COLUMBUS, Texas — The Bryant 9-year-old All-Stars’ remarkable 2015 run to the Cal Ripken Baseball 10-and-under Southwest Regional Tournament came to a conclusion on Monday when they suffered a 13-3 defeat to Andrews, Texas, in an elimination game at the tourney.
The team earned a 12-5 win on Friday to open the tournament, defeating North Arkansas champion Blytheville but then ran into the host team on Sunday. Tri-County, Texas, handed them a 9-1 defeat, setting up the elimination game against Andrews, Texas.
Bryant’s team, managed by Jeremy Stovall with assistance from Michael Brower and R.C. Penfield, includes Garrison Blacklaw, Brady Brower, Reid Catton, Clay Crawford, Gage Horn, Grant Johnson, Carson Kemp, Justen Myles, Gideon Motes, Hank Penfield, Caden Stovall and Cason Trickey.
Andrews staked out a 5-0 lead in the first and wound up holding Bryant to just one hit. The Texas team led 11-0 before Bryant got on the board with three runs in the top of the fourth but a two-run uprising in the bottom of the inning made it a run-rule win for Andrews.
Catton had the team’s only hit, a single to lead off the game. But he was caught stealing and Andrews got out of the inning and proceeded to score five times in the home half.
Bryant had base-runners in every inning. In the second, walks were issued to Horn, Stovall and Motes but were stranded. In the third, Catton and Brower drew free passes and moved to second and third on a passed ball with no one out. But again Andrews retired the next three hitters. Both Blacklaw and Horn were robbed of hits on line drives that were caught by the second baseman.
In the fourth, Stovall walked and Johnson reached on an error that allowed Stovall to score. Motes walked and stole second then Johnson scored on a wild pitch. Crawford sacrificed and got Motes home to make it 11-3.
Walks were issued to Catton and Brower but Bryant couldn’t get any more runs.
