SPRINGDALE — On Saturday, the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team won its first game in bracket play at the Chad Wolff Classic but lost a second game to the eventual champion U.S. Nationals.
With the 12-2 win over the Arkansas Trojans and the 11-3 loss, the Sox are 12-7 on the season going into a home game against Jacksonville on Wednesday, June 23.
Both games were played at Shiloh Christian High School in Springdale.
In the victory, the Sox blew open a 1-0 game with nine runs in the bottom of the second. They used just six hits — four of them doubles — to take advantage of eight walks and two errors.
J.T. Parker had two knocks while Noah Davis drove in three and Lawson Speer chased home two.
Brandon Thomisee pitched all four innings of the rout, scattering six hits, walking two and fanning six.
After pitching around a one-out single in the top of the first, Thomisee issued a lead-off walk then hit a batter to start the second. He came back to strike out the next two batters and appeared to be out of the jam before an error allowed a run to score. After a walk, Thomisee struck out his third batter of the inning.
Parker ignited the Black Sox’ answer with a one-out single in the bottom of the second. Speer walked and Logan White got a bunt down and beat it out for a single. And when a throw to first got away, Parker scored, and the Sox had runners at second and third.
Ethan Andrews drew a walk to load the base and, with two away, Ryan Riggs drew a free pass to force in a run, giving the Sox a 2-1 lead.
Davis then cleared the bases with a drive to right for a double. He took third on a passed ball as Conner Martin drew a walk against a new Trojans pitcher.
When Colby Morrow walked the sacks were full again. Parker hit a grounder to second, but it was misplayed allowing Davis and Martin to score.
Speer doubled to make it 9-1.
The Trojans managed a pair of two-out singles in the top of the third but could not score.
Bryant tacked on in the bottom of the third. Walks to Blaine Sears and Davis set the table. With two out, Morrow doubled in a run. Davis scored on an errant pickoff throw then Parker doubled to drive in the 12th run.
The Trojans picked up a run on a single, a double and a base hit in which the Sox got the batter in a rundown and tagged him out between first and second. Thomisee ended the game with a pair of strikeouts.
In the loss, the U.S. Nationals scored 10 runs in the first and never looked back.
