LONG BEACH, Miss. — The Bryant 7-year-old All-Stars completed a 4-0 run through pool play[more] at the 7-and-under Southwest Regional Tournament with an 11-4 win over Semmes, Ala., on Sunday. They advance to the single-elimination championship bracket play as a top seed.
The game was tied 4-4 after three innings but Bryant came up with six runs in the top of the fourth and held the Alabama team over the final two frames to extract the win.
Bryant’s 7-year-old team, managed by Jeremy Stovall, is Garrison Blacklaw, Brady Brower, Reid Catton, Clay Crawford, Gage Horn, Dillon Hunt, Grant Johnson, Carson Kemp, Gideon Motes, Carson Nagle, Hank Penfield, and Caden Stovall.
Catton and Kemp led Bryant with three hits each. Hunt, Stovall, Brower, Penfield and Crawford had two hits each.
Bryant took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Catton and Kemp singled and, after moving up on a groundout by Blacklaw, Johnson picked up an RBI with a groundout and Hunt singled in Kemp.
Semmes tied it in the bottom of the inning but Bryant regained an edge in the top of the second when Stovall smacked a triple and scored on a double by Brower.
In the top of the third, Catton doubled and scored on a single by Kemp to make it 4-2. But, in the home half, Semmes scored twice to draw even.
The game-breaking fourth started with base hits from Nagle, Stovall and Mote which got Nagle home. A bunt single by Brower loaded the bases for Penfield, who singled to left, knocking in Stovall. Crawford’s single chased home two runs as the lead grew to 8-4.
Catton beat out a bunt to load the bases and Kemp stroked an RBI single to center. Johnson’s groundout made it a six-run inning.
Bryant put the final touches on the win in the top of the fifth. Hunt singled and stole second and third before scoring on a grounder to third by Nagle.
After tying it in the third, the Alabama team was held to one-out singles in each of the final two frames.
