Everett Black Sox notch 10-4 win in Junior Legion State tourney debut
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By Rob Patrick
CABOT — When you’re batting .500, it’s difficult to have a game in which your average rises but[more] the Everett Black Sox’ Evan Lee did just that on Friday, going 3 for 4 with two runs batted in to help his team win its debut at the Junior American Legion State Tournament, 10-4, over Newport Taylormade Ambulance.
The win improved the Sox to 29-1 and set up a second-round game against the Texarkana Razorbacks on Saturday at 5 p.m. It’ll be the sixth time the two teams have faced off this season, the fifth in the last two weeks.
Bryant has won all five previous meetings including 12-2 and 5-4 wins in the championship round of the Zone 4 Tournament at Hot Springs Lakeside last Tuesday.
Texarkana came from behind to defeat Paragould-Glen Sain earlier Friday.
Devin Dupree and Brandan Warner each added two hits to the Bryant team’s offense.
On the mound, right-hander Blake Patterson overcame a rugged first inning in which Newport grabbed a 3-0 lead. Including the final out of that first, which came with the bases loaded, Patterson retired 12 in a row before surrendering a pair of scratch hits with two down in the fifth.
By that time, the Sox had surged to a 9-3 lead. Bryant added a run in the sixth and Newport picked one up in the seventh to set the final score.
Drew Tipton pitched the last two innings for the Sox who ended the game with a nifty doubleplay, turned up the middle by Jordan Gentry at second and Connor Tatum at short.
Newport put the first run on the board on doubles by Gunnar Bullard and Colton Willis. Colby Weymouth singled to make it 2-0.
Willis and Weymouth would account for six of Newport’s eight hits in the game, three apiece.
A pair of walks loaded the bases before Patterson got Zach Allom to tap one right in front of home plate. Catcher Trey Breeding pounced on the ball, just a couple of feet from the plate and stepped on it to get a force.
But a wild pitch allowed Seth Soden to score, making it 3-0. Dalton Menley wlaked to load the bases again but Patterson got Tyler Asher to bounce to Devin Dupree at first.
That started Patterson’s roll.
The Sox had loaded the bases with two out in the top of the first when Lee walked, Patterson pulled a single past the first baseman and Dupree walked. But Asher, the Newport starter, escaped with a strikeout.
In the second, however, Breeding drew the first of his three free passes and Harrison Dale looped a single to right. Breeding hustled to third and he scored from there when Warner singled into the hole at short. Dale scored when Tipton grounded into a force at second, making it 3-2.
The Sox took the lead in the top of the third. Lee stroked his first hit, a single to right then stole second. He took third on Patterson’s bouncer to short then scored when Dupree laced a 2-1 pitch inside the bag at third for a single.
With the score tied, Hunter Oglesby beat out an infield hit and Breeding drew another walk. The bases were loaded for Warner, who hit a grounder to Weymouth at short. But Landon Phillips, the second baseman, failed to cover the bag so Dale was safe and by the time Weymouth looked to first, his throw was too late to get Warner as Oglesby scored to make it 5-3.
Tipton’s sacrifice fly to center allowed Breeding to come in with the fourth run of the inning.
The Bryant fourth began with Lee burning the left fielder for a double. He took third on a wild pitch as Patterson walked. And, after Patterson stole second, Oglesby’s sacrifice fly made it 7-3.
Warner reached on an error to start the top of the fifth. He swiped second and as he did the pitch to Tipton got past the catcher for a wild pitch. Warner took advantage by rolling into third without a play.
Tipton walked — the eighth for the Sox — and, by that time, Asher had thrown 108 pitches. Bullard relieved and Tipton stole second. With one away, Lee ripped a single to right center to drive in both runners.
After Patterson’s string of outs was snapped with the infield hits by Willis and Weymouth, he finished his work on the mound with a strikeout, his fifth of the game.
In turn, the Sox tacked on their 10th run. Dupree singled and was forced on a remarkable play behind second by Warren Smith, who dove to flag the ball down then from his seat, flipped to Weymouth on the bag for the out.
But Oglesby stole second and, moments later, headed to third. An errant throw allowed him to gather himself and trot home.
Tipton hit a batter to start the home sixth but got Allom to bounce into a force. The Sox went for a doubleplay but the relay was in the dirt and Allom advanced to second. Menley sacrificed the runner to third but Asher flew out to Lee in left to end the inning.
In the seventh, Bullard tripled and Willis singled him in with one out. Weymouth slapped a base hit to right but then Soden bounced to Gentry at second who started the game-ending doubleplay.
BRYANT EVERETT 10, NEWPORT TAYLORMADE 4
Black Sox ab r h bi Taylormade ab r h bi
Tipton, 2b-p 3 1 0 2 Bullard, cf-p 4 2 2 0
Holt, rf 4 0 0 0 Phillips, 2b 2 0 0 0
Tatum, ss 1 0 0 0 Smith, 2b 2 0 0 0
Lee, lf 4 2 3 2 Willis, 1b 4 1 3 2
Patterson, p-1b 4 0 1 0 Weymouth, ss 4 0 3 1
Dupree, 1b-rf 3 1 2 1 Soden, lf 3 1 0 0
Oglesby, cf 3 2 1 1 Armstrong, rf 1 0 0 0
Breeding, c 1 2 0 0 Allom, 3b 3 0 0 0
Bowers, c 0 0 0 0 Menley, c 1 0 0 0
Dale, ss3111Asher, p-cf3000
Gentry, 2b0000
Warner, 3b 4 1 2 2
Totals 30 10 10 9 Totals 27 4 8 3
Bryant 024 121 0 — 10
Newport 300 000 1 — 4
E—Patterson, Menley 2, Weymouth, Gentry Allom. DP—Bryant 1. LOB—Bryant 8, Newport 7. 2B—Bullard, Willis, Lee. 3B—Bullard. SB—Lee 2, Patterson, Warner 2, Oglesby 2, Tatum, Tipton. S—Menley. SF—Tipton, Oglesby.
Pitching ip r er h bb so
Bryant
Patterson (W) 5 3 3 5 3 5
Tipton 2 1 1 3 0 0
Newport
Asher (L) 4 9 8 7 8 3
Bullard 3 1 0 3 0 2
Balk—Asher. HBP—Armstrong (by Tipton). WP—Asher 3, Patterson.
