Homers highlight win over Lakeside AA
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be posting 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).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Aaron Davidson and Drew Short belted home runs and Casey Grisham and Danny Riemenschneider combined on a two-hit shutout as the Bryant Black Sox AAA American Legion team eased to a 9-0 win in five innings over Hot Springs Lakeside on Tuesday, May 23.
Davidson’s two-run blast capped a five-run fourth that blew open a 2-0 game. Short’s two-run shot ended the game, giving the Sox a run-rule (eight run lead after five innings) win in the bottom of the fifth.
Grisham, a lefty red-shirt freshman at UCA, gave up two-out singles in the first and third, struck out seven and walked just one in four frames. Riemenschneider worked a 1-2-3 fifth before Short ended it in the bottom of the inning.
The Sox established a 2-0 lead in the home first. Joey Winiecki beat out a bunt single to get things started. Travis Queck reached on an error then Justin Wells walked to load the bases for Davidson, whose groundout to third brought in the first run.
Cory Lambert grounded into a force at home but a wild pitch by Lakeside starter Tad Hill allowed Wells to score to make it 2-0.
It stayed that way until the fourth. Josh Ritter, on in relief of Hill who had worked around a pair of two-out walks in the third, issued a free pass to Short to start the inning. Ryan Wilson, trying to sacrifice, wound up with a bunt single. Though Winiecki’s subsequent bunt resulted in a force at third, Queck came through with the breakout hit, a double down the left field line that not only plated Wilson but also chased home the speedy Winiecki all the way from first.
Wells then traded places with Queck, ripping a double to left-center on an 0-2 pitch. Ritter’s first delivery to Davidson sailed out of the park in left to make it 7-0.
David Martin reached base on an error to start the fifth ahead of Short’s game-ending clout.
Bryant AA outslugs Lakeside, 15-9
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
Nine different players scored and eight drove in runs as the Bryant Black Sox AA American Legion team outlasted the Hot Springs Lakeside A squad 15-9 at Bryant High School Field on Tuesday, May 23.
Ryan Wilson had three hits and Alex Kehrees and Cody Walker two apiece as the Sox pounded out 13 hits to take advantage of eight walks and four Lakeside errors.
The Sox too committed four errors so only three of Lakeside’s nine runs were earned.
Three of those unearned tallies came in the first when a pair of errors extended the inning for Lakeside’s Kendal Norman, who belted a three-run homer.
Zach Dickey singled and Payne Spence doubled as the visitors threatened to get more but Bryant starter Justin Gaddy settled in and retired the next two batters on pop-ups to leave them stranded.
The Sox countered with an eight-run eruption in the bottom of the inning with Wilson getting things started with a lead-off single. Jake Jackson doubled him to third then consecutive RBI groundouts by Jordan Knight and Kehrees made it 3-2.
The inning got revved up again when Trent Daniel reached on an error and Walker walked. Michael Haydon and Logan Cruse singled in runs and, after Dillon Raper drew a walk, Wilson cracked a two-run single to left to make it 6-3.
Jackson walked to load the bases then Knight reached on an error that allowed Raper and Wilson to score.
It was 8-3 going into the third when Lakeside added an unearned run thanks to a two-out throwing error. In the bottom of the inning, though, Bryant scored four more. Jackson walked, Knight beat out an infield hit and Kehrees doubled in a run. Knight scored on a sacrifice fly by Daniel.
After Walker drew another free pass and swiped second, an error on a grounder to short by Cruse allowed two more to score.
But the 12-4 lead that the Sox enjoyed was threatened in the top of the fourth when Lakeside rallied for five runs and had two more runners on base when Wilson, the third Bryant pitcher, got out of the inning.
The Sox again responded, scoring three more in the bottom of the inning. Jeremy Burge doubled in a pair of runs and Walker drove in another with a two-out RBI single.
Burge relieved for the Sox in the top of the fifth and retired the side in order to close out the win.
