Photos courtesy of Paul Dotson
Beaux Bonvillain (Photo courtesy of Paul Dotson)
SPRINGDALE — The Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team and manager Darren Hurt got a little reminder regarding one of the things they like least about showcase tournaments and classics against travel teams on Thursday when, in the CWC Tournament Classic put on by Perfect Timing Academy, they finished their opening pool play game against the NWA Bombers of Bentonville in a 6-6 tie.
No extra innings, no winner.
The Sox will continue play in the Classic on Friday with a 10 a.m. game against Rawling Prospects (Clark) at Fayetteville High School, coming back at 3 p.m., against the KC Bullets at Bentonville High School. Saturday at 11:30 a.m., they return back to Fayetteville High against the Texas Outlaws. Sunday at 1:30 p.m., Bryant finishes up against the Extra Innings Sticks at 1:30 p.m.
That final game will be at Shiloh Christian High School where the Sox played on Thursday.
Bryant third baseman Garrett Misenheimer makes a tag on a close play at third. (Photo courtesy of Paul Dotson)
The opener was tight early. NWA took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo homer. Otherwise, Sox starter Beaux Bonvillain held the Bombers without a hit throught five innings, working around a two-out error in the first and a walk to lead off the third (which he erased with a pickoff). He fanned seven and walked just one.
Bryant got runners to second and third in the second when Austin Kelly reached on an error and, a grounder by Jordan Gentry was misplayed. Jake East sacrificed them to second and third but they were stranded.
In the third, Logan Allen reached on an error and Dylan Hurt singled. Allen raced to third but Hurt was out trying to get to second as the throw from right was cut off in time. Garrett Misenheimer was hit with a pitch but, again, Bombers escaped.
Boston Heil (Photo courtesy of Paul Dotson)
Gentry doubled to start the fourth and East walked. With one out, Joey Cates grounded out, moving the runners to second and third but a strikeout ended the threat, keeping it 1-0.
Finally, in the fifth, the Sox tied it. Allen singled and stole second, took third on Hurt’s tapper then scored on Misenheimer’s single to right.
In the sixth, NWA scored five times on five hits with a pair of errors. Boston Heil relieved Bonvillain with one out but gave up three of the hits before getting the final out and stranding a runner at third.
Bryant tied it in the seventh. The uprising was instigated by Allen, who smacked a one-out double into the left corner. Hurt singled then a base hit by Misenheimer made it 6-2. Kelly and Gentry followed with RBI singles to make it a two-run game.
After East walked, a two-out pass to Cates forced in a run. A walk to Aaron Orender forced in the tying tally.
Allen made a bid to give the Sox the lead but his fly to right was flagged out to end the inning.
Seth Tucker worked the seventh on the mound for the Sox and retired the side around a two-out walk.
Bryant finished with nine hits including two each from Allen, Hurt, Misenheimer and Gentry.
The Bombers finished with six hits. The only one that didn’t come in the sixth was the second-inning homer. The Sox committed three errors.
