Taking advantage of 11 walks and four hit batsmen with four timely hits, the Bryant Black Sox 15U Junior American Legion team forged a 7-4 win over Bauxite at Bishop Park on Wednesday night.
It was a bit of a struggle for the Sox too as they walked five and committed six errors. None of Bauxite’s four runs were earned.
A six-run second put Bryant in position for the victory. Grant Dunbar picked up the win on the mound in relief of starter Carson Kemp. Lakin Woods and Clay Crawford finished up with Crawford earning a save.
Bauxite had just four hits as well.
A double, a groundout and an error produced the first run of the game as Bauxite scored in the first. Bryant tied it in the bottom of the inning when Jordan Knox walked, stole second and third then came home on a single by Luke Bickerstaff.
Walks to Kemp and Aden Palmer loaded the bases but Gage Horn flew out to left and Bickerstaff was out at the plate trying to score.
A single and an error set the stage for Bauxite to regain the upper hand in the second inning. With two out, a lined single to left made it 2-1.
Bryant’s big second-inning uprising started with Matt Griffe and Dunbar each getting hit by deliveries. Brady Brower walked to load the bases and Knox drew a free pass to force in the tying run.
Bickerstaff had an RBI walk then after Hunter Holt grounded into a force at the plate, Kemp delivered a hit that cleared the bases to make it 6-2.
A single by Palmer was followed by walks to Horn and Griffe that made it 7-2.
Bauxite whittled two runs off the lead in the top of the third on a walk, an error, a groundout, a walk and an errant pickoff throw.
The inning ended when, a runner at second tried to score on an infield error only to be thrown out at the plate.
Woods worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fourth.
After the Sox were unable to take advantage of a pair of walks in the bottom of the fourth, Crawford issued a one-out walk only to have his teammates turn an inning-ending doubleplay.
Holt singled and Kemp walked in the bottom of the fifth, but both were stranded.
Bauxite managed a one-out single in the top of the sixth came to nothing when the batter over-ran first and a throw came in from Dunbar in left to pick him off trying to get back to the bag.
Bryant is set to play in a tournament hosted by Central Baptist College in Conway this weekend.
