Going undefeated in the AAA Senior American Legion State Tournament until a 6-4 loss to the Texarkana Razorbacks in the first game of the championship round on Sunday at Hendrix College in Conway, the Bryant Black Sox went up 4-0 in the first inning in the winner-take-all matchup. Having to defeat the Black Sox twice to take the state title, the Razorbacks did just that helped by three Bryant errors in a 6-run inning for the 9-7 victory and a No. 1 seed in the Mid-South Regional, which will be held again at Hendrix College on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The Black Sox will have the No. 2 seed.
Bryant’s Austin Kelly was named the Most Valuable player in the tournament as he hit .440 with nine RBIs, including a grand slam in a 10-0 win over Texarkana on Saturday in the semifinals.
In the 9-7 loss, Bryant held its 4-0 lead until the bottom of the third when the errors came back to bite the Black Sox. The Sox picked up a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-5 when Garrett Misenheimer singled, went to third on Kelly’s double and scored on an RBI ground out by Jordan Gentry.
But, Texarkana would score three runs in the top of the sixth to capture the 9-5 lead and the Black Sox couldn’t do enough to retake the lead.
In the first game of the day, it was a pitcher’s duel between Bryant starter Alex Shurtleff and Texarkana starter Patrick Flanagan as it was a scoreless game after three innings. Texarkana scratched a run across in the top of the fourth on a fielder’s choice RBI, but Bryant responded in the bottom of the inning.
Dylan Hurt singled to get things started before Misenheimer walked. Kelly, with his grand slam the previous day still on the Razorbacks’ mind, laid down a perfect bunt for a single to load the bases. Gentry plated Bryant’s first run on an RBI ground out to tie things up and Jake East followed with a sacrifice fly for the 2-1 Black Sox lead. Kelly went to third on Seth Tucker’s single up the middle and would score on a delayed steal, in which Tucker made it back to first safely.
With two outs, Texarkana lost a pop up in the sun to give Bryant more life, and Tucker scored when Joey Cates’ grounder went under the second baseman’s glove for an error and 4-1 Bryant lead after four.
The Razorbacks’ resiliency showed the next two innings as three consecutive singles plated a run, as did a fielder’s choice RBI made it a 4-3 Bryant lead after five. Things began to unravel for Bryant when Shurtleff walked the first two batters of the sixth before getting the first out on a ground out, but it moved the runners to second and third. Riley Orr followed with a single to score the first walk, and Matt Goodheart, who was named the tournament’s top hitter, doubled in the other walk for the 5-4 Texarkana lead.
Boston Heil relieved Shurtleff and struck out the first man he faced, but an infield single by Blake Hall scored Orr for the 6-4 lead, which would stand as the final score. Heil pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief giving up three hits and a walk, and striking out three.
Kelly went 2 for 5 with a run, Tucker 2 for 4 with a run, Hurt 1 for 3 with a run, and Misenheimer, Gentry and Aaron Orender all added a hit in the loss.