FORT SMITH — Coming off a 2-1 showing in the Big Fire Showcase, the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team went 2-3 at a tournament in Fort Smith over the weekend.
They opened with a 3-2 loss to Three Rivers on Friday, but bounced back the next day to defeat Fort Smith Forsgren, 9-3. Later on Saturday, they ran into Creighton Prep of Omaha, Neb., and absorbed a 10-3 loss.
On Sunday, they opened with a 12-8 win over defending Arkansas Senior Legion State champion Fort Smith Sportsman before taking on Creighton again and dropped a 9-4 decision.
The results leave the Sox 5-4 on the season going into a doubleheader on Tuesday at home against Cabot, weather permitting. The twinbill was originally set for June 1 but was rained out.
This weekend, the Sox head to Memphis for the 2D Scout Games.
Three Rivers 3, Bryant 2
The Sox grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth, but Three Rivers tied it in the home fifth and picked up the winning run in the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, Bryant made a bid to tie or take the lead when Logan White walked, and Lawson Speer singled to left. Drew Hatman sacrificed them to second and third. Ryan Riggs followed with a grounder to third and when White tried to score, he was thrown out at the plate. A strikeout ended the game.
In the sixth, Noah Davis has led off by getting hit by a pitch then Conner Martin singled. Davis stole third then Martin stole second, but both were stranded.
Trailing 1-0, the Sox came up in the top of the fourth and scored twice. Riggs led off with an infield hit then Davis reached on an error. They moved up on Martin’s grounder to first then J.T. Parker singled in a run. With two out, Gavin Burton singled to plate Davis with the go-ahead tally.
Brandon Thomisee, Josh Turner, Tyler Bates and Colby Morrow pitched for the Sox with Morrow absorbing the loss.
Bryant 9, FS Forsgren 3
Riggs and Morrow each had three hits to lead the Black Sox’ attack.
Five pitchers worked on the mound for Bryant, White, Davis, Martin, Bates and Caleb Greiner.
The Sox broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings.
A four-run first began Riggs ripping a double to right. After a wild pitch allowed him to go to third, Davis drew a walk. Martin’s sacrifice fly made it 1-0. Davis stole third and scored on a passed ball before Morrow walked. A free pass to Burton was followed by a wild pitch that got Morrow home White then singled in the fourth run.
White, the starter on the mound, worked a 1-2-3 home half then the Sox struck for two more as Hatman was hit by a pitch and Riggs walked. Davis sacrificed them to second and third. A walk to Parker with two down. Morrow singled in two.
The Sox turned a double play in the bottom of the second to erase a lead-off walk.
Davis took over on the mound in the bottom of the third and worked around a lead-off single and a two-out walk.
Forsgren struck for all three of its runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut Bryant’s lead in half.
The Sox countered with three in the top of the fifth. Morrow got the uprising started with a single. Morrow stole second and, with two out, Speer singled him in. Luke Dreher walked then Riggs blooped a single to left to make it 8-3.
Despite an error and a single with one out in the bottom of the fifth, Forsgren could not score as Greiner induced a doubleplay ball to end the threat.
The Sox finished off the scoring in the top of the sixth when Martin walked, stole second and, after Morrow singled him to third, Burton delivered a sacrifice fly.
Greiner worked a 1-2-3 sixth and worked around a one-out single in the seventh.
Creighton Prep 10, Bryant 3
Creighton broke open a tight game with five runs in the top of the sixth that turned a 4-3 game into a 9-3 lead.
Riggs, Parker and Burton each had two hits for Bryant. All of the Sox’ runs came in the second after Creighton had taken a 2-0 lead in the first.
Burton opened the inning with a single to center. Parker followed suit then White walked to load the bases. Both Burton and Parker scored when Hatman’s grounder to third was misplayed. White scored the go-ahead run when Riggs singled to left.
But Creighton turned a doubleplay to end the uprising there.
Creighton tied it with a run in the top of the third. After Bryant was unable to take advantage of a one-out double in the bottom of the third, Creighton took the lead with a run in the top of the fourth.
After Creighton’s game-breaking sixth, Burton singled, Parker doubled, and White walked with two out in the home half. But they were stranded.
Creighton added a run in the top of the seventh to set the final score.
Bryant 12, Fort Smith Sportsman 8
A six-run third and the four-run sixth vaulted the Black Sox past the defending State champs. Martin and Riggs each had two hits with Martin’s including a home run. Bryant took advantage of seven walks and seven errors with seven hits.
Martin’s blast with two outs in the first gave the Sox an early 1-0 lead only to have Fort Smith counter with a four-run bottom of the inning ignited by a lead-off homer.
In the top of the third, Martin’s grounder to short was booted with one out then Morrow drew a walk. And when Burton drew a free pass, the bases were loaded for Parker. His walk forced in a run bringing up White.
On an 0-2 count, White singled to right. Morrow scored then Burton beat a throw to the plate. And when the throw got away, Parker scored as well to put the Black Sox up 5-4.
White wound up on third and when Speer’s grounder to third was kicked, he scored. A walk to Hatman brought up Riggs, who singled in Speer to make it 7-4.
A walk to Martin loaded the bags again but a strikeout ended the outburst.
Bates, on in relief of Turner, worked around a two-out single in the bottom of the third and the Sox tacked on a run in the top of the fourth when Burton was plunked by a 3-2 pitch, stole second, took third when White’s grounder was misplayed then scored on an errant pickoff throw.
Sportsman whittled a run off the 8-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth then scored two in the fifth to cut the margin to 8-7.
Bryant’s big answer began with Parker getting hit by a 3-2 pitch to start the sixth. White got a bunt down and when the third base threw the ball away, the Sox had runners at second and third.
Speer was issued an intentional walk to load the bases. Hatman grounded into a force at the plate but Riggs’ grounder to first was misplayed as White scored to make it 9-7.
When Davis was hit by a pitch, Speer walked home the Martin was plunked forcing in Hatman. With two down, Jaxon Ham was struck by a 1-1 pitch and Riggs scored the final run.
Fort Smith loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth. A run scored when the Sox got a force play at second but couldn’t turn the doubleplay.
Morrow, however, ended the uprising there with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the seventh, a single and a walk had Fort Smith in position to rally. After another walk filled the sacks, a rain delay gave the Sox a chance to regroup. When play resumed, Morrow induced a pop to Davis at short then struck out the next two batters to sew up the victory.
Creighton Prep 9, Bryant 4
A six-run first put Creighton in position for another victory over the Sox.
Bryant broke through with two in the top of the fourth when Burton doubled with one out and Parker chased him home with a triple. With two down, Speer singled to make it 6-2.
Creighton made it 9-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
In the seventh, the Sox took advantage of Morrow and Burton getting struck by pitches. Davis, who had reached on an error before that scored on a single by Parker. Cade Parker, running for Morrow, scored on a wild pitch to set the final score. A groundout ended the contest.
