Bryant uses shutout, reaches WS semifinal

The Bryant Black Sox scored five times in the last two innings Sunday night and posted a 5-0 victory over Randolph County, N.C., to reach the semifinals at the American Legion World Series in Shelby, N.C.

Bryant needed its victory, but it also needed Hopewell, N.J.’s 7-5 victory over Lewiston, Idaho, to secure advancement out of its group. Lewiston and Hopewell finished group play at 1-2. Lewiston defeated Bryant earlier in the tournament.

Bryant (45-8) will meet Henderson, Nev., at 2 p.m. today in the semifinals. Randolph County, N.C. meets Creighton, Neb., at 6:30 p.m. in the other semifinal. The two winners will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the championship game.

The Black Sox got all the runs they needed in a threerun sixth, an inning capped by Scott Schmidt’s two-run single to center.

Bryant added two more in the seventh after singles by Logan Allen and Jake East. They moved up to second and third on Seth Tucker’s sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error allowed Allen and East to score and Tucker to reach base.

The Black Sox didn’t take advantage of early scoring opportunities.

They loaded the bases with no outs in the second but were unable to score.

Bryant had runners on first and third in the fourth and didn’t score.

“When we left the bases loaded early, that wasn’t a good start,” Bryant coach Darren Hurt said. “Bases loaded, no outs and don’t score a run, I wasn’t really happy with the way that inning turned out. And then their pitcher, I thought we were on him early, I thought we were going to stay on him, and then about the third inning, he kind of settled in and he got really tough. There in the middle innings we couldn’t hit him.”

Will McEntire pitched a complete game shutout for Bryant, allowing 3 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3 on 91 pitches.

“That kid is going to be the real deal, 16-year-old kid and he’s got a really bright future,” Hurt said of McEntire. “He’s been doing that, he threw for us like that in the state tournament and the regional and now here; the moment’s never too big for him. What he’s shown us is the bigger the situation the bigger he is for us.”

Dylan Hurt led Bryant by going 2 for 3. Schmidt went 1 for 3 with 2 RBI.