Senior Sox split first two pool games at 18U Classic
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FAYETTEVILLE — At Arvest Stadium in Springdale, home of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team opened the Chad Wolffe Classic pool play with a 5-1 win over Clutch Performance Academy on Thursday.
The Sox traveled to Fayetteville High School for a second pool play game only to fall there, 4-2, to the Sandlot Sox.
Bryant, now 6-3, will continue pool play on Friday at 3:45 p.m., against Prodigy Prime 17 at Greenland High School.
Bryant 5, Clutch Performance 1
Christian Motes and Coby Greiner combined on a five hitter, allowing just one run. Motes fanned four and walked just one while working the the fifth inning. Greiner finished, allowing just a walk.
The Sox won despite being held to three hits, one each by Cade Drennan, Gage Stark and Greiner.
They took a1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Brennan clubbed a double with two out. He took third on a passed ball and scored when Jake Wright’s grounder to third was misplayed.
Clutch tied it in the top of the second on a single and a one-out triple. But Motes picked off the runner at third then ended the threat with a strikeout.
It stayed tied until the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Logan Chambers reached on an error. An errant pickoff throw allowed him to take second before Logan Catton drew a walk. They moved to second and third when Drennan grounded out. After Wright walked, Stark came through with a two-run single to make it 3-1.
Logan Grant drew a walk to set the stage for Greener who lined a double to center, plating two more.
Greiner issued his walk with one out in the top of the seventh but a strikeout and a fly to Grant in right ended the game.
Sandlot 4, Bryant 2
Again, the Sox only managed three hits. This time, however, it wasn’t enough as Sandlot scored four times in the second and made it stand up for the win.
A solo homer by C Lott started the second-inning uprising. A walk, a one-out single and a two-run double by R Lynn made it 3-0. C. Hill singled to make it 4-0 before Catton, the Bryant starter, got a strikeout then Hill was caught stealing to end the inning.
Slade Renfrow relieved in the third and went the rest of the way, five innings, without giving up a hit. He retired 15 of the last 17 batters.
The Sox whittled a run off the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, Chambers singled. With two out, Drennan walked. On a wild pitch, Chambers scored from second. Ryan Riggs, running for Drennan, made it to third but was stranded.
Bryant scored it second run in the bottom of the fifth. Noah Davis walked but was forced at second on a grounder to short by Chambers. He stole second and advanced to third on a grounder to the right side by Catton. Moments later, he scored on a wild pitch as Drennan drew another free pass.
Wright’s grounder to third was booted but a fly out to right ended the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Brayden Lester drew a two-out walk and Davis lined a single to left but they were stranded.
Drennan drew a one-out walk in the seventh. With two down, the Sox’ hopes stayed alive when Stark reached on an error. But a grounder to second led to a force that ended the game.
