Junior Sox finish unbeaten run to tourney title
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Photos courtesy of Debra Catton
CONWAY — The Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team captured the championship of the Show Series Tournament Sunday with an 8-1 win over the RBI Rivals Elite at Hendrix College.
The title victory came on the heels of a 9-1 decision over the STL Prospects 15 White in the semifinals of bracket play.
The victories also extended Bryant’s winning streak to eight games in a row. The Sox have turned a 4-8 record into a 12-8 mark. They’ve played 15 games over 10 days with one day off. They’ll made that 19 games in 13 days when they host a doubleheader against Little Rock on Monday, entertain Benton on Tuesday then North Little Rock on Wednesday.
Bryant wound up the only team in the six-team field in the Show Series to go unbeaten with three pool play victories to set up Sunday’s championship run.
For the tournament, the Sox outscored their five foes, 49-5.
Bryant 8, RBI Rivals Elite 1
Logan Catton (Photo courtesy of Debra Catton)
Micah Holyfield, with seventh-inning relief from Logan Catton, limited the Rivals to one unearned run on three hits. Holyfield walked two and fanned four while Catton picked up a strikeout as he retired the side in order to close out the game in the top of the seventh.
Logan Chambers contributed two of Bryant’s eight hits. Holyfield and Jacob Wright each knocked in a pair of runs. Brooks Ellis came through with the team’s only extra base hit when he slugged an RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth that capped the scoring.
The Rivals’ lone run came in the opening frame as the first three batters reached base against Holyfield. The first benefitted from an error. Back to back singles brought him around with the run but the Sox turned a doubleplay and Holyfield ended the threat with a strikeout.
The Sox took control of the contest in the home second. Ellis walked to instigate the outburst. He stole second and Chambers singled on a liner to center, taking second on a throw to the plate that kept Ellis at third.
But he didn’t stay there long. Holyfield cracked a single to center that chased them both home, giving Bryant the lead.
They were far from finished, however. Holyfield took second on the throw back to the infield and Ryan Taylor came on to run for him. Sawyer Holt hit a blooper to center that fell in but Taylor had to hold at second. He picked up third anyway moments later when Myers Buck drew a walk to load up the bases.
Konnor Clontz drew a four-pitch pass to force in Taylor then Wright beat out an infield hit for an RBI. Catton was struck by a 3-2 delivery to force in another run, making it 5-1. Coby Greiner’s sacrifice fly concluded the scoring.
The Sox turned another doubleplay to erase an runner who had reached on an error. In the fourth, Holyfield worked around a single and a hit batsman with his defense turning yet another doubleplay to end the inning.
It stayed 6-1 until the bottom of the sixth when Clontz drew a lead-off walk and stole second. He took third on an error then scored on Wright’s sacrifice fly. With two down, Greiner beat out an infield hit and Ellis cracked his triple to center.
Bryant 9, STL Prospects 15 White 1
Christian Harp (Photo courtesy of Debra Catton)
Christian Harp limited the Prospects to one unearned run on five hits, walking one and striking out 10 in the six-inning contest. The lone run came in the bottom of the sixth, spoiling Harp’s shutout. The St. Louis team had a chance to extend the game to the ninth by whittling the lead to less than eight runs but Harp’s 10th strikeout ended the game stranding runners at second and third.
Offensively, the Sox pounced out 12 hits including three by Chambers and two each from Wright, Greiner and Harp.
The game got off to a good start for Bryant. Wright singled and Catton sacrificed him to second. A walk to Greiner and a double steal put runners at second and third for Chambers who shot a single up the middle to make it 1-0. Though Greiner held at third, Chambers was able to cruise into second on the relay to the plate.
Greiner scored on a wild pitch and, after Harp was drilled with a pitch, a wild pitch him to cross the plate, making it 3-0.
In the top of the third, Bryant doubled its advantage. Chambers beat out an infield hit to get things revved up. Harp singled. Chambers stole third and scored on Holt’s squeeze bunt. Holt reached first safely as Harp took second.
A walk to Clontz loaded the sacks. After Ryan Lessenberry grounded into a force at the plate, Buck hit a bouncer to short. The Prospects tried to turn a conventional doubleplay up the middle and they got the force at second but Buck beat the relay as Holt scored to make it 5-0. Wright’s single to center drove in Clontz to cap the uprising.
Harp fanned two as he worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the third. In turn, the Sox tacked on a run in the top of the fourth. Greiner and Chambers singled and when Greiner drew a throw as he raced to third, Chambers hustled into second. Harp picked up the RBI with a grounder to third.
Two more strikeouts highlighted a 1-2-3 home fourth then neither team scored in the fifth. The Prospects managed to get runners to second and third with two down but Harp preserved the shutout for the time being with a strikeout.
Bryant concluded its scoring in the top of the sixth. Catton and Greiner each singled, again advancing to second and third on the throw into the infield. Chambers plated a run with a sacrifice fly. Harp beat out an infield hit and, with two down, Greiner scored as Clontz’ grounder to third was booted.
In the home sixth, St. Louis loaded the bases on an infield hit, a clean single to right and a two-out walk. An error allowed the run to score before Harp ended it on strikes.
Special thanks to J’Ann Boyd
