Sox dismiss rival Razorbacks to reach Classic finals
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).
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — Whether they’re playing in Bryant or Texarkana or with a Zone tournament championship on the line in Sheridan or State championships on the line in Mountain Home or Jonesboro or North Little Rock, when the Black Sox play the Razorbacks it’s usually a war.
On Sunday, the longtime rivals squared off in the semifinals of the Southwest Illinois Firecracker Classic in Fairview Heights, Ill.
On this occasion, the Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and, behind a complete game performance by right-hander Nate Rutherford, went on to an 8-2 win that lifted them past the Hogs and into the championship of the tournament.
Bryant was set to play the winner of the other semifinal between Belleville, Ill., and O’Fallon, Mo., this afternoon for the title.
Dalton Holt contributed five RBIs to the victory with two hits and a sacrifice fly that was misplayed and actually produced two runs. Blake Patterson and Brandan Warner each had two hits as well.
Rutherford allowed just five hits, one earned run, walked one, hit a batter and struck out seven. The Sox turned a pair of doubleplays behind the right-hander. Another Texarkana runner was picked off.
Bryant took its 4-0 lead in the top of the first when, with one out, Chase Tucker beat out a bunt single. Patterson stroked a single to left-center and Hayden Lessenberry was hit by a pitch from starter Blake Hall to load the bases.
That brought up Holt who drilled one to right. With Tucker tagging, the ball was misplayed and both he and Patterson scored. Holt stole second then Warner singled in Lessenberry. With Holt at third, Justin Emmerling bounced to short to pick up the RBI.
Rutherford retired seven in a row before giving up a lead-off walk to Duncajn in the fourth. But he got Jake Alexander to bounce into a doubleplay and got Nathan Stubber on a tap in front of the plate. Nick Myers singled to lead off the fifth but was picked off. Rutherford struck out the next two to send it to the sixth.
In the meantime, Bryant tacked on two more runs in the third. Patterson and Lessenberry singled then both moved up into scoring position on a passed ball. Holt drilled one to left for a two-run single and it was 6-1.
Hall quieted the Sox’ bats over the next three innings. He pitched around a one-out walk to Drew Tipton in the fourth and a two-out single by Warner in the fifth. Myers worked a 1-2-3 sixth in relief.
Texarkana trimmed a run off the margin in the home sixth. Hall singled, stole second and, with two down, Duncan pulled a single to right. But Rutherford struck out Alexander to send it to the seventh.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Myers hit Patterson with a pitch. He stole second and Lessenberry walked. That led to Holt’s two-run double to center to cap off the scoring.
Stubber singled to open the home seventh but, after Rutherford fanned Myers, he induced a grounder to Korey Thompson at second. He started the game-ending doubleplay.
