Walk-off win wraps up Sox’ work at tourney
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CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Garrett Misenheimer came through with a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the bottom of seventh inning as the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team walked off and drove away with a 4-3 win over Team Citius Navy of Victoria, Texas in a consolation game at the 17U Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational Tournament today.
The Sox finish 3-1 at the tourney, which included 18 pools of four teams each with the winners of each advancing to bracket play. The 6-4-3 DP Cougars of Marietta, Ga., advanced past Bryant after a 6-1 win in the game between the two teams to open play on June 6. Those teams that didn’t advance to bracket play wound up playing one consolation game.
Boston Heil picked up the win in relief for the Sox. He and Will McEntire combined on four innings of shutout relief after Christian Harp started and ran into trouble in the top of the fourth after three shutout frames.
Bryant’s winning rally began with Coby Greiner working a walk. Logan Allen, trying to sacrifice him into scoring position, beat out the bunt for a base hit. A walk to Dylan Hurt loaded the bases and, on an 0-1 pitch, Misenheimer delivered the game-winning sac-fly.
Team Citius threatened to score in the opening inning of the game. Jarius Taylor led off with a single and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Robert Arredondo. With one out, Ronald Washington flew out to center. Taylor tried to tag and go to third but Allen fired in to Misenheimer at third in time for the tag, resulting in an inning-ending doubleplay.
In the bottom of the inning, the Sox got on the board on doubles by Hurt and Austin Kelly.
Harp pitched around the first of Marcus Cantu’s three hits and a two-out error in the second and neither team made any noise again until the bottom of the third. Greiner singled to center and Allen was plunked by a pitch from Navy starter Tommy Fordiani. Hurt hit a roller to third that allowed both runners to move up a base then Greiner raced home on a passed ball. With two down, Allen stole home to make it 3-0.
Taylor singled to start the top of the fourth for Team Citius. Arredondo walked then Washington and Cantu belted back-to-back doubles to tie the game. McEntire relieved at that point and retired the side around a one-out walk, striking out two.
A doubleplay by the Navy team erased a one-out single by Jacob Wright in the Sox’ half of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, McEntire got the first out but Ian Miller singled. Though Hurt threw him out trying to steal, the next batter, Robert Martinez reached on an error. Heil entered at that point and picked Martinez off first to end the inning.
The Sox threatened in the home fifth. With two down, Hurt reached on an error, Misenheimer singled and Kelly was struck by a pitch for the second time in the game. Miller, on in relief of Fortiani, got out of the jam by inducing a grounder to second off the bat of Jake East.
Heil retired the side in order in the sixth and worked around Cantu’s inning-opening single in the top of the seventh setting up the Sox’ walk-off work in the bottom of the seventh.
Now 4-1 overall, the Senior Sox are scheduled to travel to El Dorado for a doubleheader on Monday, June 13. They visit Cabot on Tuesday then head to Fayetteville for a Perfect Timing tournament over the weekend.
