MEMPHIS — Close calls have been the way it’s gone for the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team at the 2D Scout Games in Memphis this weekend. Saturday was another example of that as the Sox absorbed a 2-0 loss to the Memphis Tigers 17U (Wallis/Dunn).
The Sox were shut out on three hits by a pair of Memphis pitchers as they outdueled a trio of Bryant pitchers, Jaxon Ham, Drew Hatman and Hayden Thompson.
The Tigers only managed three hits as well, but benefited from four walks, two hit basemen and two errors.
Ham threw four shutout innings as the starter but ran into trouble in the fifth. A hit batsman started the uprising. After a stolen base, a single drove in the game’s first run.
Hatman relieved and catcher Gavin Burton threw the runner out as he tried to steal second.
An infield hit with two out, followed by a stolen base, set the stage for an RBI double that made it 2-0.
The Sox had put two runners aboard in the first when, with two down, Burton was hit by a pitch and Hunter Holt worked a walk.
Ham worked around a pair of walks in the second.
In the fourth, Holt walked and, with two down, Grant Dunbar singled to left. But a strikeout ended the threat.
After a hit batsman came to naught for Memphis in the bottom of the fourth, the Sox made some noise as Luke Bickerstaff singled with one down and, after a pitching change, Hatman drew a walk. With two down, the duo worked a double steal to both get in scoring position only to have a groundout end the threat.
After Memphis took the lead, the Sox could only manage a one-out single by Cade Parker in the top of the seventh as the Tigers closed out the win.
Bryant was set to play on Sunday against the Memphis Tigers (Freeman) to wrap up the event.
