Sox advance to semifinals at 15U Legion State tourney
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CABOT — The Bryant Black Sox 15U American Legion team opened their State Tournament in Cabot on Saturday with a pair of lopsided victories, advancing to the semifinals of the double-elimination tournament.
With the 16-1 win over Sheridan and a 15-0 win over the El Dorado Metals, the Sox advance to take on Maumelle at 1 p,m., today. With a win, they would advance to the championship round on Monday at 6. If Maumelle wins, the Sox would return for an elimination game at 6 this evening against the survivor of the Cabot-El Dorado game.
Bryant 16, Sheridan 1
On Saturday morning, the Sox broke open their first win with six runs in the top of the second and wound up winning in four. Gavin Burton went 4 for 4 with five runs batted in. Logan White was 3 for 3 including a double and a triple with three knocked in. He also scored four times. Colby Morrow and Caleb Greiner added two hits apiece as the Sox racked up 15 knocks.
Morrow and Cade Parker split time on the mound. Over the first two innings, Morrow gave up a run without a hit. He walked two and struck out a pair. Parker allowed two hits in two frames. He walked one and struck out three.
The Sox took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning. White walked, Pabon reached on an error and, after Parker grounded into a force at second, Burton beat out an infield hit to get White home.
White then pitched around a two-out error and a hit batsman in the home half of the inning.
Bryant’s game-breaking second started with Jaxon Ham getting plunked by a 1-1 delivery. Drew Hatman’s infield pop was dropped then Greiner lashed a single to left to load the bases for Calvin Myles. He picked up an RBI when he grounded to short, resulting in a force at second.
White singled in a run, stole second and, after Pabon walked, Parker tapped back to the Sheridan pitcher, who threw home to cut down Myles.
But Burton delivered again, driving in a pair with his single to right. Morrow’s base hit drove home two more to make it 7-0.
Sheridan used an error, a pair of walks and a hit batsman to get its lone run in the bottom of the second. A pop to Pabon at short ended the threat.
The blowout was in full bloom in the top of the third. Greiner singled to center, stole second and advanced to third on Myles’ groundout. That’s when White delivered his RBI triple on a drive that burned the Sheridan centerfielder.
After Pabon walked, Parker cracked a single to right to make it 9-1. Burton’s single plated two.
Parker pitched around a lead-off walk and a two-out single in the bottom of the third. The Sox then finished off the rout.
Hatman led off the fourth with a single. Though he was forced at second on Greiner’s grounder to short, Myles kept the inning going with a base hit up the middle. White doubled for another RBI.
Myles scored on a wild pitch and White followed when Pabon blooped a single to center. With two out, Burton dropped in a base hit to set the stage for Morrow’s two-run double, making it 16-1.
Sheridan started the bottom of the fourth with a single but, after a strikeout, the runner was thrown out trying to steal by Burton, the Sox’ catcher. Another strikeout ended the game.
Bryant 15, El Dorado 0
Greiner tossed a three-hit shutout over four innings. He walked one and struck out two. All three El Dorado hits were singles.
At the plate, the Sox had 11 hits, two each by Pabon, Parker and Hatman. Pabon had a double, Morrow came through with a triple. Parker drove in three runs.
A nine-run first-inning eruption put Bryant on the road to victory. Walks to White and Pabon set the table. After a double steal, Parker came through with a sacrifice fly. Burton walked then Morrow’s triple cleared the bags, making it 3-0.
A walk to Greiner led to a pitching change for El Dorado but a wild pitch allowed Morrow to score and when Ham singled, Greiner sprinted home. Hatman’s single to left made it 6-0 then Myles reached on an error and it was 7-0.
With two away, Myles stole third then scored on a lined single to center off Pabon’s bat. And when Parker was hit by a pitch, Burton walked, and a wild pitch occurred as Morrow was drawing another pass, it was 9-0.
Despite an error and a hit batsman, Greiner held El Dorado in check, aided by his teammates turning a doubleplay.
The Metals loaded the bases in the second on a pair of singles and a walk, but Greiner got the second out on strikes then induced an inning-ending groundout to Parker at third.
In Bryant’s third, Parker singled with one down, racing all the way to third when the ball got past the left-fielder. He scored on a passed ball before Burton singled.
Again, the ball was misplayed in the outfield and Burton wound up at third. Connor Martin came on to run for the Bryant catcher, scoring moments later on a passed ball to make it 11-0.
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the third, Hatman reached on an error and Myles beat out an infield hit. A balk moved them up to second and third for White, who singled in a run. Pabon’s double made it 13-0 then Parker singled to drive in the final two tallies.
Greiner worked around a two-out single and a hit batsman in the bottom of the fourth as the Sox wrapped up the run-rule win.
