SPRINGDALE — Colby Morrow had three hits, Conner Martin blasted a home run and five pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout as the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team forged a 4-0 win over an NBA 17U Marucci team at Tyson Sports Complex on Friday.
The Sox became the only team to be 2-0 in pool play at the Big Fire Hawg World Series with the victory. They’re set to close out that part of the tournament on Saturday at 5 p.m., against the Cooperstown Cobras 17 Navy team at Shiloh Christian High School. Bracket play will commence on Sunday at Arvest Ballpark, home of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals minor league team.
Will Hathcote, Brandon Thomisee, Drew Hatman, Logan White and Hayden Thompson combined on the shutout with Hatman accounting for three of the innings.
The Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening inning when Ryan Riggs doubled, and Noah Davis was hit by a pitch. After they pulled off a double steal, Morrow came through with a two-run single to center.
Hathcote got through the bottom of the first despite a single and an error. In the second, he allowed another single but fanned the next batter before giving way to Thomisee, who walked the first batter he faced then struck a man out. Another walk loaded the bases but the Sox’ right-hander escaped when a fly to White in right retired the side.
Morrow doubled in the third but was stranded. Hatman worked around a two-out single in the bottom of the inning. He gave up a pair of singles in the fourth but induced a doubleplay ball that kept the shutout intact.
Blaine Sears reached on a two-base error to start the fifth. Riggs sacrificed him to third and Davis got him home with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. Martin followed with his solo dinger.
The NBA managed a two-out double in the bottom of the fifth but, again, Hatman left him stranded.
The Sox went down in order in the sixth but then so did NBA as White came in to strike out the side.
In the seventh, Thompson set down all three batters including the last two on strikes to complete the shutout.
