Junior Sox reach tourney final before absorbing first loss
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).
CABOT — The Bryant Black Sox 17U American Legion team finished off a sweep of their pool at a tournament in Cabot on Monday advancing to the championship game where they were out-slugged by the Arkansas Anglers 18U, a travel team based in Mountain Home, 10-6.
Earlier in the day, the Sox outlasted the Sheridan 17U Yellowjackets team, 9-7.
The Black Sox are 3-1 now heading into Tuesday’s game against Benton at 6 p.m.
Bryant 9, Sheridan 7
The Sox scored four runs in the top of the third to overcome a 3-0 deficit and went on to build a 9-4 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. Sheridan rallied before lefty Tyler Bates came on in relief and got the final two outs with an assist from centerfielder Lawson Speer.
On a hit that drove in the Jackets’ seventh run, the batter tried to stretch the single into a double and Speer, from center, fired to shortstop Noah Davis at second in time to nab him for the second out of the inning.
Bates then ended it with a strikeout.
He was the fifth Black Sox pitcher in the game. Dakota Clay started and was relieved by Davis in the fourth. Colby Morrow got an out in the sixth then J.T. Parker faced a batter before Bates came in.
Davis picked up the victory and Bates earned a save.
The Sox finished with nine hits to take advantage of three walks, a hit batsman and four Sheridan errors. Speer had three knocks and Clay two. Ethan Andrews and Ryan Riggs each had doubles.
A pair of errors, a single and a two-out triple allowed Sheridan to take a 3-0 lead in the first. Bryant’s third-inning rally began with Andrews’ double to left. Kyler Pabon sacrificed him to third and Speer beat out an infield hit for the RBI.
After Speer took second on a groundout by Davis, Riggs drew a walk and Will Hathcote was plunked by a pitch to load the bases. Speer scored on a passed ball then Clay smacked a two-run single to center to make it 4-3.
Clay set down the Jackets 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third and the Sox tacked on in the fourth. With one out, Andrews reached when his pop to short was misplayed. He stole second and third then scored when Pabon slapped a single to right.
Davis retired the first two he faced in the bottom of the fourth. A triple provided a two-out threat, but he was stranded when the next batter bounced out to Hathcote at first.
Bryant continued to add on in the top of the fifth. Hathcote walked, Clay singled him to third then took second on the late throw. A passed ball allowed Hathcote to score then Gavin Burton delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 7-3.
A walk, a groundout and a two-out single allowed Sheridan to score a run in the bottom of the fifth but, in the top of the sixth, the Sox answered with two. Speer singled with one away then took second on an errant throw. Davis’ grounder to third was misplayed and, after Davis stole second, Riggs ripped a two-run double.
Sheridan’s final rally began with a walk and a double. The bases were loaded after a catcher’s interference call. But the lead runner was out trying to steal home. After another walk, a wild pitch made it 9-5 and a passed ball made it 9-6. A single made it 9-7 before Bates was brought to the mound to finish the win.
Arkansas Anglers 10, Bryant 6
The Sox turned right around and played in the title game, taking an early lead. But the Anglers scored five times in the top of the fourth to snap a tie and, though the Sox whittled on the lead by scoring each of the last four frames, they were unable to come all the way back.
Clay had two of Bryant’s five hits and drove in three. J.T. Parker had a triple. The Anglers issued seven walks and committed a pair of errors while the Sox used five pitchers, Logan White, Joshua Turner, Bates, Burton and Davis.
White pitched around a two-out single in the top of the first and, in the home half, Speer and Riggs drew walks, Clay singled and, with two down, Speer scored on a wild pitch.
A walk, an error and a single in the top of the second allowed the Anglers to tie the game.
And it stayed that way until the top of the fourth when a hit batsman, a walk and a double opened the floodgates for the Anglers.
Down 6-1, the Sox whittled a run off the margin in the bottom of the fourth when Aaron Morgan and Hathcote worked walks. J.T. Parker grounded into a force at second then he and Morgan worked a double steal to get the run in.
A walk and a two-out triple made it 7-2 in the top of the fifth. In the home half, there were two out when Davis reached on an error and Riggs walked. A wild pitch moved both into scoring position for Clay, who delivered a single up the middle to make it 7-4.
A three-run sixth padded the Anglers’ lead again. A triple, a single and two doubles produced the runs.
Still, the Sox gamely kept scoring. In the bottom of the sixth, Parker tripled and scored when Andrews popped out in foul territory behind first base for a sacrifice fly.
Davis set down the Anglers in order in the top of the seventh then Bryant’s last push began with singles by Speer and Davis. With one out, Davis stole second, and Clay picked up another RBI with a groundout to third. A strikeout, however, ended the game.
