Everett Sox bounce Benton Infiniti, move a win away from State bid
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).
SHERIDAN — Cameron Coleman slugged a three-run homer while Logan Allen and Austin Kelly each had three hits as the Bryant Everett Buick GMC Black Sox blew out Benton Infiniti, 12-4, in an elimination game at the Junior Zone Tournament on Sunday.
The Sox will play Hot Springs on Monday evening at 6 for a bid to the Junior State Tournament in Sheridan, July 17-21. They winner will also play Sheridan in the losers bracket final at 8. The survivor of that game will advance to the championship round on Tuesday against Texarkana.
On Sunday, Hot Springs eliminated Hot Springs Village and, in the winners bracket final, Sheridan lost to Texarkana 6-2.
Since Sheridan will be hosting the Junior State Tournament July 17-21 (moved from Heber Springs), the Yellowjackets are already qualified for it as the host team. Texarkana has clinched the other bid from Zone 4. The third bid comes down to Bryant and Hot Springs.
Right-hander Seth Tucker picked up the win on the mound for Bryant on Sunday, going five innings and allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Myers Buck worked a scoreless sixth then Logan Allen closed out the victory, surrendering a pair of meaningless unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Kelly caught the entire game, his first behind the plate since he was 12 years old, playing Cal Ripken ball.
The Sox scored in six of their seven offensive turns with Coleman getting them off to a big start in the home first. After Allen had singled and Tucker had walked, Coleman creamed the first pitch he saw from Benton’s Westyn Buchanan over the fence in center.
Benton answered with two in the bottom of the inning. Austin Bull blooped a double to left, took third on a wild pitch. Colton Lane walked and stole second to set the stage for Kyler Nitschke’s two-run double.
A wild pitch allowed Nitschke to take third with the potential tying run but Tucker retired the next three batters on a pair of strikeouts on either side of a pop to Scott Schmidt at second.
In turn, the Sox tacked on a run in the top of the second. Aaron Orender cracked the first of his two hits, sprinted to second on a passed ball, took third when Buck sacrificed and scored on a single to right by Schmidt.
Benton threatened again in the home second. With one out, Logan Gartin beat out a swinging bunt for a hit. Chance Armstrong was awarded first on catcher’s interference and Bull walked. But Tucker got Lane to bounce back to the mound. He threw home for a force and Kelly fired to Christian Harp at first in time for an inning-ending doubleplay.
The Sox pushed another run home in the third. After clubbing his home, Coleman was walked the next three times he came to the plate. He led off the third with a pass and Kelly followed with the first of his three hits a lined single to left.
Harp sacrificed to get runners at second and third. Orender drove in Coleman with a grounder to second.
Benton put the first two runners aboard in the home third. Nitschke was hit by a pitch and Cody Icenhower singled. Jack Jumper sacrificed them to second and third but Tucker fanned the next two batters to force Benton to strand two more in scoring position.
An error opened things up for Bryant in the top of the fourth, allowing Schmidt to reach base. Allen got a bunt down and when a late throw to first sailed down the right-field line, Schmidt made it to third and Allen to second. Tucker delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2 then Garrett Misenheimer picked up an RBI with a grounder to short.
With the help of a nice play by Buck at short, Tucker worked a 1-2-3 home fourth as Benton Infiniti, which had defeated Benton Sports Shop 8-7 earlier in the afternoon, began to show the effects.
Tucker fanned two more around a walk then Misenheimer sprinted down the left-field line from third base to haul in a foul pop off Jumper’s bat to send it to the sixth.
The Sox had been unable to score in the fifth against Jumper, who relieved Buchanan. But, in the sixth, they hit him up for three runs.
Miseneheimer, fresh from his defensive gem, cracked a lead-off double to the fence in right-center. He went to third on a wild pitch as Coleman drew another walk. After Coleman stole second Harp singled through the left side to make it 8-2. Orender singled in a run then Buck picked up an RBI with grounder to short.
Wes Guerra greeted Buck to the mound with a single up the middle. Buchanan was hit by a pitch but, on a bunt, Buck made a nice play to get a force at third. Armstrong tapped back to the mound resulting in a force at second. With runners on the corners, Bull popped to Tucker at short to end the threat.
Doubles by Allen and Jeffrey Hastings made it 11-2 in the top of the seventh. Hastings went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Misenheimer’s groundout before Kelly ripped a double to left.
Benton’s Zane Rogers reached on an error to start the home seventh. Nitschke doubled and Icenhower got a run in with a sacrifice fly. Guerra singled in Nitschke and Buchanan walked. But Allen fanned Ben Powell on three pitches to end the game.
