HAMBURG — After blasting through the District Tournament to win the championship by outscoring four opponents 61-10, the Bryant 10-year-old All-Stars opened the State Tournament on Saturday afternoon in similarly dominating fashion by blasting the host Hamburg team 18-0 in four innings.
The Bryant 10’s, coached by Jeremy Stovall, include 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.
All 18 of Bryant’s runs came in the second inning with Motes leading the way with a 3-for-3 day. Trickey, Blacklaw and Johnson each added two hits with Trickey driving in three runs.
Hamburg managed just two hits as Blacklaw, Catton and Stovall combined on the shutout.
Bryant’s second-inning explosion started in the smallest of ways, a bunt single by Blacklaw. Johnson followed with a bloop single to center and Motes beat out an infield hit that drew a wild throw allowing two to score.
Catton got a sacrifice bunt down and when the ball was misplayed, Bryant had runners at first and third. Catton swiped second then Brower drew a walk to load the bases for Ratliff who drilled an RBI single to center to make it 3-0.
Stovall delivered a bases-clearing double, taking third on an errant throw and it was 6-0. Walks to Penfield and Horn loaded the bases for Trickey. He lashed a single to right, driving in Stovall and Penfield.
A free pass to Blacklaw loaded the bases again, setting up another three-run double, this time off the bat of Johnson. Motes singled him in, stile second and took third on a passed ball as Catton drew a walk. A wild pitch allowed Motes to score and it was 13-0.
Brower beat out an infield hit and when he was forced at second on a grounder to short by Ratliff, Catton scored.
With two down, Penfield reached on an error and Horn singled to drive in Ratliff. Trickey knocked in Penfield with a base hit before Blacklaw capped off the scoring with a two-run double.
Hamburg’s lone hits were a one-out single in the top of the third and a lead-off double in the top of the fourth. Both were stranded.
