CARLISLE — The Lonoke Junior American Legion team walked off with a 2-1 win, scratching out a run in the bottom of the seventh and ending the season of the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team on Tuesday.
The Sox’ Carson Kemp had allowed only one run up to that point. And he struck out the first batter of the seventh. But a walk and a pair of singles followed to make Lonoke the winner.
The Sox other Junior District Tournament loss was 5-4 to Lonoke earlier in the week. They bounced back with a win over North Little Rock in an elimination game but couldn’t get past Lonoke on the second try.
Kemp fanned seven and walked three. He’d allowed six hits going into the seventh.
The Sox finished with six hits and benefited from three Lonoke errors and five walks but could only manage one run in the top of the third.
It had them ahead 1-0 at the time. Kemp had beaten out an infield hit with one down. Clay Crawford came in as a courtesy runner and stole second as Gage Horn worked a walk. Jaxon Ham got a sacrifice bunt down and when the throw from the pitcher was wild, Crawford scored.
With two down, Luke Bickerstaff singled to load the bases, but a strikeout ended the threat.
In the fourth, Ham beat out an infield hit, and Grant Dunbar walked but they were stranded.
Lonoke tied it in the bottom of the inning on a double, a balk and a groundout.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lonoke loaded the bases, but on a comebacker to Kemp, the Sox turned a 1-2-3 doubleplay.
In the top of the sixth, Brady Brower singled with two down and Kemp reached on an error. But the Sox left the potential go-ahead run at third.
Kemp worked out of jam in the bottom of the sixth. A single and a double had put runners at second and third with two down. But a strikeout ended the threat.
Ham singled to start the top of the seventh. He stole second then third but got no further.
The Junior Sox finished the 2021 season with an 11-16-4 record.
