SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — It appears that a trip to Memphis is just what the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team needed.
With Slade Renfrow (with sixth-inning relief from Josh Turner) turned in the third consecutive shutout performance for the Sox as they improved to 3-0 in the Mid-Summer Showcase with an 8-0 victory over Houston High School of Germantown, Tenn., at the Snowden Grove baseball complex in Southaven, Miss., on Saturday.
Houston managed just one hit in the game, a single with two out in the bottom of the fifth. The sidewinding Renfrow walked six, hit a batter and struck out six in his five innings.
His shutout came on the heels of whitewashing efforts from Blaine Sears and Will Hathcote Friday and earlier Saturday, respectively.
Bryant racked up 11 hits including two each for Ryan Riggs, Logan Catton, Cade Drennan, Peyton Dillon and Coby Greiner. Drennan and Greiner each drove in two.
The Black Sox are scheduled to conclude pool play on Sunday at 3:15 p.m., against the Memphis Tigers. The winner should advance to bracket play.
The game with Houston was tight most of the way. The Sox led 4-0 going into the top of the sixth then doubled their score.
In the top of the first, the Sox took a 2-0 lead. Riggs, Catton and Drennan stroked consecutive singles then, with two out, Dillon, who had reached on a force at second, left early on an apparent steal attempt and stayed in a rundown long enough for Catton to swipe home.
Though they just couldn’t muster a hit, the Houston team threatened in the bottom of the inning thanks to an error and a pair of two-out walks. But Renfrow stepped up. After falling behind a batter 2-0, he came back to strike him out looking.
In the second, a hit batsman and a pair of walks had Renfrow under the gun again but, once more, he pitched out of the jam unscathed by inducing a pop up then striking out a batter. A comebacker provided the third out.
In turn, the Sox added to the slim lead. Riggs walked and Catton singled to set the table. Riggs tagged and went to third on Drennan’s fly to right. Dillon got a bunt down on a squeeze play that not only scored the run but went for a hit.
Renfrow settled in and retired Houston in the bottom of the third, fanning two around a walk. Another free pass in the bottom of the fourth was wasted by Houston.
In the top of the fifth, singles by Drennan and Dillon with one out put the Sox in position to add to the lead. A passed ball moved them to second and third so that Greiner’s squeeze bunt made it 4-0.
The first Houston hit with two out in the bottom of the fifth was followed by an error. But a grounder to Davis at second resulted in an inning-ending force.
Lawson Speer led off the top of the sixth with a single. Davis’ grounder to third was booted then Riggs beat out a bunt for a hit to load the bags. Speer scored on a wild pitch and, after Catton drew a free pass to fill them up again, Drennan delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 6-0.
Another squeeze bunt by Dillon got Riggs home and when the ball was misplayed by the Houston catcher, Dillon reached safely. Greiner’s single to left got Catton home with the final run.
Turner came on and set down the side in order in the bottom of the sixth on a strikeout and a pair of grounders.
