Junior Sox finish Classic on a victorious note
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be posting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
FAYETTEVILLE — Cade Drennan had two hits including a triple and drove in two runs while Logan Catton threw five innings of shutout relief as the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team salvaged a win in their final game in pool play at the Chad Wolff Classic on Saturday.
In the morning, the Sox suffered a 4-1 loss to the Southern A’s at Fayetteville High School. The win — a 9-4 decision over Perfect Timing 15 Red — came in the afternoon at Prairie Grove High School.
The Sox are now 11-7 this season going into Tuesday’s trip to Russellville for a doubleheader.
Bryant 9, PT 15 Red 4
Four unearned runs in the bottom of the second had Perfect Timing Red up 4-1 but the Sox scored in each of the innings to follow while Catton quieted the PT bats.
Logan Chambers and Peyton Dillon also had two hits each.
Brayden Lester started on the mound for Bryant and worked around a two-out hit batsman in the first. The Sox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Grayson Prince walked and Catton sacrificed him to second. A balk put Prince on third and he scored from there on Drennan’s groundout to second.
In the bottom of the inning, a single, a hit batsman and a walk had the bases loaded with one out. An error allowed the first run to score. A second error resulted in two more runs. With runners at first and second, Lester got the second out on strikes. A walk, however, loaded the bases again and yet another defensive miscue allowed the fourth run to score.
Bryant got a run back in the top of the third. With two down, Myers Buck singled and Chambers walked. Dillon cracked a double down the left-field line and Buck scored to make it 4-2.
The Sox’ defense played better in the third and Catton was able to get through the frame three-up, three-down.
Another run was whittled off the lead in the top of the fourth. Catton walked but was picked off first before Drennan laced his triple to center. With two down, courtesy runner Coby Greiner crossed the plate as Cade Dupree’s grounder to second was booted.
Perfect Timing managed a one-out single in the bottom of the inning but the runner was stranded. The Sox proceeded to take the lead in the top of the fifth. Buck and Chambers were issued lead-off walks. Dillon got a bunt down to sacrifice but beat it out for a single to load the bases. With one out, Catton beat out an infield hit to drive in Buck with the tying tally. Drennan untied it with an RBI single to center. Chambers scored but Dillon was thrown out at the plate and it was 5-4 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Despite a pair of singles, Perfect Timing was unable to score and the Sox went back to work at the plate, tacking on. Konnor Clontz drilled a one-out double, advanced to third on Buck’s groundout and scored when Chambers lashed a double to left.
Catton issued his lone walk to started the bottom of the inning but the Sox turned a doubleplay to erase the base-runner.
Bryant’s seventh began with an infield hit from Prince. He stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw from the catcher. Catton’s grounder to third was misplayed. He reached safely but Prince held at third. A walk to Greiner loaded the bases.
A run scored when Lester bounced into a force at second. An error allowed Catton to score then Ryan Lessenberry capped things off with an RBI single to center.
Perfect Timing mustered nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Catton closed out the victory.
Southern A’s 4, Bryant 1
The Sox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Jake Wright led off with an infield hit and wound up on third when Clontz’ sacrifice bunt drew a wild throw to first. Even though Clontz wound up at third on the play, the Sox were unable to score again in the inning and, as it turned out, the rest of the game.
The A’s tied it in the bottom of the first on three singles and a walk.
Lessenberry reached base on a one-out error in the second but with two down, Dupree, on as a courtesy runner for the catcher, was thrown out trying to steal.
The A’s took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning.
After being retired in order in the third, the Sox made some noise in the fourth when Catton and Drennan each singled with two down. The A’s, however, kept them off the board.
In the fifth, Lester walked and Clontz was struck by a pitch but, again, the key hit evaded the Sox as it remained 2-1.
Dillon pitched around a double in the bottom of the inning. In the sixth, Drennan singled with two out but was left on.
Southern broke through for two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. A pair of Bryant errors came into play.
The Sox’ last chance began with a free pass to Lester but he was forced at second on Wright’s grounder to third. Clontz walked but Chambers flew out to center and Dillon grounded out to first to end the game.
