Black Sox come up short
MEMPHIS – The Bryant Black Sox senior squad went 3-2 this past weekend at the 2D Scout Games in Memphis. Beginning with an 8-2 win over the Memphis Tigers Friday, Bryant fell 7-5 to the Throwbacks Saturday before downing Hustle Factory Omegas 14-3 later that day. On Sunday, The Sox slid past Old Hickory 2-1 before getting edged in the final game, 7-6, again by the Throwbacks. Their 3-2 showing put the Sox at 7-7 overall on the year.
The Sox led 4-2 in the top of the fourth against the Throwbacks, but a 5-run bottom of the fourth by the opposing team would be the difference in the 1-run loss.
The Throwbacks took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly, but Bryant responded in the top of the second when Lawson Speer reached on a one-out single and went to second on Logan White’s infield single. After a strikeout, Blaine Sears came through with an RBI single and White scored on an error to put the Sox up 2-1.
Bryant made it a 3-1 game in the third when
Noah Davis led off with a single and later scored on Speer’s two-out single to left field. A two-out triple by the Throwbacks in the bottom of the third ended up scoring on an RBI single to make it 3-2, but the Sox got that run back when Drew Hatman tripled and scored on a Sears sacrifice fly for the 4-2 advantage.
It was the bottom of the inning which put Bryant in a bind. Three straight hits and an error tied it up at 4-all. On the mound, Sears induced a pop out and fly out, but a
Throwbacks single, intentional walk and single led to two more runs before a steal of home made it a 7-4 Throwbacks lead.
The Black Sox scratched a run across in the fifth on Connor Martin’s leadoff triple and JT Parker’s sacrifice fly, and added another in the seventh on Martin’s single later scoring on White’s bases-loaded walk for the
7-6 game, but a strikeout and pop out ended Bryant’s comeback bid.
Speer was 4 for 4 with a run and RBI, with Martin finishing 3 for 4 with a triple and two runs. Sears went 1 for 3 with two RBIS, with White 1 for 3 with a run and RBI. Tyler Bates pitched 2.1 scoreless and hitless innings of relief, walking two and striking out four.
Black Sox 2, Old Hickory 1
In Bryant’s 2-1 win over Old Hickory, it was a pitchers’ duel between Sox starter Will Hathcote and Hickory’s Griffin Meeker. Hathcote would be just one run better as the Sox put the first run up in the top of the fourth inning when Davis doubled to lead off and went to third on Martin’s single to left field. Davis scored on Parker’s infield hit for the
1-0 advantage.
Hickory responded in the bottom of the inning when Meeker reached on a bunt single and later scored on a two-out error for the 1-1 ballgame.
Hathcote struck out the next man and retired the next four batters before Bryant scored the eventual winning run in the top of the sixth. Davis was hit by a pitch and went to second on Colby Morrow’s single to right. Parker came through again with an RBI single to left field for the 2-1, which stood to the end.
Hathcote allowed leadoff singles in both the sixth and seventh innings, but retired the next three batters in each, including striking out the final two of the game. He gave up just the unearned run on six hits and a walk, striking out 10 in seven innings. Meeker gave up two runs on nine hits without a walk, striking out four in seven innings.
At the plate, Parker went 2 for 3 with two RBIS, with Davis adding a 2 for 3 with the only two Sox runs. Ryan Riggs, Martin, Morrow,
Gavin Burton an White added a hit each.
Black Sox 14, Hustle Factory Omegas 3
The Black Sox brought out the bats in this one as a 6-spot in the top of the first inning set the tone in their 14-3 rout over the Omegas. Bryant scored four more in the third, two in the fourth and two more in the fifth, including Parker’s leadoff homer, to go up 14-0 before Hustle Factory scored three in the bottom of the fifth off starter Joshua Turner, but Turner struck out the final two men he faced to complete the run-rule affair.
Turner gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks, striking out eight in five innings for the win.
Parker and Martin both went 2 for 4 with three RBIS in the win, with Davis 2 for 3 with two doubles, two runs and three RBIS. Riggs went 2 for 3 with two RBIS, while Morrow, White (two RBIS) and Sears (two runs) all added a hit each.
Throwbacks 7, Black Sox 5
Like Sunday’s loss against the Throwbacks, the Black Sox held an advantage,
3-1, in the fourth inning, but another 5-run inning for the Throwbacks gave them a lead they would not relinquish despite Bryant making a comeback proved unfruitful.
Sears had a big game going 2 for 3 with a double, home run and four RBIS. White had the other RBI, adding two runs on his 1-for-2 day, while Martin and Morrow added a hit each.
Black Sox 8, Memphis Tigers 2
A 2-2 game after five innings, the Black Sox broke it open in the final two frames with two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to set the final.
Martin went 3 for 4 with a triple, two runs and two RBIS, with Davis 2 for 4 with two runs. Burton and Sears had a hit and two RBIS each, with White adding a knock in the win.
For the season, Martin leads the Black Sox with a .415 average, three triples and tying teammate Parker for the team lead a homer and 13 RBIS.
The Black Sox were scheduled to play at Fort Smith Wednesday and begin play in the Chad Wolfe Classic in Fayetteville today.