Logan White faced 16 batters, struck out 11 and did not allow a hit in a five-inning gem for the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team at Bryant High School Field on Wednesday night. The Little Rock Cobras managed one baserunner on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch in the top of the third.
White was that close to perfection as the Sox bounced back from an 11-1 loss at Jacksonville on Tuesday night with an 11-0 win over the Cobras.
Jaxon Ham had two of the Black Sox’ five hits in the game. Bryant erupted for all 11 runs in the third inning, taking advantage of four walks, three hit batsmen and three errors in that inning.
The Junior Sox are scheduled to play in the Big Fire Central Arkansas Memorial Day Classic this weekend. They’ll take on Arkansas Express 16 at Joe T. Robinson High School on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. Sunday, they’re scheduled to play at the University of Central Arkansas against the Rocktown Red Sox at 2:45 then Monday at UCA at 11:45 a.m., against the Rocktown Rockies.
Bryant’s big inning on Wednesday began with Mason Butler beating out an infield hit on a grounder up the middle that was flagged by Cobras’ second baseman Owen McCrory.
Cade Parker followed with a grounder to short that drew a wild throw to first. Butler raced to third and Parker wound up at second as the top of the batting order came around with White who drew a walk to load the bases.
Little Rock starter James Freyaldenhoven, who had held the Sox to one hit over the first two innings, issued a bases-loaded walk to Ham, forcing in the game’s first tally. Gavin Burton followed with a sacrifice fly to center, and it was 2-0.
With Ham at first and White, who tagged up at second on Burton’s fly, at third, Ham started to head to second but pulled up as Freyaldenhoven tossed a pickoff throw to first baseman Eli Coleman. In turn, Coleman fired to shortstop Caleb Collins as Ham stopped and White took off towards home. Ham got back to first and White slid home ahead of the tag.
Hunter Holt then came through with the big blow of the inning, a shot to the gap in left center for an RBI double.
Holt took third on a wild pitch and, after Luke Bickerstaff drew a free pass, a wild pitch allowed him to score. Gage Horn walked and Grant Dunbar was struck by a 1-0 pitch to load the bases and the Cobras made a pitching change, trailing 5-0.
The new hurler Christian Potts got the first two strikes on Butler but then hit him with a pitch to force in a run. After getting the second out on strikes, Potts faced White, who delivered a liner over McCrory’s head at second for a two-run single.
Ham singled to drive in Butler and when the return throw from the outfield got away, White took third and Ham moved up to second. White would score on a wild pitch to make it 10-0. Ham scored the final run when Holt’s grounder to first was booted.
After retiring the first eight batters, six on strikes, McCrory worked the Cobras’ walk after fouling off a pair of 3-2 pitches. White came back to fan Will Bratton to end the inning then set down the last six after that, four on strikes.
