Junior Sox sweep doubleheader at Arkadelphia
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting 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).
ARKADELPHIA — Coby Greiner tossed a two-hitter in the first game and Cade Drennan and Christian Motes combined to allow just four hits in the second as the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team swept a doubleheader against the Arkadelphia NAFT Badgers on Friday night.
The Sox improved to 16-14 on the season. They’ve won three in a row as the Junior District Tournament approaches starting July 8 in Bryant. Weather permitting, the team was set to conclude the regular season with a twinbill in Texarkana today.
Bryant won the opener against Arkadelphia 5-1 then rolled to a 15-1 win in the nightcap.
Drennan, Jake Wright, Peyton Dillon and Greiner each had two hits in the first game. In the second, Drennan went 3 for 3 with a walk, three runs scored and two runs batted in. Wright was 3 for 3 as well, scored twice and drove in a run while Greiner added two hits and two batted in. Dillon and Ryan Lessenberry also had two RBIs apiece.
Bryant 5, Arkadelphia 1
All of the runs scored in the first two innings. The Sox broke out with four runs in the top of the first with Drennan sparking the uprising with a one-out triple. Wright lined a single to left to get him home.
Dillon drilled a double to left and Wright scored and, after Greiner singled to put runners on the corners, Brayden Lester singled up the middle to make it 3-0. Greiner raced to third and, on a late throw, Lester wound up at third.
A walk to Lessenberry filled the sacks for Jarod Yarborough who picked up an RBI with a grounder to first, making it 4-0.
Greiner struck out the first batter in the bottom of the inning but then issued consecutive walks to put runners at first and second. A grounder to Lester at third resulted in a force out there. To end the inning, Greiner picked off the runner at second with Logan Catton making the tag.
With two out in the top of the second, Drennan again ignited an outburst for Bryant. He scored on a single by Wright to make it 5-0.
The Badgers took advantage of an error and a walk with an RBI double to get on the board in the home second but, with runners at second and third, Greiner struck out the side.
At that point, the scoring was over.
Greiner pitched around a hit batsman in the third and a two-out single in the fourth. He finished the game by striking out the side in the bottom of the fifth. He wound up with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Bryant 15, Arkadelphia 1
In the second game, a five-run first got the Sox off and running. Going into the bottom of the fourth, they led 15-0. Arkadelphia got a run in the home fourth but the game ended with the run rule.
That opening burst started with Drennan’s one-out single on fly that fell in between the right fielder and the second baseman. Wright doubled then Dillon’s line drive single to center made it 2-0.
With two down, Dillon stole second and scored on a two-bagger by Lester, making it 3-0. Lessenberry singled in a run and, after C.J. Wallace came in as a courtesy runner for the Bryant catcher, the Arkadelphia pitcher balked him to second. He scored when Yarborough blooped a single to center.
Drennan pitched around a one-out single in the bottom of the first and the Sox tacked on in the second. Drennan walked, Wright singled and Dillon was plunked by a 1-1 pitch to load the bases for Greiner. He yanked a single to left, driving in a pair.
With runners at first and second, Lester got a sacrifice bunt down to move them up a base and Dillon scored when Lessenberry bounced out to the third baseman.
Down 8-0, the Badgers mustered a two-out double in the home second but the runner was stranded when the next batter flew out to Wallace in left.
Bryant tacked on a run in the top of the third. Motes singled to center, stole second, took third on Drennan’s infield hit and scored when Wright singled.
Motes took over for Drennan on the mound in the bottom of the third and, after giving up a lead-off single, retired the next three, two on strikes.
And the Sox completed the rout in the top of the fourth. Greiner led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch. With two down, Yarborough was hit by a pitch and Motes walked to load the bases once again.
Greiner scored on a wild pitch. Moments later, another wild pitch allowed Yarborough to cross the plate. Wallace walked then Catton singled to left to plate Motes with the 12th run.
Drennan finished off a big day with a two-run triple, scoring when the relay was mishandled by the Arkadelphia cut-off man.
After Motes opened the bottom of the fourth with a strikeout, he surrendered a single. A walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases. The run scored when the next batter hit a grounder to Wright at second. He got the force out with a toss to Catton at second base but the batter avoided the game-ending doubleplay by beating the throw to first.
But the final out came three pitches later on a foul pop outside of first that was caught by Dillon.
