By Rob Patrick

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas baseball history was made on Tuesday, July 21, at DeJanis Memorial Field in Vince DeSalvo Stadium, Burns Park. Not only did the last two most recent State champions meet for the 2009 title but both teams included players sporting American Legion World Series patches.

It's a testament to the programs that have developed in Bryant (with all Bryant players) and Jonesboro (with players from Valley View, Nettleton and Jonesboro). 

But only one will get a chance at a return trip. 

The Jonesboro Ricemen, on the strength of a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning by Kameron Walker, and no-hit shutout relief over the final four innings by Aaron Thomas and Dustin Jones, have repeated as Senior American Legion State champs with an 8-6 win over Bryant's Black Sox.

2009 Senior American Legion State Tournament

At DeSalvo Stadium, Burns Park, North Little Rock

Friday, July 24

Game 1 — Texarkana (Zone 4 runner-up) 7, Fayetteville (Zone 1 winner) 2

Game 2 — Bryant (Zone 4 winner) 16, Paragould 5 (Zone 2 runner-up)

Game 3 — Jonesboro (Zone 2 winner) 8, Cabot (Zone 3 runner-up) 3

Game 4 — Fort Smith (Zone 1 runner-up) 8, North Little Rock (Zone 3 winner) 1

By Rob Patrick

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Ah, the dreaded Game 13.

For some reason, American Legion baseball still uses an old eight-team College World Series bracket for its post-season tournaments, from District through State, every Regional, as well as the World Series.

It's so archaic that they don't even use it at the College World Series anymore. And, when it was put in use, it was basically contrived by the NCAA to suit television, which, at the time, had pretty much a love-hate relationship with college baseball anyway. The idea was to set up the brackets so that television could count on there being one final championship game, trying to avoid the "if" game doubleheader.

By Rob Patrick

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The Bryant Black Sox will play for the 2009 Senior American Legion State championship on Tuesday, July 28, after out-slugging the Texarkana Razorbacks, 13-8, in the winners bracket final on Sunday night.

In 15 years under the tutelage of Craig and Tic Harrison, it will be the seventh time a Sox team has played in the title round.

Though they will play for the title on Tuesday, the Sox will also play a semifinal game on Monday against Jonesboro in a battle between the last two State champions who both went on to play in the Legion World Series. With a win, Bryant would have to be defeated twice on Tuesday to be denied the title. Should Jonesboro win, the Ricemen would play the survivor of Monday's other game between Texarkana and Fayetteville Tuesday at 5 with the winner taking on the Sox for the crown at 8.

By Rob Patrick

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — It's been a bit of a scuffle for Bryant Black Sox second baseman Austin Benning this season. His batting average hasn't been above the old "Mendoza line" (.200) all season and he's had a game or two where his glove turned on him a bit. But he's persevered, waited out enough walks to be second on the team and put the ball in play for the most part.

And he kept battling.

So when he came to bat with runners at first and third and two out in the top of the 10th inning against the Kerwins Sportsmen of Fort Smith on Saturday night, the fact that he fouled off four two-strike pitches was kind of fitting. Along the way, Brady Butler stole second, leaving early from first in hopes of getting in a rundown so Hunter Mayall might sneak home from third with the tiebreaking run in the 11-11 game. The Sportsmen, however, didn't take the bait and let Butler have second while holding Mayall. Brad Gilliam, the third Kerwins pitcher, then returned his attention to Benning.

And lo and behold, the Bryant second sacker came through with a shot up the middle for an RBI single that snapped the tie. And when Tyler Sawyer, the fourth Bryant hurler, waded through the core of the Fort Smith batting order in the bottom of the inning, the Black Sox had a hard-earned 12-11 win that vaulted them into the winners bracket final of the Senior American Legion State Tournament.