ARKADELPHIA — As it turned out, the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team’s pool play game against the Rocktown Red Sox 16U team determined which team would advance to play in the championship game of the 2D Battle in Arkadelphia on Sunday. The Red Sox edged the Black Sox 6-4, but, in the title game, suffered a 13-0 loss to Sitcks Baseball (Cope) in the title game.
The Black Sox, meanwhile, bounced back to finish on a positive note, clubbing the Sticks Baseball 16U (Slayton) team, 10-2.
Now 8-14-4, Bryant is set to play at Little Rock (UALR) on Tuesday. They travel to Cabot on Wednesday and Benton on Thursday.
Rocktown 6, Bryant 4
The Red Sox broke out to a 5-1 lead through two innings then held on as the Black Sox tried to chip away.
Bryant had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Brady Brower singled, Carson Kemp walked and, after a wild pitch put them at second and third, Caden Stovall’s pop up was dropped.
Despite a single and a walk with one out in the bottom of the first, starter Jaxon Ham came within a strike of getting out of the frame unscathed. He fanned a batter for the second out then had an 0-2 count on the next batter before he lined a two-run single to center.
A walk and an error allowed another run to score before Brower, the Bryant catcher, threw out a would-be base stealer.
Clay Crawford walked and stole second but was stranded for Bryant. In turn, Rocktown loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batsman. A single made it 4-1 then another run scored on a grounder into a force at third.
Ham got the second out on a grounder to Stovall at second then the runner at third was picked off by Brower and tagged out after a rundown.
Brower followed that up with a lead-off triple in the top of the third. Hunter Holt singled in courtesy-runner Jaylen Ryland. Stovall singled to put two runners aboard, but the Black Sox could not push another runner in.
With one down, a walk and a single had two on base for Rocktown but Crawford caught a pop and fired to second to double off the runner there, ending the threat.
In the top of the fourth, the Black Sox trimmed the margin to one. An error allowing Mason Butler to reach safely was followed by a walk to pinch-hitter Michael Parker. After Grant Dunbar grounded into a force at second, Brower was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A walk to Holt made it 5-3 then a balk allowed another run to score as Kemp was drawing a walk to fill the sacks again.
But a pop up ended the threat with Bryant a run short.
The Red Sox used an error and a two-out double to make it 6-4 in the bottom of the inning.
Bryant’s fifth started with Reid Catton reaching base on an error. Pinch runner Brayden Beenken advanced to second on Crawford’s grounder to third, but he got no further.
Crawford relieved Ham in the fifth and worked a 1-2-3 inning. In the sixth, lead-off walks to Dunbar and Brower put the tying runs on base. But two flyballs and a grounder followed as Rocktown held on for the win.
Bryant 10, Sticks 2
The Black Sox hammered out 12 hits including three by Holt and two each from Luke Bickerstaff and Justen Myles, taking advantage of seven walks and three Sticks errors.
Crawford started after working the final inning of the previous game and went five innings allowing two unearned runs on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
A seven-run third blew up a 3-1 game.
The big inning started with a one-out walk to Kemp. Conlee Billingsley blooped a single to right then Stovall reached on an error to load the bases. Catton and Bickerstaff each singled in a run then Myles doubled to plate two.
Trying to squeeze in a run Butler reached on a fielder’s choice as the out was made at home. But, moments later, Myles and Butler worked a double steal to make it 8-1.
After Dunbar drew a walk and a passed ball advanced runners to second and third, Brower slapped a single to right to drive in two more, capping the onslaught.
The Sox had established the lead in the first when Dunbar singled to center stole second and scored on Holt’s knock.
The Sticks managed an unearned run in the bottom of the inning, but it wasn’t tied for long. In the second, Stovall singled and, though he was picked off first, Catton reached on an error and Bickerstaff singled. A base hit by Myles loaded the bases for Butler who picked up an RBI walk to snap the tie. Dunbar’s grounder into a force at second followed allowing Bickerstaff to score, making it 3-1.
The Sox worked a doubleplay after a one-out walk in the bottom of the second. In the bottom of the third, Crawford set down the side in order.
A walk, an errant pickoff throw, and a single accounted for the second Sticks run in the bottom of the fourth. In the fifth, a two-out single and a walk, came to nothing as Crawford got the third out on strikes.
Dunbar relieved in the bottom of the sixth and closed out the victory despite surrendering a pair of one-out singles. The next batter lined to Crawford at third. His throw to Beenken at second doubled up the runner there to end the game.
