Bryant Juniors walk past Sheridan team in pool play
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SHERIDAN — Sometimes the plans go awry, what with threatening weather and teams deciding not to risk a trip. So, the Bryant Black Sox Junior 16U American Legion team wound up playing the Sheridan Swarm 15U team in the first round of pool play at Sheridan’s Junior Legion Invitational tourney on Wednesday night.
The Swarm was originally supposed to play Camden Harmony Grove and the Sox were going to play Jacksonville.
As it was, the teams beat the raindrops, the heavy stuff, and got their game in with the Sox racking up a 10-3 victory in five innings with the help of 11 walks, three hit batsmen and two errors as they improved to 10-1 on the season.
Bryant had just four hits, one each by Lawson Speer, Peyton Dillon, Josh Turner and Dakota Clay. But each of them drove in runs. Dillon knocked in two.
On the mound, Logan White held Sheridan to a run on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts over three frames. Colby Morrow relieved and finished, allowing two runs on one hit and three walks.
The Sox are set to take on Fort Smith on Thursday at 8 p.m., weather permitting.
The game started with a walk, but Bryant catcher Ryan Riggs threw out the base-runner when he tried to steal. White fanned the next two batters.
In the bottom of the inning, walks to Lawson Speer and Noah Davis opened the door for some scoring. The duo worked a double steal then Peyton Dillon lifted a sacrifice fly to center on which both runners scored.
Sheridan threatened in the top of the second, which started with a single and a pair of walks. But White fanned the next two batters and got the third out on a tap to Dillon at first.
Blaine Sears worked a two-out walk in the home second. He scored all the way from first on Speer’s double.
Trailing 3-0, the Swarm managed a run in the top of the third on a walk, a groundout and a two-out single.
The Sox countered with a game-breaking three spot in the bottom of the inning. Again, free passes set the stage. Dillon, Riggs and J.T. Parker each walked. Despite Dillon getting picked off third, Kyler Pabon’s grounder was misplayed. Connor Martin, running for Riggs, the catcher, scrambled home and, moments later, Turner singled to make it 5-1.
Before Clay singled, Turner stole second and drew a throw allowing Pabon to sprint home.
Morrow retired the Swarm in the top of the fourth despite a walk. The Sox turned a doubleplay to erase the base-runner.
Bryant did the rest of its scoring in the home fourth. Dillon started the uprising with a single to center. Riggs walked, and Parker was plunked by a pitch to fill the sacks. Pabon’s walk forced in a run and, with one out, Clay’s free pass forced in another.
Sears made it 9-1 with a sacrifice fly to center then, after Speer walked, Davis was struck by a pitch to force in the 10th tally.
A walk, a triple and a groundout produced Sheridan’s two runs in the top of the fifth. A two-out walk extended the inning before Morrow ended it with a strikeout.
