Sox double up at Wolffe Classic as Seniors follow-up Junior title victory
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FAYETTEVILLE — Slade Renfrow, Tyler Bates and Coby Greiner combined on a three-hit shutout to make two runs in the third and sixth innings hold up for a 4-0 win over the KC Bullets as the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team captured the 18U championship of the annual Chad Wolffe Classic at Baum-Walker Stadium today.
Cade Drennan and Gage Stark each had two hits and Logan Chambers belted a two-run inside-the-park homer to pace the offense as the Sox improved to 9-3 overall going into their annual trip to Omaha, Neb., for a tournament in conjunction with the College World Series.
The Sox finished the tourney with consecutive shutouts as Sunday’s whitewash came on the heels of Logan Grant’s no-hitter on Saturday.
Renfrow pitched around a two-out single in the first and a hit batsman in the second, recording four of the six outs on strikes. In the third, he fanned another before surrendering a two-out walk. But Drennan, the Bryant catcher, threw the runner out trying to steal.
Until that point, it was still a scoreless game. The Sox had only mustered a single by Jake Wright to lead off the bottom of the second. In the third, however, Noah Davis lined a single to left and was sacrificed to second by Greiner. On a 1-0 pitch, Chambers belted a drive to the fence in right-center. The Bullets’ outfielders collided on the warning track and the right-fielder recovered in time to make a play on the relay, but Chambers slid home safely for the inside-the-parker.
Logan Catton walked and Drennan singled to spur more of a threat, but a pair of strikeouts ended the inning.
Bates came on in relief in the top of the fourth and allowed a one-out single to left that came to nothing.
In the home fourth, Logan Grant drew a walk and Stark beat out a bunt for a hit. Davis sacrificed them to second and third but Greiner’s fly to left wasn’t deep enough to score Grant and the threat ended when Chambers bounced out to first.
Bates plunked a batter with one out in the fifth. A steal of second and an error allowed the runner to reach third. But a grounder to Catton at third didn’t allow the runner to score then Bates induced a comebacker to preserve the shutout.
Despite another single by Drennan and a walk to Wright, it was still a 2-0 game going into the sixth. With one out, Bates issued a four-pitch walk and the Sox turned to Greiner. On a 1-1 pitch, a grounder to Davis at second started an inning-ending doubleplay.
Insurance came in the home sixth when Grant walk and Stark belted a double to left. Grant scored on a wild pitch as Davis drew a walk. Greiner then got a squeeze bunt down to get Stark home.
In the top of the seventh, Greiner struck out the first batter. A single to right followed but, once again, a doubleplay followed. On a comebacker, Greiner whirled and threw to Chambers, the shortstop, for the force at second. He relayed to Peyton Dillon at third and the Sox had a double championship as the Senior victory came on the heels of the Junior team’s finals victory with several of the younger players helping out in both.
