MEMPHIS — Coming off a welcome victory earlier in the day, the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team faced another tough pitching performance as Team East wrangled a 3-1 win over the Sox in the 17-and under division of the Keith Hagan Memorial Classic today.
Bryant, now 13-13 overall this season, wraps up play in The Hagan on Tuesday morning against the Hill Co. Reds. They’re scheduled to play at Little Rock Tuesday night at 6.
Against Team East, Christian Harp and Grayson Prince each had two hits. But only Jake Wright and Boston Heil had hits beyond that.
Heil went the distance on the mound, scattering 10 hits and fanning two. Team East managed single runs in the second, the fourth and the sixth.
The Sox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Prince singled on a liner to left but was forced at second as Logan Catton tried to sacrifice. But an errant pickoff throw allowed Catton to reach second. Wright singled him to third. With Brandon Hoover at the plate, Wright left first early and got in enough of a rundown that Catton scored. Wright was tagged out then Hoover flew to left to end the inning.
Team East was retired in order in the bottom of the first but tied it in the second. Heil singled to start the third but got caught up in a doubleplay.
It stayed 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth when Team East rallied with a double and an RBI single after two were out to take the lead.
Harp singled to start the fifth but, again, Team East turned a doubleplay. Coby Greiner walked but was stranded.
Bryant turned a doubleplay to end the bottom of the fifth after a pair of one-out singles.
In the sixth, Prince doubled and Catton walked. Wright grounded into a force at second to put runners at first and third. The inning ended when Hoover bounced into a force.
Team East tacked on in the home sixth, again after two had been retired. Three consecutive singles made it 3-1.
The only base-runner the Sox could muster in the top of the seventh was a two-out walk to Greiner.
