By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Not even three home runs could keep Sylvan Hills out in front in the first round of the Gwatney Fourth of July Classic.
Ty Van Schoyck’s grand slam in the top of the sixth inning gave the senior Optimist Bruins their only lead of the game at 8-5, but an eight-run rally in the bottom of the inning allowed Benton McClendon’s Appliances to prevail 13-8 on Thursday at Shireman Field in Dupree Park.
Hunter Miller took the loss after and up-and-down day on the mound for Sylvan Hills. Miller gave up five hits through the first five innings, but began to feel the heat in the bottom of the sixth when Benton got to him for five more hits and an 11-8 lead.
Head coach Mike Bromley brought in reliever Justin Cook, but a passed ball resulted in two more runs coming across to extend Benton’s lead to five and set the final margin.
The Bruins fell behind 5-1 before Geno Jameson began their comeback with a solo home run in the fifth.
Van Schoyck’s slam over the wall in left capped off a six-run sixth that gave Optimist Club an 8-5 lead. Earlier in the inning, Austin Spears had cut Benton’s lead to one with a two-run shot to left. Walks to Mike Maddox and James Pepin and a single by
Ryan Dillon loaded the bases and set up Van Schoyck.
The Bruins went scoreless through three innings until Jameson set up the first SH run when he reached on a passed ball strikeout in the top of the fourth.
Austin Spears drove him in two batters later with a double to make it 4-1. It was only the second hit of the game for the Bruins at that point, following a leadoff double by Van Schoyck in the top of the first inning.
Miller’s pitching was solid in the early going, but a pair of errors gave Benton a 1-0 lead in the first. He recovered to send Benton three up, three down in the bottom of the second before McClendon’s scored three runs off three hits and three walks in the bottom of the third.
Van Schoyck was 2 of 4 with a grand slam, a double and four RBI. Austin Spears was 2 of 4 with a home run, and double and two RBI. For Benton, Austin Pheiffer and Riley Hobbs were each 2 of 4.
The Bruins played Little Rock Blue yesterday in the second round of pool play in a game played after Leader deadlines. They take on Gwatney today at 4:30 before the tournament concludes with bracket play Sunday.
