Sox 17’s win first two games at Russellville tourney
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be posting 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).
RUSSELLVILLE — The Bryant Black Sox 17-year-old Junior American Legion team swept a pair of games at a tournament in Russellville, outscoring Siloam Springs and Texarkana by a combined 15-1.
In the opener, the Sox downed Siloam Springs 7-1 behind the pitching of Garrett Wilson with an inning of relief each from Connor Coleman and Zion Collins. In the second game, Peyton Dillon threw five shutout innings then Logan Catton finished up in an 8-0 win.
The victories improved the Sox to 8-3 on the season going into a final game on Saturday against Sheridan.
The 17-and-under Sox will then be off until a trip to Harmony Grove in Haskell on June 11. The Bryant 15-and-under team (many of the same players) head to the East Cobb-Perfect Game showcase in the Atlanta, Ga., area on Sunday.
Bryant 7, Siloam Springs 1
Benefitting from seven walks and three errors, the Sox finished with five hits including two by Aaron Morgan in the first victory.
Wilson pitched four innings and gave up the lone run on three hits without a walk. He struck out three. Coleman worked a scoreless fifth despite a pair of walks then Collins pitched around a walk and a single in the sixth to close out the victory.
The lone Siloam run came in the bottom of the first when the team managed two of its hits. A single, a steal, a groundout and a two-out hit produced the tally before Wilson got the final out.
Bryant tied it in the top of the third. With one out, Noah Davis reached on an error, advancing to second. He took third on Ryan Riggs’ groundout to first. After Wilson walked, Davis and Coleman, in as a courtesy runner for the pitcher, pulled off a double steal.
Wilson pitched around a pair of two-out walks in the bottom of the third then the Sox erupted for five runs. A walk to Will Hathcote got things started. Ryan Lessenberry singled and Morgan sacrificed them to second and third.
After a pitching change, a passed ball allowed Hathcote to score before Tyler Bates walked to load the bases. Lessenberry came in on Collins’ groundout. Morgan scored on a single up the middle by Davis. Riggs then squeezed in the fourth run of the frame. Davis followed when the pitcher threw the ball away on Riggs’ bunt.
The Sox tacked on in the top of the sixth. With two down, Wilson and Blaine Sears each walked. With Coleman running for Wilson again, he and Sears worked a double steal and, on an errant throw, Coleman scored to make it 7-1.
Collins ended the game with his two strikeouts.
Bryant 8, Texarkana 0
The Sox claimed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. They tacked on a run in the fourth when Catton walked, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Dillon’s single to right.
In the fifth, Davis walked and took second on a wild pitch. Riggs singled him home to make it 5-0.
Cade Drennan slugged an inside the park home run in the top of the sixth after Dillon had walked and Gage Stark had been hit by a pitch.
Texarkana had baserunners in every inning against Dillon, but the right-hander kept them off the board. In the bottom of the sixth, Catton retired the side in order.
