Junior Sox wrap up regular season with twinbill sweep
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).
NORPHLET — The Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team wrapped up the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of Smackover on Monday night, 7-2 and 19-2. The wins improved the Sox to 22-11 on the season going into Friday’s opener in the Zone 4 Junior Tournament at Sheridan. They’ll take on Magnet Cove at noon.
Bryant 7, Smackover 2
In Monday’s opener, Brooks Ellis and Brandon Hoover each had two hits and Coby Griener drove in two runs to back the pitching of Greiner and Jacob Wright. The game was tied 2-2 through two innings and stayed that way until the Sox scored twice in the fifth.
Greiner pitched four innings, blanking Smackover in the third and fourth. Wright shut them out over the final three frames to earn a save.
Bryant scored first. Logan Catton reached on an error to start the game. Logan Chambers got a sacrifice bunt down to the third baseman. Catton moved up then charged to third when Smackover left the bag uncovered. He scored on the very next pitch when Ellis hit a grounder to first.
But Smackover tied with a run on two hits and an error in the bottom of the inning.
In the second, Hoover reached on an error and was sacrificed to second by Grayson Prince. Greiner was struck by a pitch. With Myers Buck in as a courtesy runner for the pitcher, Ryan Lessenberry’s grounder to first was misplayed and the bases were loaded. Konnor Clontz drove in the run with a sacrifice fly but the Sox could get no more, stranding runners at second and third.
Another error, a passed ball, a single and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second knotted the score 2-2.
The Sox loaded the bases in the third when Chambers’ fly to left was misplayed, Ellis singled and Hoover walked but they were unable to cash in.
Smackover had a hit, a hit batsman and two walks in the third but couldn’t score. The initial base runner was thrown out trying to steal and, with the bases loaded and two out, Greiner ended the threat with a strikeout.
Lessenberry reached on an error to start the fourth. Sawyer Holt, in as a courtesy runner for the catcher, was forced out at second on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Clontz.
With two down, Chambers and Ellis each singled to center but when Clontz tried to score on Ellis’ hit, he was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Greiner worked around a walk and a double in the bottom of the fourth then helped the Sox take the lead in the top of the fifth. Hoover singled to right and Prince doubled bringing Greiner to the plate. He shot one to left field, legging out a double that drove in both runs.
Wright struck out two as he retired Smackover in order in the home half of the fifth. In turn, the Sox tacked on. Catton singled and, on an errant throw after Chambers flew to left, took second. A passed ball advanced Catton to third as Wright worked a walk. After Wright swiped second, Hoover delivered a two-run double to make it 6-2.
Smackover managed a pair of hits in the sixth but Wright escaped the first-and-third jam by inducing a grounder to Hoover at first to end the inning.
Lessenberry singled to open the top of the seventh. Clontz grounded into a force but took second on Catton’s bouncer to third. An error on a ball hit by Chambers allowed Clontz to score the final run.
Wright pitched around a one-out walk, fanning two in the bottom of the seventh.
Bryant 19, Smackover 2
The Sox scored eight in the first and 10 in the third as they won on the 15-after-three run rule.
Chambers had two hits and three knocked in as Bryant used seven hits to take advantage of 10 walks, two hit batmen and five errors.
Buck allowed just one hit, walked two in three innings on the mound. Of the nine outs, eight came on strikes. Both runs were unearned in the bottom of the first.
The Black Sox scored eight in the first without a hit. The first five batters walked and, after a pitching change, Buck drew a free pass as well, forcing in the third run. With one out, Clift Chaffin was plunked and picked up an RBI. Clontz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0. Catton walked for the second time in the inning then Greiner scored on a wild pitch and two more came home when Chambers’ drive to center was misplayed.
A walk, a single and two Bryant errors produced Smackover’s runs in the bottom of the inning.
Hoover singled to start the second, advancing on an errant pickoff throw then taking third on Holt’s grounder to short. A passed ball allowed him to score.
Buck struck out the side in the home second around a one-out walk.
More free bases started Bryant’s third-inning melee. Clontz walked and Catton was plunked. Chambers singled to drive in Clontz then Catton scored when Wright’s grounder to second was booted, making it 11-2.
An errant throw allowed Chambers to score. After Ellis moved to third on a wild pitch, Will McEntire walked. Prince plated Ellis with a sacrifice fly and when Buck’s grounder to first was misplayed, McEntire came around to score, making it 14-2.
With two down, Chaffin reached on an error and Greiner, running for Buck, came home. Singles by Clontz and Catton got Chaffin in then Chambers socked a double to left to drive in two. Wright singled in Chambers and it was 19-2.
Myers finished it off with three consecutive strikeouts in the bottom of the third.
Special thanks to J’Ann Boyd
