Senior Sox open showcase with win behind Motes, offense
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).
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Christian Motes fired a two-hit shutout over four innings, walking one and striking out five as the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team opened pool play in the MidAmerican Premier showcase tournament at Southwest Baptist University with a 13-0 win over Northland Venom 17U on Thursday.
Cade Drennan and Logan Grant led the offense with three hits apiece. Grant drove in three. Drennan and Gage Stark drove in two each.
The Sox put six runs on the board in the first. Logan Chambers walked and Logan Catton was hit by a pitch to set the table for Drennan who singled to center to bring Chambers around. Catton scored on a passed ball then Jake Wright’s single made it 3-0.
After Wright stole second and got to third on a wild pitch, he scored on Stark’s sacrifice fly.
Grant revved it up again with a single and, after Coby Greiner was struck by a pitch, a wild pitch put them at second and third. Brayden Lester picked up an RBI with a groundout to second. Ryan Lessenberry finished off the uprising with a single to center to chase in Greiner.
Motes pitched around a two-out walk and a single in the home first. The duo advanced to second and third on a passed ball but Motes picked the runner off third to end the inning.
The Sox tacked on. Drennan doubled with one down then Stark tripled with two away. Grant’s single make it 8-0.
Northland got nothing in the bottom of the inning and Bryant’s onslaught resumed.
Lester singled but was forced at second on Lessenberry’s grounder to short. Chambers singled but was forced at second on Catton’s comebacker. With runners at the corners, a passed ball allowed Lessenberry to score then Drennan singled in Catton.
Wright was hit by a pitch then Stark singled to load the bases. Grant’s base hit plated two more and it was 12-0.
Northland’s third began with a single but the Sox turned a doubleplay to erase the base-runner.
Lester walked to start Bryant’s fourth. Lessenberry’s bouncer to first was booted then Chambers grounded into a force at second. A passed ball allowed Lester to score the final run.
Motes pitched around a one-out error in the bottom of the fourth to close out the win.
