Junior Black Sox ease to season-opening win behind McEntire
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LITTLE ROCK — After twice having their 2016 debut washed out by storms, the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team finally got one in between showers on Thursday. Behind a one-hit shutout by right-hander Will McEntire and a productive offense led by Coby Greiner’s three hits, they dismissed the White team from Perfect Timing Academy in Springdale.
The game was part of a tournament that will be held at several venues over the weekend. Thursday’s contest was at UALR’s Hogan Field at Curran-Conway Stadium. The Sox return to action on Friday at 3:30 p.m., against an unannounced opponent. The game will be played at Central Baptist College in Conway. They’ll finish up pool play on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., at Hendrix College. Bracket play will be held Sunday at UALR.
Thursday’s five-inning run-rule win was tight through the first three innings after the Sox took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. But a four-run fourth and a five-run fifth produced the walk-away win.
“For our first outing, the whole team played extremely well,” said Junior Sox manager Tyler Brown. “I felt like we came out with a lot of energy and were focused from the first pitch to the last. McEntire did a great job locating pitches and continuing to get better as the game went on.
“We will see if day two will go just as well,” he added.
The offense also featured two hits including a bases-loaded triple and four runs batted in from Brooks Ellis. Logan Chambers knocked in three and Greiner plated two. Brandon Hoover and Myers Buck each had hits as well.
McEntire, who walked three and struck out five took a no-hitter into the fourth before giving up a one-out single up the middle to Emery Kincade. He worked around a one-out walk in the first when Perfect Timing was unable to get a ball out of the infield. McEntire fanned one and got the third out on a comebacker.
Bryant’s first began with Greiner’s first hit, a grounder into left. He advanced to second on a passed ball and took third when Chambers bounced out to the right side. Jake Wright was struck by a 2-2 delivery bringing up Ellis, who drilled an RBI single to left.
PT White was unable to take advantage of Bryant’s lone error of the contest in the second as McEntire fanned two more. He worked a 1-2-3 third then got through the fourth with no damage despite Kincade’s hit.
The Sox’ fourth-inning outburst commenced with Hoover beating out an infield hit. Buck sacrificed him to second and Grayson Prince pulled a grounder to second to get him to third.
The inning got complicated for Perfect Timing when Sawyer Holt drew a four-pitch pass and Konner Clontz cracked a bouncer to first. In an attempt to start and inning-ending doubleplay, the first sacker threw to second but the throw was wild. Hoover scored and Holt dashed to third.
Greiner made it 3-0 with a bloop single to right. Clontz hustled from first to third and, after Greiner swiped second, Chambers slapped a single to left that chased both home, making it 5-0.
Though Wright and Ellis were plunked by pitches to load the bases, PT White escaped further damage for the time being.
The Springdale team managed to get two runners aboard in the fifth. With one out, Jackson Coates drew a walk on a 3-2 delivery. A balk allowed him to take second before Nick Martin worked a free pass.
But McEntire got Cole Simmons to tap back to the mound for the second out and, with runners at second and third, fanned Joshua Llewellyn on a 2-2 delivery to end the threat.
In the home fifth, Peyton Seay came on in relief of Leighton Alexander for Perfect Timing and was greeted by Buck’s single to left. He hustled all the way to third on a passed ball before Prince drew a walk. Ryan Lessenberry worked a walk to load the bases and, after Clontz was robbed of a hit on a liner to second, Greiner singled in a run.
Prince scored when Chambers bounced out to first. Holt tried to sneak home on Prince’s tail but was thrown out. Greiner, however, advanced to third and Chambers hustled into second.
A walk to Wright filled the sacks again and Ellis cleared them with a game-clinching triple.
