TEXARKANA — Down to nine players, the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team traveled to Texarkana on Saturday and earned a split. Behind the resilient pitching of Landon Pickett and a six-run third inning uprising keyed by a three-run double from Austin Johnson, the Sox won the first game, 9-3. In the second game, Texarkana's Justin Mosbey pitched a one-hit shutout in a 10-0 win.
Bryant was short-handed because of injuries to three players and others playing with the Senior team, short-handed itself, in Fayetteville. Doubleheaders against Hope on Sunday and Lake Hamilton on Monday have been postponed or canceled.[more]
The first game was scoreless through two innings. The Sox turned a doubleplay in the bottom of the first to help Pickett overcome a pair of singles. In the second, Texarkana loaded the bases with two down on a single, a fielder's choice, another base hit and a walk. But lead-off man Blake Resecker bounced into a force to end the frame with the game still scoreless.
Texarkana pitcher Daniel Spears overcame an error that allowed Lucas Castleberry to reach and with two down a single by Pickett. The Sox went down in order in the second but, after the escape in the bottom of the inning, they got something going in the third. With one out, Tyler Brown singled and scored on a base hit by Castleberry. After Castleberry stole second, Dylan Pritchett walked. The duo pulled off a double steal and Castleberry scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0.
Walks to Pickett and Matt Neal loaded the bases for Johnson who burned the center fielder for a double that cleared the bases.
Blake Toye relieved for Texarkana but was greeted by Brodie Nixon who drilled a double to chase Johnson home, making it 6-0.
Pickett retired the side in order in the bottom of the third and the Sox offense went back to work in the fourth. Castleberry and Pritchett cracked consecutive doubles to make it 7-0. Pickett drew a walk and a wild pitch advanced runners to second and third with no one out, but Toye worked out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts.
Texarkana got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. With two down, Patrick Reynolds singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a base hit by Drake Freeman.
The Sox countered with two more in the top of the fifth. Chris Jackson drew a lead-off walk but was forced at second on a grounder to short by Tyler Gattin. Thanks to an errant relay to first, Gattin wound up at second. He scored from there with two down when Castleberry singled, his third hit of the game.
Castleberry took second on a late throw home then third on a wild pitch. He scored when Pritchett's grounder to short was booted.
A walk, a double and a single produced two Texarkana runs in the bottom of the inning but Pickett got out of the inning then worked around a two-out single in the sixth and a pair of two-out hits in the seventh to close out the win.
In the second game, Texarkana took advantage of a hit batsman and a walk to score twice in the first inning. Two walks and an infield hit loaded the bases in the second with no one out but the Sox got an out on a force at the plate before an error allowed a run. They turned a doubleplay, however, to keep it at that.
But a six-run third blew the game up. Texarkana took advantage of three walks and another error with three hits.
Meanwhile, Mosbey retired the first nine Bryant batters. Tyler Brown reached on an error to start the fourth but a doubleplay followed.
In the fifth, Neal broke up the no-hitter with a one-out single. Nixon walked but the Sox couldn't get on the board. So when Texarkana scored in the bottom of the fifth on a walk and a pair of one-out singles ended it.
