Junior Sox respond to late call to action, earn second victory in tourney
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ARKADELPHIA — After getting rained out of a game on Friday at Central Baptist College and being put on standby on Saturday when they were supposed to play at 12:30 p.m., at Hendrix College in Conway, the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team responded to a call to head to Henderson State University for a 2 p.m. game as part of a tournament that was striking up at whichever area college baseball facility that wasn’t too soggy.
The Sox wound up taking advantage of 10 walks, four hit batsman and two errors with six well-timed hits to pin an 8-2 loss on a team from Extra Innings in Little Rock.
Right-hander Christian Harp fired a two hitter, both singles, over six innings, giving up one earned runs as the Sox committed four errors of their own.
Logan Chambers, Jacob Wright, Brandon Hoover, Cade Dupree, Myers Buck and Grayson Prince each had a hit for Bryant, which improved to 2-0. Hoover drove in two runs and Wright scored three times. Coby Greiner scored twice.
The Sox are set to play twice on Sunday at Henderson, once at 8 a.m., and again at noon.
Harp and the Bryant defense set down Extra Innings on three infield grounders in the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Greiner was struck by a pitch and Chambers beat out an infield hit. After Greiner stole third, Wright drew a walk to load the bases for Hoover who drilled a single that chased home two runs.
Dupree kept the carousel turning with a bunt single. And when the tardy throw to first was mishandled, Wright scored to make it 3-0.
Extra Innings took advantage of a pair of Bryant errors in the top of the second. A two-out single allowed a run to score.
The Sox countered in the home second, scoring two more to make it 5-1. Greiner was again plunked by a pitch to open the inning. Chambers got a sacrifice bunt down. Wright singled Greiner to third and took second on the throw to the plate. A wild pitch allowed Greiner to score moments later.
Walks to Hoover and Dupree filled the sacks for Buck who beat out an infield hit to pick up an RBI.
Harp fanned two on his way to retiring the side in order in the top of the third. After the Sox were unable to take advantage of two-out walks to Chambers and Wright, Extra Innings managed another base-runner in the fourth on a two-out error but Harp got the next batter to fly out to Greiner in right to end the inning.
There were two down in the bottom of the fourth when Prince laced a triple to left. He scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-1. Though Ryan Lessenberry, Konnor Clontz and Greiner walked, there wound up being stranded.
A hit batsman, a groundout and a two-out single produced the second Extra Innings run in the top of the fifth. The Sox added to their scoring in the home fifth when Wright walked, Hoover reached on an error, both advanced on a passed ball and Dupree drove in a run with a grounder to second.
With two down, Prince drew a pass, stole second and, after Lessenberry was drilled, Hoover scored on another passed ball.
Harp eased through the top of the sixth, inducing a comebacker and a pop to Buck at second before ending the game with his fourth strikeout of the contest.
