Late production lifts Junior Sox to first win in Georgia
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EMERSON, Ga. — Austin Kelly and Beaux Bonvillain each drove in two runs and the Bryant Everett Buick-GMC Black Sox took advantage of 10 walks, three hit batsmen and three errors to rally past the GCBD Pro Elite team from Birmingham, Ala., this morning, 11-3.
The game was the first for both teams in pool play at the Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational wood bat showcase.
The Sox trailed 3-2 through four innings but scored four times in the fifth and five more in the fifth.
Bonvillain was the winning pitcher, going the full six innings, allowing three runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Kelly had two of Bryant’s four hits.
The Alabama team took three lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run double by Taylor Whitley with one out in the home first.
Bryant tied it in the top of the second when Aaron Orender walked, stole second and third then, after a walk to Bonvillain, scored on a passed ball.
A leadoff triple by Jeff Moore Jr. of GCBD produced the 3-2 lead when Blaine Smith followed with a sacrifice fly.
Bonvillain pitched around a two-out single in the third by picking off Whitley at first. For Bryant, Scott Schmidt drew a two-out walk in the top of the fourth but was stranded.
The game-breaking top of the fifth began with a single by Seth Tucker who advanced to second on an error. Logan Allen got a sacrifice bunt down and when the throw to first was misplayed, advanced to second as Tucker scored to make it 3-3.
Garrett Misenheimer drew a walk then Kelly beat out a bunt single to load the bases. Reliever Jackson Holladay retired the next two before a passed ball allowed Allen to score. And when Cameron Coleman’s bouncer to first drew a wild throw both Misenheimer and Kelly scored to make it 6-3.
Bonvillain issued a pair of two-out walks in the bottom of the inning but induced a grounder to Tucker at short to end the inning without damage.
The top of the sixth began with Tucker and Allen each being plunked by pitches from Darius Smith. With one out, Kelly drilled a double to left and chased them both home, making it 8-3.
Kelly took third on Jordan Gentry’s groundout then scored on a passed ball. Orender drew a walk and stole second. After a pitching change, he took third on a wild pitch as Coleman was waiting out a free pass. When Schmidt walked, the bases were loaded for Bonvillain who lashed a single to left to plate the final two runs.
In the bottom of the inning, Bonvillain struck out the side around a two-out walk to Moore, to close it out.
The Sox were set to continue pool play this afternoon at 3 against the Team Elite Roadrunners 17-and-under team of Winder, Ga. On Saturday at 2 p.m., they take on Rawlings Arkansas Prospects on North Little Rock.
