Senior Sox complete 4-0 run in pool behind Dupree’s two-hitter
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).
ALTON, Ill. — Right-hander Devin Dupree whipped up a two-hitter and the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team erupted for seven runs in the last two innings on the way to an 8-1 win over Jereseyville, Ill., this afternoon. The win completed a sweep through pool play at the Southwest Illinois Firecracker Classic.
The Sox, now 30-4 overall, advance to the semifinals of the event on Sunday at 11 a.m., against Zone 4 rival, Texarkana. With a win, they would advance to the championship game at 3:30 p.m., at Longacre Park in Fairview Heights, Ill.
The lone Jerseyville run was unearned. It came in the first. After an error and a pair of passed balls as Dupree issued a walk. The trail runner tried to steal second. The Sox cut the ball off as the runner from third broke and the relay to the plate was in time for the out.
The next batter, however, singled in the runner from second.
The Bryant hurler worked around an error in the second, a one-out single in the third, and a lead-off walk in the fifth. He retired the last nine batters of the game. He struck out four while walking just two.
The Sox were held scoreless through three innings but, in the fourth, they tied it. Walks to Chase Tucker and Blake Patterson set the table. They worked a double steal and Tucker scored on Hayden Lessenberry’s groundout, tying the game at 1. Patterson was thrown out trying to steal third just ahead of Dalton Holt’s double to left.
In the fifth, a two-out single by Korey Thompson got the offense revved up. Drew Tipton singled to left and Tucker was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Patterson who clubbed a drive to deep right for a bases-clearing triple.
After a pitching change, Hayden Lessenberry drew a walk and Dalton Holt hammered an RBI single to make it 5-1.
Justin Emmerling led off the Bryant sixth with a double into the left-field corner. After taking third on a wild pitch, he scored on Harrison Dale’s single to right. Dale stole second and went to third on a knock by Korey Thompson. Tipton plated the run with a sacrifice fly then Tucker smacked a double to center to cap the scoring.
