ARKADELPHIA — The thing about playing in showcase events is, if you play through the time limit for each game and you’re tied, that’s how it ends. There’s no extra innings. The game just ends. But then again, showcases are not really about winning and losing.
For the fourth time this season, that happened to the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team at the Battle in Arkadelphia. They finished in a 3-3 tie in a pool play game against the Arkansas Sticks (Hall) 16U team.
The Sox rallied for a run in the top of the sixth to earn the tie then held the Sticks in the bottom of the sixth behind reliever Jaxon Ham to conclude the contest.
Offensively, Bryant had just two hits, a two-run double by Reid Catton and a single by Luke Bickerstaff. They took advantage of six walks and three Sticks errors.
Lefty Lakin Woods got the start for the Sox. He surrendered an unearned run in the bottom of the first and another in the second. In the process, he forced the Sticks to strand a runner at third in the first then left them loaded in the second. He pitched around a single and a walk in the third.
Bryant tied it in the top of the fourth. A two-out error opened the door as Caden Stovall reached base. He stole second before Clay Crawford drew a walk. Catton then came through with a pinch-hit double that chased both runners home.
Woods set the Sticks down in order for the first time in the bottom of the inning.
In the fifth, walks to Grant Dunbar, Hunter Holt and Michael Parker had the bases loaded with two down but a flyout ended the threat.
A triple and a one-out passed ball allowed the Sticks to regain the upper hand in the bottom of the fifth. Ham relieved to get the final out.
There were two away when the Sox rallied, starting with Bickerstaff’s infield single. Justen Myles drew a pinch-hit walk then Dunbar drew a free pass to fill the sacks. A passed ball got the tying run home, but with runners at second and third, a strikeout kept the Sox from taking the lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ham retired the first two batters then issued three walks to load the bases. But all were stranded when the game ended on a fly to Jaylen Ryland in left.
The Junior Sox were set to play twice on Sunday.
