Second look is good for A Sox
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
Malvern National Bank starter Jarrod Wiley was tough on the Bryant Bowen-Hefley Black Sox A American Legion team the first time around. But on the second trip through the lineup, the Sox figured him out.
Bryant scored four runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth to knock off Wiley and the Bankers, 10-2 in five innings at Ashley Park Thursday, May 27.
Luke Brown went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three times. He also went the distance on the mound, allowing just four hits, walking three and striking out nine.
The win, its second in a row, improved Bryant’s record to 4-2 going into Friday’s game at Sylvan Hills.
Brown’s lead-off single in the first and an infield hit by Sean Sebourn in the second were all that the Sox could muster offensively in their first look at Wiley.
Malvern took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Jake Whisenhunt singled, swiped second and, after Brown struck out two, scored on a two-strike single up the middle by Steven Taylor.
In the third, the Bankers loaded the bases with no one out on an infield single by Gary Cate and walks to Chase Meyers and Jordan Duke. But Brown regained his command and struck out the side, wading through the heart of the Malvern lineup to keep it 1-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Brown sliced a single to right with one out.
Going the other way proved to be part of the solution to Wiley’s early mastery, as it turned out.
Brown swiped second, took third on a groundout by Dustin Morris and scored on a wild pitch as Beau Hamblin walked.
With the game tied, the Sox cranked up the offense. Drew Lawson rifled a double over the bag at third then Sebourn slapped a two-run single to right to put the Sox ahead 3-1.
Sebourn stole second and scored the fourth run when Mark Smith drilled another single to the right side.
The Sox retired the Bankers in order in the fourth with helping out with a fine defensive play at first.
In the bottom of the inning, Gregory beat out an infield hit to get the offense revved up again. Phillip Primm walked then Brown bunted in an attempt to sacrifice. But, not only did the runners advance, but Brown reached base safely thanks to an errant throw by Wiley. In fact, Gregory raced all the way home from second. Primm wound up at third.
Primm and Brown then worked the double steal with Primm scoring despite the fact that Cate, Malvern’s second baseman, cut the throw off between the mound and second base and fired a return throw to Whisenhunt, the catcher.
The throw was wild and Primm scored easily. Brown wound up at third. Morris then singled him home to make it 7-1.
Mitchell Edmonson came on to relieve Wiley and was greeted by a shot up the middle off Hamblin’s bat. And when the ball got past center fielder Curtis Simmons, Hamblin circled the bags to make it 8-1.
Edmonson later issued a walk to Eric Harrison but got out of the inning with no further damage.
The Bankers managed a run to keep in the top of the fourth when Brown issued a one-out walk to Meyers then uncorked a wild pitch to allow him to reach second. Duke fanned and the count went to 3-2 on Simmons before he laced a double to right center to plate the run.
But Brown fanned Whisenhunt to end the inning and, in turn, the Sox tacked on a pair of runs to invoke the eight-after-five run rule.
Gregory walked, Primm sacrificed then Brown singled him home. Morris looped a single to right-center enabling Brown to reach third. He then scored the game-ending run on a sacrifice fly by Hamblin.
