Bryant goes deep to even pool mark
Only one home run had been hit in the entire American Legion tournament in the first two day, but Bryant hit three solo home runs Saturday that proved to be the difference in a 7-4 victory over Hopewell, N.J., at the American Legion World Series in Shelby, N.C.
“Jake Wright hits one and everybody’s in the dugout juiced,” second baseman Seth Tucker said. “It makes people think, ‘Maybe I can hit one today. Wind’s blowing out, maybe I can get one.’ Just get a ball you can drive. If it goes over, it goes over.”
Tucker’s sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning drove in Jake East to give Bryant (44-8 overall, 1-1 in ALWS pool play) a 1-0 lead. Hopewell (38-11, 0-2) answered with a two-run single from Cam Cane to take a 2-1 lead.
A passed ball and a sacrifice bunt in the top of the second inning put Bryant up 3-2, setting the stage for Wright’s home run.
After Hopewell scored twice in the bottom of the
fourth to tie the game at 4-4, Tucker and Logan Allen hit home runs in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. East scored again in the seventh on a bunt by Dylan Hurt to set the 7-4 final.
“We haven’t shown any of that power all year,” Bryant Manager Darren Hurt said. “All of a sudden, we’ve got guys that go up there and hit it out of the park.”
Despite the power surge, Hurt said his team kept the same mindset that has worked to this point.
“I think, situationally, we stayed in a small-ball state of mind the whole game,” he said. “We thought that if we could just add [to the lead] every chance we got, but those guys getting us the runs with solo home runs was just huge.”
Beaux Bonvillian picked up the victory in relief of Alex Shurtleff. Bonvillian allowed 3 hits and struck out 3 in 3 1/3 shutout innings. Dom Gambino took the loss for Hopewell after allowing 6 runs — 5 earned — on 5 hits with 2 walks and a strikeout over 5 innings.
Bryant will face Randolph County, N.C., a 4-1 winner over Idaho on Saturday, in today’s final game of pool play that starts at 6:30 p.m. Central on ESPNU. Bryant needs a victory and a Hopewell victory over Lewiston, Idaho, to advance to Monday’s World Series semifinals.
ATHLETICS
UA announces $38.4M raised
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville athletic department and Razorback Foundation raised $38.4 million in the past fiscal year, the UA announced Saturday.
It’s the third-highest total for the athletic department and Razorback Foundation, surpassed in 2016 — when the total of $50.1 million included multiple capital gifts made in conjunction with the new Founders Suites that will open in 2018 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium — and in 2015 when a $10.65 million gift from Jerry and Gene Jones brought the total to $47.3 million.
BASKETBALL
Kingsley signs with team in Belgium
Former Arkansas Razorbacks All-SEC center Moses Kingsley signed Saturday with the Antwerp Giants, a pro club team in Belgium.
The 6-10 Kingsley averaged 12 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game his senior season, earning second-team All-SEC honors for the second consecutive year. He was also a first-team All-SEC defensive selection.
Kingsley played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA’s summer league and becomes the second former Razorback to sign an overseas deal this summer. Guard Dusty Hannahs signed with a team in Poland.
FISHING
Fox, Suggs make Forrest Wood Cup cut
Travis Fox of Rogers and Scott Suggs of Alexander made the 10-man cut Saturday at the Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C. Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., jumped in front in the three-day tournament, weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces on Saturday for a 39-0 total. Cobb’s lead is 1 pound, 13 ounces more than second-place Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala.
Fox brought in 16-13 Saturday and is in fourth place with 35-0, just 17 ounces behind Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C.
Suggs is in ninth place at 28-8 after weighing in 13-11.
Among those missing the cut were Larry Nixon of Bee Branch (22-2), who won $15,000; Mark Rose of West Memphis (15-11); Greg Bohannan of Bentonville (12-5); and Joey Cifuentes of Clinton (6-13), who each earned $10,000.
The tournament concludes today.