Again facing long odds and another elimination game, the Bryant Black Sox came through with a 5-0 victory over Randolph County, North Carolina, Sunday to take a spot in the final four of the American Legion World Series at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina.
Bryant youngster Will McEntire, again pitching on the big stage, threw a three-hit shutout to help advance the Black Sox into the semifinals, which they play today against Henderson, Nevada, at 2 p.m. (Central). McEntire pitched the seven-inning complete game, giving up the three hits and two walks, and struck out three for the shutout.
“It was a win or go home the way it played out,” Black Sox Coach Darren Hurt said. “He threw a heck of a ballgame, again. He threw a big game for us in state, a big game in regional, and now in the world series. He has come up huge for us.”
The 16-year-old McEntire picked up the win in the winner-take-all state championship game giving up two runs in six innings, and after Bryant fell into the loser’s bracket in the Mid-South Regional, McEntire pitched a complete nine-inning game for the win giving up just one earned run. McEntire had walked just two total in the postseason before his two walks on Sunday, doing an excellent job of keeping the opponent off the base paths.
“That’s what he’s been doing and he did it again,” Hurt said. “We try not to give them free ones, walk anybody. He threw a complete, nine-inning game in regional and didn’t walk anybody. He pounds the zone, mixes his pitches up and just keeps them off the bases.”
In fact, on Sunday, the only inning North Carolina made it past first base was the fifth when Peyton Williams tried to stretch his leadoff double into a triple, but Bryant’s Alex Shurtleff did a great job of getting the ball in from right field, after slipping, throwing it to second baseman Seth Tucker, who relayed to Scott Schmidt at third for the tag out. McEntire walked the next man, but would induce two ground outs to get out of the inning unscathed.
“It wasn’t like he threw a bad pitch on the double,” Hurt said. “He threw a pretty good pitch, the kid just had a good piece of hitting. That play for Shurtleff to get the ball back in to Tucker and Tucker threw the guy out at third, that kind of got Will pumped up and I don’t think he did a good job of calming down quick enough and he walked the next guy. He settled back down and got a couple groundouts.”
Having plenty of chances to score early in the game, the Black Sox wouldn’t get on the board until the top of the sixth when Tucker was hit by a pitch to start and Dylan Hurt singled to center. Shurtleff attempted to sacrifice bunt the runners over, yet was unsuccessful. But, Shurtleff did get the job done sending the runners to second and third on a ground out.