Early in an American Legion season, with pitchers who often haven’t been on the mound in competition for a while, this kind of thing can happen. In the season-opener for both teams, the Bryant Black Sox and Little Rock Vipers Senior Legion teams combined to walk 21 batters in an eight-inning game.
So, it’s kind of fitting that the walk-off win for the Black Sox came via a wild pitch. Logan White scored as Bryant forged a come-from-behind 6-5 victory in eight innings.
Eight pitchers — four for each team — knocked the rust off. After the Vipers had tied the game 5-5 in the top of the seventh, Colby Morrow pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam and wound up picking up the win with a 1-2-3 eighth to set up Bryant’s winning rally.
Not to be overlooked was the relief work of Josh Turner who calmed things down after Little Rock had taken a 3-0 lead. Turner walked no one in his 2 2/3 innings as the Sox rallied to take a 5-3 lead.
Bryant had seven hits to go with 12 walks. The Sox also struck out 12 times. Conner Martin and Lawson Speer each had two knocks. Martin drove in a pair.
White singled to lead off the bottom of the eighth. With one out, J.T. Parker drew a walk and with Morrow at the plate, White and Parker worked a double steal. Morrow wound up drawing a free pass on a 3-2 delivery before Brett Gastman, who came on in relief in the fifth and should’ve been out of the ballgame, fired the first pitch to Ethan Andrews over everyone’s head and to the backstop to allow White to score.
The Vipers had used a pair of high school rules in the game that aren’t allowed in Legion ball, the re-entry and courtesy runner rules. Bryant manager Darren Hurt noted those infractions but passed on making too big a protest, letting it ride.
Little Rock had used a courtesy runner for Gastman in the seventh. Earlier, they had subbed for starting pitcher Jack Cline then re-entered him to play first later.
Tyler Bates started for Bryant and struggled with his command. In the first, Cole Somers lashed a one-out single to right then Gastman walked. A pair of wild pitches allowed Somers to score before Bates retired the next two batters.
In the second, walks to Andrew Pickering and Hunter Belton started the inning. Morrow made a splendid diving catch on a popped-up bunt in foul territory to get the first out then Asher Hastings popped to Martin at short. A walk to Grant Jones loaded the bases and another wild pitch allowed Pickering to score.
After another free pass re-filled the sacks, Bates fanned Gastman to keep it 2-0.
In the top of the third, Bates fanned Cline then Ky Warren drilled a triple, and, at 71 pitches, Bates gave way to Turner. Belton’s two-out single made it 3-0.
Meanwhile, Cline had pitched around a two-out single by Martin in the first. In the second, Gavin Burton drew the first of his three walks then Speer slapped a single to right. The Vipers got out of the inning with a strikeout and a pickoff.
In the third, however, Ryan Riggs belted a one-out triple. White walked then Martin delivered the Sox’ first run with a sacrifice fly to right.
After Turner pitched around a one-out double by Jones in the top of the fourth, the Black Sox rallied to take the lead. A one-out walk to Burton started the uprising. Back-to-back singles by Speer and Drew Hatman loaded the bases and, with two down, Riggs drew an RBI walk.
Charlie Warren relieved for Little Rock but he walked White on four pitches to force in the tying run. And when the count went to 2-0 on Martin, Warren gave way to Zach Wafford. He completed the walk to Martin, forcing in Hatman before retiring the side with the Sox up 4-3.
Turner retired the Vipers in order in the top of the fifth and when Gastman took the mound in the bottom of the inning, Cline returned to play first.
Gastman walked Morrow and Burton then hit Speer with a 1-2 delivery to load the bases. Despite a mound visit, Gatsman walked Hatman to force in a run.
But the lefty settled down at that point and struck out the next three batters.
Hatman relieved for Bryant in the sixth and worked around a two-out walk to Hastings. In turn, Martin ripped a line drive that Vipers’ shortstop Jack Cleveland actually jumped up to try to catch. The ball was hit so hard that it wound up rolling to the fence in left-center before the outfielders could get to it.
J.T. Parker followed with a walk but, again, Gastman worked out of the trouble to keep it 5-3.
Little Rock’s game-tying uprising in the top of the seventh started with — you guessed it — a walk. Somers drew the pass then took second on a wild pitch. Gastman doubled him home and Hurt called on Morrow to relieve.
A wild pitch sent courtesy runner Dallan Young to third as Cline drew a walk. He stole second as Morrow fanned Wright. Pickering then hit a grounder to the right side that J.T. Parker dove to field on the infield grass between first and second. He had no play, however, and Young scored the tying run as Pickering reached.
And when Pickering stole second with Cline at third, the Sox intentionally walked Belton to fill the sacks. Morrow came through by striking out Cleveland and Hastings to preserve the tie.
But the Sox were retired in order for the first time in the game in the bottom of the seventh. Morrow returned the favor in the top of the eighth, setting up the walk-off.
