NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Because the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team led most of the way, when their game against the North Little Rock Colts was called after nine innings with the game tied 4-4 at DeJanis Field in Burns Park on Sunday, it was a disappointment.
The Sox came within two outs of winning in the regulation seven innings but the Colts rallied for a run to tie it. The game was called after nine innings so a Senior game between North Little Rock and Russellville could get under way.
Perhaps the Junior Colts and Sox will get a chance to determine a winner down the line. That would have to be at the State tournament, something both teams have their eye on.
Bryant closes out the regular season on Monday with a home game against Benton, starting at 7 p.m. District tournament play is set to begin on Friday at either Sheridan or Benton.[more]
On Sunday, North Little Rock took the early lead. After the Sox were unable to cash in on a pair of hit batsmen in the bottom of the first. Bryant starter Landon Pickett issued walks to the first two batters but came back to get a flyout to center. After a double steal, he induced a grounder to short that was misplayed and both runners scored.
The Sox responded with their four-run outburst. With one out, Tyler Gattin stroked a single to left and Reese O'Rourke drew a walk. A double steal followed and the North Little Rock shortstop returned the favor granted his team in the bottom of the first when he misplayed Blake Davidson's grounder and a run scored.
Back at the top of the lineup, Chris Joiner kept things going with an RBI single, taking second on a late throw to third. Lucas Castleberry's base hit to right chased in two and Bryant had its lead.
Pickett worked around a walk in the bottom of the second but a walk to Tyler Brown and another single by Gattin caught to naught for the Sox in the top of the third.
In the bottom half, a double and a one-out single cut the lead to 4-3. An error put runners at first and second but a pop out to Gattin followed and a quick throw to Brown at second resulted in a doubleplay that ended the inning.
Joiner singled to start the fourth and stole second but was stranded. After going down in order in the fifth, the Sox got a lead-off single from O'Rourke in the sixth only to have North Little Rock turn a doubleplay to get out of the inning.
Pickett, meanwhile, found his groove. After pitching around a single and a hit batsman in the fourth, he retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth. In the seventh, the Sox could muster nothing and, in the bottom of the inning, Pickett fanned the first batter. A triple to left by Shaquin Hayes put the tying run in scoring position and, four pitches later, Russ Whitlock doubled to tie the game.
With the potential winning run at second, Pickett got No. 3 hitter Zach Ketchum to fly out to Joiner in center then induced a grounder to Brown at second by clean-up hitter Tyson Tackett to send it to extra innings.
Neither team managed a baserunner in the eighth then both got their lead-off man aboard in the nine. For the Sox, that was the speedy O'Rourke who drew a walk then stole second and third as Davidson faked bunts at the plate. That cost Davidson a pair of strikes as it turned out and he fanned on a curve in the dirt for the first out. Joiner fouled out on a fine play by Ketchum, the Colts' first baseman, just short of the North Little Rock dugout. Castleberry hit the ball hard but right at the shortstop to retire the side with O'Rourke still at third.
In the home half, Brad Flippin led off with an infield hit but a pinch-runner came on and tried to steal only to have Bryant catcher Dylan Pritchett gun him down. Pickett struck out the next batter and got the final out when Hayes skied to O'Rourke in right.
