Black Sox open tourney with wins
FAYETTEVILLE – The Bryant senior Black Sox opened the Chad Wolfe Classic with a sweep of a pair of games to open the tournament in Fayetteville Thursday, with the wins coming in two very different ways. The Sox started with a 17-0 rout over Kickapoo before edging Next Level 5-4.
While Bryant (9-7) cruised to victory in the opener, it was all Next Level to start the second game. Sacrifice flies in the first and second innings put Next Level up
2-0 before the Black Sox got on the board on Ryan Riggs’ leadoff homer in the top of the third. Bryant would gift Next Level a couple runs in the bottom of the inning, though, with a couple errors and a couple singles making it a 4-1 Bryant deficit.
It remained a 3-run affair until the top of the sixth when the Black Sox made their comeback. Bryant scored four runs in the inning, all with two outs, to earn the W. Colby Morrow walked before a fly out and strikeout ensued. Logan White reached on an error sending courtesy runner Drew Hatman to second, with Ethan Andrews’ single loading the bases. A basesloaded base on balls to
Blaine Sears made it 4-2 before White scored on a wild pitch, making it a 1-run game. Riggs came through again with a 2-run single to right field to cap the comeback.
Despite an error to lead
off Next Level’s bottom of the sixth which helped load the bases, relief pitcher Brandon Thomisee would get out of it with a couple strikeouts. Giving up two singles in the final frame, Thomisee struck out the side to seal the victory.
Thomisee earned the save giving up three hits and an intentional walk, striking out six in his two innings of work. Tyler Bates took the win, hitting a batter in his two hitless and scoreless innings, striking out four without a walk.
It was Riggs who shined at the plate, going 2 for 4 with his homer and three RBIS. Andrews went 2 for 3 with a run, with Morrow, White and Sears (RBI) adding a hit apiece.
The Black Sox needed just four innings to dispose of Kickapoo in the first game, scoring seven runs in each of the third and fourth innings.
Riggs had another big game going 3 for 4 with three RBIS, with Noah Davis 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIS. JT Parker also put up a three-hit game going 3 for 3 with two runs and RBI.
Andrews doubled while going 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIS, with Sears 2 for 4 with a run and RBI. Connor Martin (two runs, RBI), Lawson Speer and White (two runs) added a hit each in the win.
On the mound, Sears started and gave up one hit and a walk, striking out two in three innings for the win. Braxton Prather gave up a hit, but struck out the side in his scoreless inning of work.