LONOKE — Building a 9-0 lead over the first three innings, the Bryant 8-year-old All-Stars breezed to a 10-3 win in six innings over the Stuttgart All-Stars to advance in the winners bracket of the Cal Ripken 8-and-under State Tournament on Saturday.
The Bryant team, coached by Josh Daves, includes Luke Andrews, Jonathan Carter, Cohen Chalmers, Grant Daves, Kolby Duncan, Dante Hernandez, Colt Martin, Dawson Martin, Barrett Royal, Jake Taylor, Chance Thompson and Chase Trimble.
Taylor went 3 for 3 with two runs batted in to spark the Bryant offense. Colt Martin added two hits and everyone that came to the plate for Bryant had a hit.
Taylor opened the game with an inside-the-park home run. A second run scored in the first when Colt Martin tripled with two down and Royal got him home with an infield hit.
The big inning for Bryant was the top of the second. Dawson Martin drilled a single to left then stole second. Hernandez delivered an RBI hit and he too swiped a bag. Daves’ drive to right resulted in an RBI triple and when the throw home was errant, Daves scored as well.
Trimble cracked a double to center and scored on a knock up the middle by Carter. After Carter swiped second, he raced home on a two-bagger off Trimble’s bat. Andrews came through with a single and hustled to second on the throw toward the plate that held Trimble at third.
Bryant reached the maximum of six runs when Taylor knocked in Trimble with a base hit.
The ninth run for Bryant scored in the top of the third. Colt Martin doubled and sprinted home when Royal’s grounder to short resulted in a wild throw to first.
It stayed 9-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Stuttgart rallied for three runs. That was enough to keep them within six runs, giving them a chance.
But Bryant dashed those lingering hopes in the top of the sixth when Royal lashed a single and scored all the way from first on Chalmers’ double to center.
