Senior Sox open Georgia tourney with 4-2 win
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Photos courtesy of J’Ann Boyd
Coby Greiner (Photo courtesy of J’Ann Boyd)
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Logan Grant and Coby Greiner combined to pitch six shutout innings and Logan Chambers had two hits and two runs batted in as the Bryant Black Sox, playing in the 17-and-under division of the Perfect Game/East Cobb Invitational Tournament, opened pool play with a 4-2 win over the Triton Rays Prime 17-and-under team of Montgomery, Ala.., bright and early this morning at LakePoint Field in Perfect Game Park.
Grant threw four innings and allowed just two hits. He walked two and struck out five. Greiner finished the game with three innings of work, only running into trouble in the bottom of the seventh when the Rays rallied for two runs. The Sox picked two runners off base to help put down the uprising.
By then the Sox had built a 4-0 lead.
Grant pitched around an error in the first then a single and a one-out walk in the second. In the top of the third, the Sox took a 1-0 lead when, with two out, Greiner singled to center and Jake Wright yanked a triple inside the line in left.
The Rays couldn’t scratch in the third despite a hit batsman with one out and a two-out walk. In turn, the Sox were retired despite a one-out single by Cade Drennan.
In shades of things to come, Grant surrendered a two-out single in the home fourth but picked off the runner to end the inning.
Bryant tacked on a run in the fifth on a two-strike, two-out double by Peyton Dillon. Chambers had singled with one away and Greiner had walked.
Greiner took over on the mound in the bottom of the fifth, retired the first two before surrendering a single. But a tap back to the mound ended the inning.
Drennan and Logan Catton drew walks to open the Sox’ sixth. With one out, a passed ball allowed them to move to second and third for Grant, who grounded into a fielder’s choice as Drennan was thrown out at the plate. But, with Catton at third, Grant stole second. Chambers ripped a double to drive both home, making it 4-0.
Greiner struck out a pair in the bottom of the sixth as he worked around a two-out walk. Dillon and Drennan walked in the top of the seventh but were stranded after a double steal.
In the home seventh, Triton’s Jared Aldridge lined a double to left. But he had to hold up on Daniel James’ flyball so he only made it to third when the ball fell in for a double. A single by Evan Liddle plated the Rays’ first run but Greiner then picked him off first as the James held at third.
A single by Tyler Freas made it 4-2 and put the potential tying run at first. But Wright, the Bryant catcher, threw him out trying to steal before the final out came on Nicholas Gaitan’s fly to Gage Stark in center.
Now 4-0 on the season, the Sox are scheduled to play again against the Signature Park Thrashers of Buford, Ga., on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
