SILOAM SPRINGS — After receiving a first-round bye, the Bryant All-Stars opened the Cal Ripken 12U Southwest Regional Tournament on Saturday with a 12-4 romp over Littlefield, Texas. They’ll advance to play Mountain Home on Sunday at noon in the winners’ bracket semifinals.
The 12’s, coached by Paul Speer, include J.T. Allen, Luke Andrews, Gavyn Benson, Eli Berry, Cohen Chalmers, Blaine Duer, Kolby Duncan, Avery Heidelberg, Dante Hernandez, Landon Jackson, E.J. Keith, Colt Martin, Braxton Speer, Aiden Stout, Hudson Thomason.
Bryant took advantage of 10 walks, four hit batsmen and five errors with eight hits. Allen, Stout and Berry each had two hits and Benson drove in two runs.
Benson started on the bump for Bryant and ran into trouble in the second inning when Littlefield tied the game 4-4. Berry relieved and got out of the inning then pitched through the fifth. Keith closed it out with a shutout inning.
Bryant scored three in the first. With one out, Heidelberg walked, and Allen singled sending Heidelberg to third. The duo worked a double steal for the first run. Speer’s grounder to third was misplayed and Allen scored to make it 2-0.
With two down, Speer stole second then third. On the latter theft, the Littlefield catcher threw wildly allowing him to score.
A walk and a single started the bottom of the first but a force at third produced the first out then Thomason, the Bryant catcher, threw out the lead runner trying to steal third. Moments later, on a tapper in front of the plate, Thomason threw to first in time for the third out.
Stout singled to start the second. Berry sacrificed him to second. A wild pitch allowed Stout to take third and a late errant throw there let him score.
Benson retired the first batter of the bottom of the second. But a walk, a single and another free pass loaded the bases and Berry came on in relief. On a 3-2 pitch, the next batter lined a single to right to plate two. Another base hit made it 4-3 and, after a walk, an error allowed the fourth run.
Berry got a strikeout to keep it 4-4.
Bryant snapped the tie in the top of the third. Speer lined a single to left, took second on a balk and third when Keith’s grounder was misplayed. With one out, Speer scored on a passed ball to make it 5-4.
Berry and his defense worked around a two-out single and a walk in the bottom of the third.
Bryant then padded the lead in the fourth. Jackson was hit by a pitch and Heidelberg walked. Jackson had stolen his way to third by then and he scored on a groundout by Allen.
Speer walked and stole second. A passed ball allowed him to take third. With two down, Thomason drew a free pass. He stole second then followed Speer home on a single to center by Benson.
And Bryant wasn’t through. Stout was drilled with a pitch and, after a pitching change, Berry came through with a single to left to make it 10-4.
Littlefield was retired in order in the bottom of the fourth then couldn’t take advantage of a pair of walks in the fifth as Berry struck out the side.
Bryant put the finishing touches on the victory in the top of the sixth. Stout and Berry singled with one out and Jackson was hit by a pitch to fill the sacks. Heidelberg delivered a sacrifice fly and, after Allen walked, Speer hit a grounder to third that was booted allowing Berry to score the final tally.
A two-out single was all that Littlefield could produce in the bottom of the sixth.
