth.
A seven-run second-inning outburst which included four extra-base hits put the Sox on the road to victory. Newman opened the inning with a double. After Davidson singled, Zach Sanders ripped an RBI double down the left-field line.
Stuttgart starter Joseph Lockwood retired the next two batters but Blake Zuber followed with a drive to right-center that chased two runs home. And when the Ricemen botched the relay, Zuber scored as well, making it 4-0.
Danny Reimenschneider revved up the offense again with a single to left then Devin Hurt lashed a triple into the right-field corner. When Casey Grisham’s grounder to second was booted, Hurt scored. Singles by Newman and Davidson chased Grisham around with the seventh run of the inning.
In the third, David Martin drew a lead-off walk. Pinch-runner Zach Kellum stole second then Lance Hodges was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch then scored when Blake Zuber’s grounder to third drew a wild throw to first.
An out later, another error allowed Devin Hurt to reach. Grisham was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Newman, who singled to make it 10-0.
Caldwell, who had pitched well in Harrison, relieved in the fourth and surrendered a double and a walk but struck out two. A hit batsman and a walk forced in a run, however, and a single made it 10-2 before Tanner Zuber came in.
“We’ve got some guys that are stepping up on the mound,” declared Sox manager Darren Hurt. “Pitching-wise, we’re looking good. We’re getting good innings from some guys we weren’t early and we’re getting Drew Short back from his injury.
“Offensively, we’ve been struggling a little bit,” he added. “We hit the ball earlier in the year but, in the last week or so, the bats have cooled down. We saw some really good pitching in Harrison. Tonight, though, we came out and hit the baseball and Blake stepped up for us on the mound. He threw strikes.
“Blake’s one of them that’s been a surprise,” Hurt noted. “He came out late and has come out of nowhere to really help us. He pitched a good ballgame tonight.
“Cory’s still working on his control but he gave us four real strong innings in Harrison,” he continued. “We saw a lot of good things out of him there. He just didn’t have it tonight. But Tanner came in again and closed it out. He’s been doing that all year for us.”
The Sox were scheduled to play the Little Rock Diamonds on Tuesday, June 8, then Hurt hopes to get his team back on the practice field.
“We’re learning a lot,” he said. “We just need some practice. We’ve played nine ballgames in eight days or something like that. We just need a day off and some practice time because we’ve got a lot of things to work on. I like where we’re at. We haven’t peaked at all but we don’t want to. When we get to District Tournament (July 15-19). That’s when we want to be clicking on all cylinders. I think we will be.”
