Schmidt blanks HSV in Junior Zone opener for Everett Sox
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting 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).
SHERIDAN — Scott Schmidt tossed a four-hit shutout and Seth Tucker drove in two runs as the Bryant Everett Buick GMC Black Sox opened the 2015 Zone Tournament with a 6-0 win over Hot Springs Village Friday.
Bryant, the defending Junior Legion State champion, will take on host Sheridan on today at noon with a trip to the winners bracket final on the line. Sheridan edged Benton Gingles, 4-3, late Friday night to advance.
Actually, the Sox only managed four hits as well against a pair of Hot Springs Village pitchers but, while Schmidt was allowing just one walk and on hit batsmen, the HSV duo combined to walk six and hit five batters.
The Sox got off to a good start when, after an error, Schmidt induced a comebacker that turned into a 1-6-3 doubleplay. In the bottom of the first, Logan Allen was hit by a pitch, took second on a wild pitch, third on Tucker’s grounder to the right side then scored on another errant delivery from lefty starter Kaleb Moody.
A single by Garrett Misenheimer and walks to Cameron Coleman and Christian Harp loaded the bases for Bryant in the first but they were stranded when Aaron Orender was robbed of a hit with a leaping catch of his line drive by first baseman Houston Colson.
Schmidt worked around a two-out single in the second then, after his lone walk to start the third, Tucker, roaming out from shortstop, made an eye-popping catch on a fly into shallow left-center. Ethan Guessman, the runner at first thought it was going to fall and took off for second. When he tried to scramble back, Tucker threw to Orender at first just in time to double him off. Orender held on to the throw despite colliding with Guessman.
Moody retired seven in a row through the third but, in the fourth, the Sox added three runs to their lead, capped off by Tucker’s line drive off the glove of the lunging second baseman, driving in two.
Austin Kelly opened the inning with a walk. He stole second and, when a bunt single by Orender drew a wild throw to first, scored.
Orender swiped second and, with two down, Myers Buck drew a walk and Allen was struck by a pitch again, loading the bases for Tucker who made it 4-0.
Hot Springs Village responded with its best scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth. Utah Aitken singled and, with two down, so did Guessman. Schmidt was charged with a balk which moved the runners to second and third but he escaped with the shutout intact when Colson flew out to Coleman in left.
In the sixth, a throwing error, a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch had Dylan Anderson at third with two down but Schmidt got clean-up hitter Dayton Pate to pop out to Harp at third to end the threat.
In the bottom of the inning, Jeffrey Hastings walked and took second on a wild pitch from reliever Bryan Morgan. Buck beat out a bunt single and Allen delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
Morgan balked Buck to second and, with two out, Misenheimer walked and Coleman and Kelly were each plunked by pitches, forcing in Buck with the sixth run.
In the seventh, Aitken led off with his second single. With one out, Schmidt hit Dalton McClard with a pitch but Guessman bounced to Harp at third for a force and Colson flew out to Allen in center to end the game.
