SHERWOOD — The Bryant 8-year-old Cal Ripken League All-Stars would like nothing better than another[more] shot at the Little Rock Junior Deputy All-Stars. To get it, they’ll need a pair of wins tonight in elimination games at the South Arkansas State Tournament.
That’s because Bryant, after defeating Marion 15-3 and Camden’s 7-year-olds 14-0 in the first two rounds of the tournament, they ran into Junior Deputy and suffered a tough 9-6 loss.
It was the third loss in as many games against the Little Rock squad. Bryant had suffered narrow defeats to Junior Deputy at the Firecracker Classic the previous weekend including one in the championship round.
At State, Bryant bounced back on Sunday to oust the Camden 8’s, 13-3, setting up the games tonight against teams that were to be determined.
The Bryant 8’s players include Evan Barrett, Gavin Burton, Luke Dreher, Caleb Greiner, Drew Hatman, Conner Martin, Logan McDonald, Colby Morrow, Cade Parker, J.T. Parker, Turner Seelinger, Hayden Thompson, Logan White. The team is managed by Jason Greiner with assistance from Ryan Martin and Jeremy Morrow.
Bryant 13, Camden 8’s 3
Bryant bounced back from their loss with a maximum inning in the first. Dreher led off with a single and Burton belted an RBI single to right-center. Cade Parker singled and, with one out, so did Barrett, McDonald, Martin, Greiner and White. Barrett, Martin, Greiner and White drove in runs.
Camden scored a run in the top of the second but Bryant added three more. Hatman singled and scored the first run when J.T. Parker tripled. Seelinger got Parker home with a sacrifice fly then singles by Dreher and Burton made it 9-1.
Thompson doubled to lead off the third. He scored when Barrett belted a drive to center for a double, though he was out trying to stretch it to a triple.
Camden made a bid to stay in the game with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth but Bryant made it a run-rule win in the bottom of the inning when Hatman singled and J.T. Parker belted his second triple. Seelinger’s groundout brought Parker in to end it.
Junior Deputy 9, Bryant 6
The Little Rock team plated the maximum of six runs in the bottom of the first to erase a 1-0 deficit. Bryant played catch-up the rest of the way.
Dreher tripled to open the game. He held at third as Burton beat out an infield hit but Cade Parker’s sacrifice fly made it 1-0.
Bryant whittled two off the 6-1 margin in the top of the second. McDonald reached third on an error and, after Martin got him home, Greiner moved Martin up and White drove him home by beating out an infield hit.
Singles by Dreher and Burton set up RBI situations for Cade Parker and Thompson who came through to get them home in the top of the third, trimming the margin to 6-5.
Junior Deputy added a run to that lead in the bottom of the third. Bryant got it back on hits by Martin and Greiner and a groundout by McDonald.
But after Junior Deputy scored in the bottom of the fourth and again in the fifth, Bryant was denied a comeback.
Bryant 14, Camden 7’s 0
Stifling defense and max innings in the first and second spurred the Bryant Stars to victory in their second-round game. The opening blitz started with a single by Dreher and Burton’s triple. Cade Parker singled to make it 2-0. Barrett belted a double then singles by McDonald, Martin and White completed the inning.
Morrow’s single started the second. He advanced on a grounder by Hatman then scored on J.T. Parker’s hit. Seelinger tripled to make it 8-0 then scored on a double by Dreher. Burton, Cade Parker, Thompson and Barrett belted consecutive singles to expand the margin to 12-0.
McDonald and Martin singled to start the third. Greiner grounded into a force out but White singled to load the bases for Morrow, who got a run in on a groundout. Hatman singled and J.T. Parker knocked in a run to set the final margin.
Camden managed just two base-runners in the game, both in the first inning. They were stranded at first and third.
Bryant 15, Marion 3
Max innings in the first and fourth provided the blowout margin in Bryant’s opener.
In the first, Dreher singled and, with one out, Cade Parker singled him home. Thompson beat out an infield hit then Barrett knocked in a run with a single. McDonald singled in another tally then scored on a groundout by Martin. White capped the inning by belting an inside-the-park homer.
Marion scratched out a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and the 6-2 score held until the third.
A one-out triple by Dreher and an RBI single by Burton started the uprising. Cade Parker singled Burton to third and he scored from there on a groundout by Thompson. Barrett came through with an RBI double to make it 9-2.
Marion cobbled together three hits to plate another run in the bottom of the inning but had no answer after Bryant erupted for six more in the fourth. Martin, Greiner, White and Morrow started the eruption with consecutive singles. Hatman beat out an infield roller as Greiner scored and, with two down, Dreher cleared the bases with a triple. He scored the final run on a hit by Burton.
