MEMPHIS — Conner Martin, Blaine Sears and Gavin Burton each drove in two runs and a quartet of pitchers limited the Memphis Tigers 18U team to five hits as the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team opened the 2D Scout Games with an 8-2 victory on Friday.
Martin had three hits and Noah Davis added two for the Sox who improved to 6-4 on the season going into a game on Saturday against the Throwbacks Baseball Club. Bryant was also set to take in the Hustle Factory Omegas 17U team on Saturday.
Sears and Brandon Thomisee each allowed a run then Tyler Bates and Will Hathcote each delivered a scoreless inning of relief. Hathcote struck out the side in the seventh.
The game was tied 2-2 until the Sox scored twice in the top of the sixth. They made it a lopsided win with a four-run seventh.
Bryant had grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Ryan Riggs led off the game and reached on an error. Davis singled and a passed ball allowed them to advance to second and third. Martin lined a single to center to get Riggs home though Davis had to hold at second to make sure the ball fell in.
But he stole third and scored on Colby Morrow’s groundout.
Sears pitched around a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning, but after the Sox were set down in order in the top of the second, the Tigers picked up a run on a single, a double and a balk.
But, with the tying run at third, Sears induced a foul pop that Riggs, the catcher, flagged down then ended the threat with a strikeout.
The Sox were unable to produce anything in the top of the third and Memphis tied it in the home half. Thomisee surrendered a pair of singles to start the inning. Though the Sox turned a doubleplay, with a runner at third, another balk allowed the tying run to score before Thomisee ended the inning with a strikeout.
It was pitchers’ duel after that until the Sox came up in the top of the sixth. Davis started the outburst with a one-out single to left. After a balk moved him to second, Martin tripled to chase him home with the go-ahead run.
After a pitching change, Morrow drew a walk and, with two down, Burton lined a pinch-hit single to right to make it 4-2.
Bates allowed a two-out single and a walk in the bottom of the sixth but, again, a strikeout ended the threat.
Bryant’s seventh began with a bunt single by Logan White. The ball was fielded by the Memphis pitcher, who threw it into the right-field corner allowing White to race all the way around to score.
The next two batters were retired but Martin’s single to center extended the inning. He stole second before Morrow drew a free pass then J.T. Parker was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Burton walked to force in a run, and, after another pitching change, Sears ripped a single to left that drive in two, making it 8-2.
In the home half, Hathcote hit the first batter he faced then overpowered the next three to nail down the victory.
