ARKADELPHIA — After the Arkansas Pulpwood 18U team rallied to forge a 6-6 tie in the top of the sixth, the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team countered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to capture the 2021 2D Battle in Arkadelphia championship on Sunday at Ouachita Baptist University.
The Sox went 5-0 in the showcase, finishing up pool play earlier on Sunday with a 16-1 romp over the Arkansas Pulpwood 17U team.
The wins improved Bryant to 22-8 this season going into a game on Tuesday against Little Rock at UALR.
Bryant 10, Arkansas Pulpwood 18U 6
Ryan Riggs, Colby Morrow and Logan White each had two hits. Noah Davis slugged a homer while Riggs drove in three and White knocked in two.
Will Hathcote pitched into the sixth allowing just two hits, but he walked two and hit three batters. He fanned seven and took a 6-3 lead into the top of the sixth. Tyler Bates relieved and allowed a single that loaded the bases then walked two to force in runs that tied the game before he got out of the inning with a strikeout.
The Sox’ game-winning uprise started with Gavin Burton getting drilled on a 2-0 pitch. Blaine Sears walked. After a pitching change, a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third for Riggs, who clubbed a double to left, driving both home.
Riggs tagged and went to third on Davis fly to center for the first out. Martin got him home with a sacrifice fly to right.
The inning continued with a double by Morrow. Lawson Speer reached on an error and when White singled, it made it 10-6.
The Sox have now won 10 of their last 11 games.
They took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Walks to Riggs and Martin set the table for Morrow who delivered a single to center for the first run. Speer’s sacrifice fly scored Martin.
In the second, Burton doubled with one out and, with two down, Riggs singled him home. Davis followed with his home run to center, making it 5-0.
Hathcote had hit the first batter of the game but then retired six in a row. In the third, he hit another lead-off batter, but this time, it was followed by a two-run homer.
But he retired the next three batters to keep it 5-2, starting a string in which he set down seven in a row before an outfield error allowed a Pulpwood batter to circle the bases to make it 5-3.
Hathcote came back to strike out the next two batters to send it to the bottom of the fifth.
Walks to Martin and Morrow had two on with two out for the Sox. The duo worked a double steal and White came through with an RBI single to right to make it 6-3.
Another hit batsman and a walk started Pulpwood’s comeback in the top of the sixth. The Sox turned a doubleplay, leaving a runner at third. But a walk and an RBI single kept the inning going and cut the lead to 6-4 as Hathcote gave way to Bates.
An infield hit loaded the bases then Bates struggled with the strike zone. A walk on a 3-2 pitch forced in a run then four balls after a first-pitch strike made it 6-6.
But Bates dialed it in and got the final strikeout on three pitches.
Bryant 16, Arkansas Pulpwood 17U 1
Martin went 4 for 5 with three RBIs and three doubles; Ethan Andrews went 2 for 2 with a double and a homer and three knocked in; and Speer went 2 for 2 with a homer and three knocked in. White added two knocks and Davis tripled.
A 10-run top of the fifth turned a 6-1 lead into a rout in support of the pitching of Brandon Thomisee, who scattered three hits, walked one and struck out nine in five innings.
The Sox scored in every inning. In the first, Riggs walked, Martin doubled, and Morrow delivered a sacrifice fly for the first tally.
In the second, Andrews and Sears were each plunked by a pitch. A passed ball moved them to second and third ahead of Davis’ three-bagger on a drive to right.
After Thomisee had pitched around a third-strike wild pitch that allowed a runner in the first, Pulpwood scratched out its lone run in the bottom of the second. A hit batsman with two down and a man at second was followed by an infield hit that plated the run. But Thomisee ended the inning by picking off a runner at third.
Speer got that run back in short order, slugging a homer on the second pitch of the third inning. White singled but was caught trying to steal second. Burton lined a base hit to center then Andrews belted his home run to left to make it 5-1.
After Thomisee struck out two in a 1-2-3 home third, the Sox added another run in the top of the fourth on consecutive singles by Martin, Morrow and Speer.
Thomisee struck out the side around a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth then the 10-run eruption started in the top of the fifth. Andrews walked, Sears was hit by a pitch, Riggs walked, and Davis was plunked to force in the first run. Martin doubled in two and, after Morrow walked to fill the sacks again, Speer drew an RBI pass to make it 10-1.
White’s bloop single plated Martin then Pulpwood managed the first out of the inning when Burton tapped back to the mound for a force at the plate.
But Andrews revved up the offense again with a two-run double. Sears singled in a run and Riggs made it 15-1 with a sacrifice fly to center.
After Davis walked, Martin delivered the final run with his third double.
Pulpwood managed a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning before Thomisee ended the game with his ninth strikeout.
