Sport Shop Sox put together six-run fourth to subdue Morrilton
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MORRILTON — Right-hander Dakota Besancon allowed just three hits over six innings and the[more] Bryant Sport Shop Black Sox AA American Legion team erupted for six runs in the top of the fourth on their way to a 14-6 win over Morrilton on Wednesday night.
Justin Emmerling had two of the Sox’s eight hits as they took advantage of nine Morrilton errors, five walks and a hit batsman to build a 14-2 lead. Morrilton rallied for four in the bottom of the seventh.
The win improved Sport Shop to 2-2 on the season, going into a doubleheader at Cabot on Tuesday, June 4.
Morrilton scored the game’s first run with a two-out single that was misplayed in the outfield put a runner at second. Another error put runners at the corners and Besancon was cited for a balk that allowed the run to score.
He would then shut out Morrilton on one hit through five with four strikeouts and no walks.
The Sox tied it in the second without a hit. Michael Martindale reached on a third-strike wild pitch, stole second and third then scored on an error.
After Besancon struck out the side in the bottom of the inning, Daniel Darbonne reached second on a throwing error, took third on a passed ball and scored when C.J. Phillips grounded out to second.
Emmerling followed with Bryant’s first hit and when Hunter Oglesby’s grounder to short got through into left-center, Emmerling hustled home. Oglesby wound up on second and, after he stole third, scored on a double by Caleb Chaffin to make it 4-1.
Besancon worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the inning then the Sox took control of the game with the big fourth. A walk to Devon Fuquay started the uprising. Nick Kehrees was hit by a pitch and, with one out, Phillips reached on an error that allowed Fuquay to score. And when Phillips took off for second and drew a throw, Kehrees stole home. Phillips wound up at second on the play and scored moments later on a base hit by Emmerling.
Another stolen base helped produce a run when Oglesby reached on an error. He swiped second and scored when Martindale’s grounder to second was misplayed. Bradley Plunkett’s RBI double capped off the uprising.
It stayed 10-1 until the bottom of the sixth when Morrilton tacked on a run. A hit batsman, a single and another plunking loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly got the run in. After a wild pitch allowed the runners to move to second and third, Besancon got the final out on a fly to Fuquay in right.
In the top of the seventh, Kehrees reached second on a miscue and, after stealing third, scored when Andrew Kincaid’s grounder to short was booted. Kincaid swiped second and walks to Phillips and Weston Davis loaded the bases for Oglesby, who cleared the bases with a double.
Jonathan Long got his first work on the mound this season in the bottom of the inning and, after a shaky start when he hit a batter and walked one, he settled down and retired a batter. An error extended the inning then a double that was misplayed made it 12-6 before he retired the side.
