PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — On the last day of the 2016 Cal Ripken 10U World Series, there were just four teams still playing and one of them was the Bryant All-Stars.
The champions of Arkansas and the Southwest Regional, Bryant reached the championship round of the consolation bracket. A rugged start to pool play (with three straight losses) relegated them to the consolation side but they put together an impressive three-game win streak to get to the finals.
Though they led initially 1-0, the Honolulu, Hawaii All-Stars rallied for a 6-3 win, spoiling Bryant’s bid and ending the win streak. But it did not overshadow the accomplishment of the Bryant team, which was most likely a product of the smallest town of the teams in the field.
Glen Allen, Va., won the championship bracket with a 4-3 win over Norwalk, Conn., Friday.
Members of the Bryant team, which was coached by Jeremy Stovall with assistance from Michael Brower and Michael Catton, were Garrison Blacklaw, Brady Brower, Reid Catton, Clay Crawford, Gage Horn, Grant Johnson Gideon Motes, Justen Myles, Hank Penfield, Karter Ratliff, Caden Stovall and Cason Trickey.
Reid Catton was named to the all-tournament team.
Bryant’s first run scored in the second inning when Trickey walked, Blacklaw was hit by a 2-1 delivery and Motes cracked a two-run single to center with two out.
Honolulu, however, answered with two runs in the home second. An error allowed Tony Hino to reach base but Rylan Nakamura bounced into a force for the second out.
A passed ball allowed Nakamura to take second and, on a 3-1 pitch, Mariah Antoque drilled a double. Cody Branco put Honolulu on top with an RBI single.
Bryant made a bid to tie it back up in the top of the of the third when Penfield singled with one out, Trickey walked with two down and Blacklaw lined a single to center to load the bases.
Shonty Passi took the mound in relief of starter Kaiden Sonoda-Fukumoto and got the final out to keep it 2-1.
Hawaii added a run in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI triple from Eddie Ogasawara.
In turn, Bryant filled the sacks again. Catton reached on an error and, with one down, Brower beat out a bunt single. With two down, Penfield walked but, again, Passi escaped.
Honolulu extended the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth but Bryant rallied to close the gap in the top of the fifth. With one out, Blacklaw cracked a double to right and Horn’s single to right drove him in.
Horn took second on a passed ball before Catton reached on an error by Passi. Motes hit a grounder to second to get Horn home.
In the home fifth, singles by Trent Nagamine, Ogasawara and Passi loaded the bases. Hino’s sacrifice fly made it 6-3.
Down to their last three outs, the Bryant Stars were closed out by Passi, 1-2-3.
2016 CAL RIPKEN 10U WORLD SERIES
At Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
American Division
Poughkeepsie, NY (Middle Atlantic)
Mineral Area, Mo. (Midwest Plains)
Bryant, Ark. (Southwest)
Norwalk, Conn. (New England)
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (host)
National Division
Willamette Valley, Ore. (Pacific Northwest)
South Bend, Ind. (Ohio Valley)
Glen Allen, Va. (Southeast)
Honolulu, Hawaii (Pacific Southwest)
Longwood, Fla. (Florida State champion)
Thursday, Aug. 4
Game 1 — South Bend, Ind. 15, Willamette Valley, Ore. 5
Game 2 — Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 13, Bryant, Ark. 1
Game 3 — Glen Allen, Va., 9, Longwood, Fla., 5
Game 4 — Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 13, Mineral Area, Mo., 1
Sunday, Aug. 7
Game 5 — Glen Allen, Va. 8, Honolulu, Hawaii 2
Game 6 — Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 14, Norwalk, Conn. 3
Game 7 — Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 9, Bryant, Ark. 5
Game 8 — South Bend, Ind. 12, Longwood, Fla. 2
Sunday, Aug. 7
Game 9 — Honolulu, Hawaii 10, South Bend, Ind. 0
Game 10 — Norwalk, Conn. 12, Mineral Area, Mo., 0
Game 11 — Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 9, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 2
Game 12 — Willamette Valley, Ore., 13, Longwood, Fla. 3
Monday, Aug. 8
Game 13 — Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 6, Mineral Area, Mo. 1
Game 14 — Glen Allen, Va. 11, Willamette Valley, Ore. 5
Game 15 — Honolulu, Hawaii 5, Longwood, Fla. 3
Game 16 — Norwalk, Conn., 13, Bryant, Ark. 3
Tuesday, Aug. 9
Game 17 — Willamette Valley 15, Honolulu, Hawaii 6
Game 18 — Glen Allen, Va., 11, South Bend, Ind. 6
Game 19 — Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 11, Norwalk, Conn. 6
Game 20 — Bryant, Ark., 8, Mineral Area, Mo. 1
Bracket Play
Wednesday, Aug. 10
Game 21 — Bryant, Ark., 5, Longwood, Fla., 2 (Consolation bracket)
Game 22 — Willamette Valley, Ore., 5, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 3 (Winners bracket)
Game 23 — Honolulu, Hawaii 3, Mineral Area, Mo., 2 (Consolation bracket)
Game 24 — Norwalk, Conn., 5, South Bend, Ind., 2 (Winners bracket)
Thursday, Aug. 11
Game 25 — Bryant, Ark. 10, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 7 (Consolation bracket)
Game 26 — Glen Allen, Va., 12, Willamette Valley, Ore. 2 (Winners bracket)
Game 27 — Honolulu, Hawaii 9, South Bend, Ind., 3 (Consolation bracket)
Game 28 — Norwalk, Conn., 8, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 4 (Winners bracket)
Friday, Aug. 12
Game 29 — Honolulu, Hawaii 6, Bryant, Ark. 3 (Consolation bracket final)
Game 30 — Glen Allen, Va., 4, Norwalk, Conn. 3 (Winners bracket final)
