Senior Black Sox earn second Friday win at CWC
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Photos courtesy of Paul Dotson
Boston Heil earned a save against the KC Bullets. (Photo courtesy of Paul Dotson)
BENTONVILLE — Joey Cates and Seth Tucker combined on six shutout innings as the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team secured a 5-0 lead against the KC Bullets, just has they had earlier on Friday in a 5-2 win over the Rawlings Prospects at the CWC Tournament.
Like the Prospects, the Bullets rallied in the seventh but fell short as the Sox won 5-3, improving to 2-0-1 in the showcase event and 6-1-1 overall this season.
Dylan Hurt, Garrett Misenheimer and Jake East each drove in runs.
The Sox were set to continue play in the tourney on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., at Fayetteville High School against the Texas Outlaws, then again on Sunday at 1:30 p.m., at Shiloh Christian High School against the Extra Innings Sticks.
Cates allowed five hits, five walks and struck out five as he worked into the fifth inning. Tucker completed the fifth and worked a scoreless sixth before giving way to Logan Allen. He ran into some trouble in the seventh but Boston Heil relieved, gave up a run-scoring hit then got the final out on a comebacker to the mound to earn a save.
The Sox took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Austin Kelly and Jordan Gentry each singled and, with one out, Aaron Orender grounded into a force at second. With Matthew Sandidge at the plate, Orender left early from first, drew a throw and Austin Kelly dashed home for the first run before Orender, in a rundown, was tagged out.
Logan Allen winds up as shortstop Jake East sets up defensively at shortstop. (Photo courtesy of Paul Dotson)
After working around a walk in the first, Cates surrendered a lead-off double in the second then a walk. With one out, a ball and runners at second and third, a ball in the dirt enticed the runner from third to try to score but Jordan Gentry, the Sox catcher, pounced in the ball and got the out at the plate.
A grounder to East at short ended the threat with a runner stranded at third.
Cates worked around an infield hit and a walk in home third.
Hurt beat out an infield hit and Misenheimer walked in the top of the fourth. In an attempt to bunt them up a base, Kelly tapped into a force at third and the Sox could muster little else in the inning.
Bryant expanded the lead in the fifth. With one out, Orender and Sandidge each singled. Orender scored on a passed ball as Seth Tucker was waiting out a walk. Allen singled to load the bases and Hurt came through with a sacrifice fly.
In the home fifth, Cates fanned two on either side of a double. A hit batsman, a balk and a walk followed as the bases filled. Tucker relieved and got the next batter to tap back to the mound to preserve the shutout.
The top of the seventh started with Allen cracking a one-out single to right. Hurt walked and Misenheimer drilled an RBI single to center to make it 4-0. With two down, walks to Gentry and Jake East forced in the final tally.
Allen retired the first batter in the home seventh on a tap back to the mound but he struck the next batter then issued a walk. A fly to Kelly in right and a couple of strikes to the next batter had Allen and the Sox a strike away from the win but a base hit drove in two.
Heil entered and, after another RBI single, got the final out.
Special thanks to Sandy Orender
