The Bryant Black Sox fell one step short of the American Legion World Series championship game after yielding five runs in the ninth inning of a 7-3 loss to Henderson, Nev., on Monday in Shelby, N.C.
Bryant fell behind 2-0 in the top of the third inning when Nevada's Jack Thomas Wold hit an RBI single and Ryne Nelson scored on a wild pitch.
After its first two batters were retired in the bottom of the inning, Bryant got one of those runs back. Logan Allen doubled to right-center field, and he scored on Jake East's RBI single. East took second on the throw home, and Seth Tucker put runners on the corners with a bunt single. The rally ended when East was picked off third base by Nevada catcher Roger Riley.
Scott Schmidt led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double for Bryant, and he was moved to third on Coby Grenier's sacrifice bunt. Allen's sacrifice fly to right field tied the game at 2-2.
After Bryant starting pitcher Myers Buck allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits and 1 walk in 2⅓ innings, reliever Beaux Bonvillian shut down Nevada. He struck out 4 while allowing 4 hits and 1 walk without giving up a run in 5⅔ innings to get the game to the ninth inning tied at 2-2.
Nevada immediately went to work against Bryant reliever Boston Heil in the top of the ninth. Nick Thompson led off with a double and moved to third on a bunt. Riley put Nevada ahead with a single, stole second and advanced to third base on a throwing error by catcher Dylan Hurt. He scored on Jesse Fonteboa's two-out single for a 4-2 edge. A Garrett Giles RBI single and two more Bryant errors allowed Nevada to take a 7-2 lead. Only one of the five runs off Heil was earned.
Allen's home run set the final score at 7-3.
Allen finished 3 for 4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored for Bryant. Tucker contributed two hits for the Black Sox.
Sports on 08/15/2017