MILLINGTON, Tenn. — Blaine Sears tossed a two-hit shutout over six innings and the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team rapped out 11 hits including three by Peyton Dillon to snap four-game skid with a 10-0 win over the Easley Baseball Club (Scholl) 18U team of Memphis to open pool play in The Hagan, an annual showcase tournament held in the Memphis area. The game was played at Millington High School.
Sears walked two and fanned seven. Both Easley hits were singles, the first of which started the game. One of Sears’ walks came in that opening inning as well, but the right-hander struck out a pair to prevent any scoring.
The Sox scored in four of their five innings. Dillon had a double and a triple and drove in a pair. Noah Davis and Lawson Speer each knocked in a pair. Davis and Coby Greiner each had two hits. Greiner and Cade Drennan each doubled.
Bryant broke the ice on the scoring in the bottom of the first when Noah Davis lined a lead-off single to left, took second on a wild pitch and third on Ryan Riggs’ grounder to short. Logan Catton walked and so did Drennan to load the bases for Dillon, who crushed a double to center to make it 2-0.
Sears struck out the side in the top of the second. In turn, the Sox were denied in the bottom of the inning, the only inning of the game they did not score.
Easley’s second hit of the game led off the third. It was an infield hit and when the ball was mishandled the runners tried to take second only to be thrown out by Dillon, the first baseman.
Catton’s one-out single led to Bryant’s third run. Drennan’s double to center chased him home.
Sears pitched around a one-out walk in the top of the fourth. The only other baserunner Easley managed came on an error to start the sixth. But that was erased when the Sox turned a doubleplay.
The Sox doubled their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Greiner smacked a lead-off double and took third on a wild pitch. After Connor Martin walked, Speer’s sacrifice bunt got the run home and was misplayed placing runners at first and second. Martin swiped third to set the stage for Davis, who got a bunt down and beat it out for an RBI single.
Riggs sacrificed to move Speer to third and Davis to second. Catton made it 6-0 with a sacrifice fly.
What mystery that was still left in the outcome pretty much disappeared in the bottom of the sixth when Dillon led off with his triple to right. Gage Stark singled him home and advance on a wild pitch. With one out, Martin was struck by a pitch as Stark stole third.
After a pitching change, Speer stroked a single to left to plate Stark. Martin took third on a wild pitch and scored when Davis grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Bryant made it a run-rule win in the bottom of the sixth. With two out, Dillon drilled his third hit, a single to left. Slade Renfrow came on to pinch-run and took second on a wild pitch as Stark worked a walk. A wild pitch got Renfrow to third for Greiner, who knocked him in with a walk-off single.
The win improved the Sox to 3-9 this season. They were set to resume pool play on Saturday with games a pair of games, one at 11:15 a.m., and the other at 3:45 p.m.
