Senior Sox win 3 of 4 to advance to bracket play at Memphis
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).
Photos courtesy of Samantha Breeding
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team has advanced to bracket play as one of the final eight teams in “The Hagan”, a 20-team memorial wood bat tournament, presented by Elvis Presley’s Graceland.
Chase Tucker leans back from an up-and-in delivery during Monday’s game. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
The Sox went 3-1 in pool play, which was trimmed down from seven games due to rainstorms over the weekend. After opening with a 2-1 loss to Ronin Bat out of Dallas then whipping the RSA Hawks of Gadsden, Ala., 9-1, on Friday, the Sox were idle until Monday when they knocked off the Quakes of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 4-1. They clinched their bid to the final eight with a 9-1 win over the 68’s Inside Sports Cavaliers of Kansas City, Mo., today.
Bracket play will be completed Wednesday then the Sox, now 24-3 this season, will travel to Alton, Ill., for the annual Southwest Illinois Firecracker Classic.
Bryant earned a one-seed for the bracket play and was set to take on the Memphis Tigers 18U at 8 a.m. With a win, they’d make the semifinals at 1 p.m., against the winner between the Ontario Blues Jays White team and the Evansville Wolfpack. The finals at are 6 p.m.
Black Sox 9, Cavaliers 1
Second baseman Korey Thompson fires to first after getting a force on the incoming California base-runner. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
The Sox, leading 8-1, were in the middle of their at-bat in the fifth inning with runners at second and third and two out when a balk was called allowing Harrison Dale, a courtesy runner for catcher Zach Graddy, to score. The homeplate umpire called the game at that point due to the Cavaliers’ coaches’ vehement (and profane) protests directed toward the umpires.
Bryant had just finished blowing the game up with a seven-run fourth, erasing the Kansas City team’s 1-0 lead.
Sox right-hander Devin Dupree had picked off a runner to end the Cavaliers’ first inning after a pair of singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly had produced a run. With runners at first and second, Dupree picked off the runner at second.
Dupree allowed just two hits after that, and one was erased by a doubleplay. He worked around a two-out singled in the third and a two-out walk in the fourth but, otherwise, shut down the Cavs’ offense.
(Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
The Sox had threatened in each of the first three innings but didn’t break through until the fourth when Chase Tucker walked and Dalton Holt and Brandan Warner each singled to load the bases. Graddy bounced a single through the right side and two runs scored.
Korey Thompson beat out a bunt single on a squeeze play that got Warner home. With one out, Drew Tipton walked and Blake Patterson singled in a run. With two down, Tucker stroked a triple to clear the bases and make it 7-1.
Warner walked to start the fifth then Graddy singled him to third. Dale came on to run for Graddy and Warner scored on a passed ball. Dale, after reaching second on the play, stole third but held when Thompson beat out another bunt hit and swiped second. With two down, the balk was called that allowed Dale to score and brought the griping of the Cavaliers’ coaches — and as a result the game — to an end.
Black Sox 4, Quakes 1
Nate Rutherford allowed just three hits on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
Nate Rutherford needed just 77 pitches to shackle the Quakes on just three hits over seven innings. Two of the California team’s came in the second on either side of a hit batsman and it produced the lone run.
The third hit opened the third inning and the base-runner was erased when he was doubled off after a pop to Thompson at second.
A runner was stranded after a two-out walk in the fourth. A lead-off walk in the fifth was the last Quakes’ base-runner. He was wiped out by another Sox doubleplay. Rutherford retired the last eight batters in succession.
Bryant took a 1-0 lead in the first when Patterson doubled, stole third and scored on a two-bagger by Hayden Lessenberry.
(Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
In the second, Trey Breeding cracked a one-out singled and Thompson beat out a bunt for a hit. Trevor Ezell knocked in a run with a single then Tipton loaded the bases with a bunt single. Thompson scored on a wild pitch and it was 3-1.
The fourth run scored in the fourth inning when Breeding singled and Dale, in as a courtesy runner, raced to third on a base hit by Thompson. When the ball was misplayed in right, Dale was able to score.
Black Sox 9, Hawks 1
The Sox built a 6-0 lead over the first three innings of Friday’s game and, after the Hawks scored in the top of the fourth, added three more in the home half to make it a run-rule game.
Rutherford pitched two scoreless innings then Breeding relieved in the third. C.J. Phillips closed it out with a scoreless fifth, working around a walk and a two-out error.
Rutherford gave up one hit and fanned two. Breeding pitched around a couple of hits and a walk in the third with his catcher Lessenberry throwing out a pair of base-runners. In the fourth, a single, a sacrifice and a second base hit produced the lone Hawks’ run. A second run was cut off when Holt hauled in a fly to right and threw him out at the plate as he tried to tag and score.
Hayden Lessenberry (Photo courtesy of Samantha Breeding)
Bryant took a 2-0 lead in the first when Tipton walked and stole second then Lessenberry launched a two-out, two-run homer to left-center.
In the second, Justin Emmerling singled with one down and stole second. Thompson walked and Ezell cracked an RBI single to right. A walk to Tipton loaded the bases and both Thompson and Ezell scored on wild pitches. Patterson made it 6-0 with a sacrifice fly to left.
After the Hawks scored in the top of the fourth, Thompson got another rally going with a one-out single up the middle. Ezell walked and Tipton singled to fill the sacks. Thompson scored on a wild pitch and, with two down, Lessenberry made it a day with a two-run single to left.
