Summer baseball begins for Black Sox, including local talent
The 2022 summer travel baseball season is underway, and Franklin County is well-represented on the roster of talent for the Black Sox.
The 17U Black Sox team, coached by Matt Spurgeon, includes many players who have helped the Russellville Golden Tigers and Phil Campbell Bobcats to tremendous varsity seasons this year and the past year. RHS has won back-to-back 5A state titles, and PCHS won it all in 2021 before making it to the semifinals of 3A this year.
Russellville players on the 17U Black Sox are Brayden Heaps, Casen Heaps, Banks Langston, Shayden Romans, Brayden Spurgeon and Logan White. Phil Campbell players are Bryant Anthony, Cam Habada, Cole Pace, Kyle Pace and Sage Raper.
The 2022 season for the Black Sox got started during the weekend of June 3-5, with five games played near Memphis, Tenn.
Game one of the season was a dominating 19-0, four-inning win over the High Heat team.
Brody McCain and Cole Pace combined to pitch a no-hitter. Kyle Pace went three-for-three with three RBIs. Habada hit a home run and drove in three.
Romans added two hits, including a triple and a double, and he was joined in the hit column by Raper, Langston and Cole Pace.
Anthony picked up two RBIs to go along with two from Cole Pace and one each from Raper and Romans, while Spurgeon scored twice.
The second game Friday in Arlington, Tenn., for the Black Sox went the way of TPL American by a 4-2 score. Anthony led the way at the plate for the Sox with a couple of hits and an RBI. Other Black Sox hits came from Raper, Kyle Pace, Romans and Cole Pace. Doing the pitching for the Sox was Habada, Cole Pace, Spurgeon and Kyle Pace.
Saturday’s action got started with an 8-7 loss to the Memphis Tigers in a six-inning contest. Kyle Pace homered for one of his two hits and he knocked in three runs. Romans went three-for-four and doubled twice, while Langston also smacked a two-base hit. Anthony added two hits and had an RBI, and Langston drove in one run.
Doing the pitching were Banks Langston and Cole Pace. Langston got the start and went 3 1/3 innings before he was relieved by Pace, who allowed one run.
Game two Saturday in Arlington was a 5-5 tie in a six-inning duel between the Black Sox and EBC Arlington.
Spurgeon got the start on the mound and went five innings. He allowed four hits and two unearned runs.
Brayden Heaps followed in relief and allowed three unearned runs.
The Sox defense made five errors during the contest.
Kyle Pace had two hits and a walk, and Romans added a double. Also getting hits were Raper and Spurgeon. Runs were batted in by Kyle Pace, Romans, Habada and Spurgeon.
The final game of the weekend was another close one, with the Black Sox falling on Sunday in Cordova, Tenn., to the West Tennessee White Sox by a score of 7-6.
Kyle Pace had two hits, and Anthony added another. Black Sox RBIs came from Anthony, Romans, Habada and Casen Heaps.
McCain, Brayden Heaps and Kyle Pace were the pitchers.
