Quick start sparks Jr. Sox over Benton
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
BENTON — The Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team racked up six runs on six hits in the first inning then cruised to an 11-3 win over the rival Benton Sports Shop A team at Bernard Holland Park on Tuesday, May 27.
Jonathan Wade had three hits and drove in two runs to lead the offense as the Sox bounced back from their first loss of the season, improving to 6-1 overall. Sergio Arias and Brennan Bullock added two hits each in support of right-hander Matt Neal who picked up his second win of the young season with relief help from Jacob Clark.
Arias started the opening salvo with a double to the gap in left-center off Benton starter Kenny Elder. Bullock then beat out a bunt single and Brady Butler battled for a walk to load the bases. A walk to Ben Wells forced in the first run the Wade beat out an infield hit to make it 2-0.
Austin Queck then provided the big blow of the inning with a sharp single to chase home Butler and Wells, though Wade was thrown out trying to get to third.
Jim Easterling kept things rolling with a single to plate Queck. And when the ball was misplayed in left, Easterling raced on to second. After stealing third, he scored on a sacrifice fly by B.J. Ellis to cap the inning off.
Benton answered with a two-run burst in the bottom of the inning, sparked by a lead-off double by Steven Brooks and aided by some control issues for Neal who walked two and hit a batter along the way.
But the Sox got those runs back. In the second, Butler beat out an infield hit and stole his way to third as Wells walked. A wild pitch allowed him to score.
After Neal worked around a hit and an error with the help of his catcher Ellis who gunned down a would-be basestealer, the Sox took advantage of an error which allowed Easterling to reach. After a wild pitch moved him to second, Easterling swiped third and scored on a two-out single by Arias to make it 8-2.
The Sox turned a doubleplay to erase and error in the bottom of the third but, in the fourth, an infield hit, a force out and a double by Daniel Lankford moved Sox coach Zac Bradley to turn to Clark. A sacrifice fly brought a run home but that’s all Benton would get.
In the fifth, Bryant made it a potential run-rule win with three more. Chris Tarvin was hit by a pitch with one down, advanced to second on a groundout by Austin Benning and, after Arias walked, scored on a base hit to right by Bullock. Walks to Butler and Wells forced in a second run and, after another pitching change, Wade beat out a slow roller to short for his third hit as Bullock scored making it 11-3.
Clark then worked around an error and an infield hit in the bottom of the inning to sew up the victory.
