Photos courtesy of Debra Catton
Gideon Motes (Photo courtesy of Debra Catton)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The Bryant All-Stars will play for the championship of the consolation bracket at the Cal Ripken 10U World Series on Friday after a 10-7 win over the host team Thursday.
It was the third win in a row for Bryant, the champion of the Southwest Regional, after opening the tournament with three losses. Those setbacks are why the team is playing in the consolation bracket but Thursday’s win avenged one of those losses. Palm Beach Gardens defeated Bryant 9-5 in the second game of pool play.
But Bryant now seems much more comfortable in Florida. The team’s opponent in Friday’s consolation finale will be Honolulu, Hawaii, the Pacific Southwest Regional champion.
If it’s Norwalk, it’ll be another opportunity for Bryant to avenge a previous loss. Norwalk produced a 13-3 win over Bryant in the third round of pool play on Monday. Bryant hasn’t lost since.
Members of the Bryant team, which is coached by Jeremy Stovall with assistance from Michael Brower and Michael Catton, are 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.
Grant Johnson pitches as Garrison Blacklaw sets up defensively at short. (Photo courtesy of Debra Catton)
In the win over Palm Beach Gardens, Penfield went 4 for 5, Stovall had three hits and Catton two to lead a 14-hit attack. Stovall and Blacklaw each had two runs batted in.
Grant Johnson started on the mound and shut the Florida team out over the first three innings as Bryant built a 7-0 lead. Palm Beach Gardens broke through for three runs in the fourth but Bryant got those back in the top of the fifth to make it 10-3. A four-run rally by Palm Beach Gardens in the bottom of the fifth was too little too late. Horn pitched a scoreless sixth to close out the victory.
Blake Mathews and Bryce Jackson each had two hits for the host team.
Karter Ratliff (Photo courtesy of Debra Catton)
Bryant broke the ice on the scoring in the top of the first. With one out, Penfield and Johnson each singled and Trickey walked to load the bases. Blacklaw socked a single to left to drive in a run but when Johnson tried to score as well, he was thrown out at the plate.
Palm Beach Gardens managed only a one-out single by Dawson Thrush in the bottom of the inning. Johnson and the Bryant defense then retired the next eight in a row.
Catton and Motes walked to open the second. Brower got a sacrifice bunt down then Stovall picked up an RBI with a grounder to short.
A five-run fourth put Bryant in control. Horn singled to center to lead off the inning then Catton beat out a bunt hit. A walk to Motes filled the sacks. Brower worked a free pass to force in a run. Stovall and Penfield each drilled singles to center to bring in a run apiece. A walk to Johnson made it 6-0.
After a pitching change, Blacklaw came through with a sacrifice fly to cap off the outburst.
Palm Beach Gardens’ three-run fourth was highlighted by a two-out RBI triple by Chris Wilson. But Johnson struck out Nicholas Banner to end the uprising.
Catton swatted a single to center to start Bryant’s fifth. He advanced on a wild pitch but remained at second with two down. But Stovall kept the inning alive with a single to center. And when the ball was misplayed, Catton scored.
Penfield beat out an infield hit then Johnson walked to load the bases. When Ratliff’s grounder to second was misplayed both Stovall and Penfield scored to make it 10-3.
Thrush had a sacrifice fly, Mathews singled in a pair and Jackson knocked in a run with a base hit to cut the lead to 10-7 in the bottom of the fifth but Horn got Wilson to bounce out to Blacklaw at short to end the inning.
Bryant made a bid to get more with two-out singles by Motes, Brower and Stovall in the sixth but Jackson, the fifth Florida pitcher, escaped further damage.
The last gasp of Palm Beach Gardens was limited to a line out to Johnson at first, a groundout to Blacklaw at short and a fly to Brower in left.
