ARKADELPHIA —For the second time in pool play for the Cal Ripken 6U Southwest Regional T-Ball Tournament, the Bryant Athletic Association 5-year-old team battled a 6-year-old team within a run on Friday.
A team called Flash scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth to overcome Bryant’s 13-9 lead. Flash then made the 14-13 lead hold up by keeping Bryant from scoring in the top of the fifth.
Both teams will advance to bracket play starting Saturday. Bryant’s 5s will play at 12:30 p.m., against the Benton 5s.
The Bryant team, coached by John Harrison with assistance from Mike Abrahamson, Brad Parker, Garrion Madison and Brad Silas, includes Paxon Abrahamson, Brantlee Baker, Chase Fleming, Jaxson Harrison, Garrion Madison, Chance Orender, Mason Parker, Trey Patterson, Brad Silas Jr., Caden Tolleson, Lane Warren and Karson Young.
With Madison and Abrahamson scoring in the top of the first inning, Bryant took a 2-0 lead. Fleming and Parker also had hits to drive in runs. Flash countered with the maximum of six runs in the bottom of the first.
In the second, Silas, Orender, Tolleson, Young, Warren and Harrison each scored to match Flash’s first-inning total, taking an 8-6 edge. In the bottom of the inning, Flash managed just two runs so the score was tied going into the third.
Bryant took a one-run lead when Silas scored as hits by Orender and Tolleson brought him around. But that was all they could get.
Flash, too, managed just one run however and the game was knotted at 9 going into the fourth.
Madison, Warren, Harrison and Abrahamson scored as Bryant took the 13-9 lead. Fleming also had a key hit in the uprising.
In the bottom of the fourth, Flash scored five times, however, to gain the decisive advantage.
