OMAHA, Neb. — The Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team opened up play in the Creighton Prep Pre-Regional Tournament on Wednesday, drawing the host team. Creighton Prep broke open a 2-2 game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth then held off the Sox on the way to a 5-3 win.
Bryant, fresh from winning the Chad Wolffe Classic in Fayetteville, dropped to 9-4 on the season. The Sox take on Cheyenne, Wyo., at 8 a.m., on Thursday morning. They play twice on Friday with an 8 a.m. game against Bozeman, Mont., and a 10:30 a.m. contest against Brandon Valley, S.D.
A trio of Creighton Prep pitchers held the Sox to four hits, but they walked 10 and hit two batters. Bryant stranded 13.
Noah Davis, Logan Catton, Jake Wright and Coby Greiner had the Bryant hits. Wright’s cleared the fence for a homer.
Right-hander Peyton Dillon pitched four innings and started the fifth before running into trouble. Lefty Tyler Bates relieved and finished out the contest.
Creighton Prep took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a triple and a double. Wright tied it leading off the top of the second. A trio of two-out walks loaded the bases but all three were stranded.
A double, a sacrifice bunt and a single plated Creighton’s second run in the home second. Bryant made a bid to get even right away when Catton beat out a bunt single, Cade Drennon walked, Wright sacrificed, and Logan Grant drew a free pass. Again, however, the Sox left the bases full.
Dillon pitched around a two-out single in the bottom of the third and the Sox got even in the top of the fourth. Greiner led off with a single to left and when Lawson Speer’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed, they had two aboard.
The Sox tried to work a double steal, but Greiner was called out at the plate before Catton drew a walk to put runners at first and third. Drennan’s groundball to first was booted and Speer was allowed to score. Moments later, however, Catton was caught stealing third to end the inning.
A two-out walk was all Creighton could muster in the home fourth. Drennan, the Sox catcher, threw him out trying to steal to conclude the frame.
A walk to Wright came to naught in the top of the fifth then Creighton put together the game-turning rally. A pair of singles started the inning. Dillon gave way to Bates and a sacrifice moved runners to second and third. A pinch-hit triple followed. Creighton squeezed in the third run.
Bryant’s answer started with a two-out single by Noah Davis. Catton was struck by a 1-0 delivery and Drennan walked to load the bases. Wright was hit by a pitch to force in a run, but Creighton got the final out to escape further damage.
Bates set down the home team in order in the bottom of the sixth and the Sox again made some noise in the top of the seventh. With one out, Ryan Lessenberry worked a walk. With two out, Dillon drew a free pass, but the Sox just couldn’t muster the key hit they needed to break through. Davis grounded into a force at second to end the game.
