McGEHEE — Trey Breeding and Dakota Besancon combined on a four-hit shutout as the Bryant 12-year-old (46/60) All-Stars opened the 2009 Cal Ripken State Tournament with a 6-0 win over Pine Bluff North on Friday night.
Breeding and Brandon Carter each drove in two runs for Bryant, which scored three times in the first and three times in the second then cruised to the victory.
The Bryant 12-year-old team, which plays on a diamond with 46-foot pitching distance and 60-foot basepaths, is coached by Sam Breeding. Members include Sebastian Arias, Dakota Besancon, Trey Breeding, Brandon Carter, Destin Davis, Tre Devis, Austin Green, Clifton Hampton, Andrew Kincaid, Blaine Knight, Hunter Lawhon and Jimbo Seale.
They are bidding to advance to Regionals in Monticello July 29.
Bryant was set to take on El Dorado at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the second round of the State tourney.[more]
Breeding worked the first three innings of the contest on the mound, allowing two hits with one walk while striking out six. Besancon relieved in the fourth and, in three innings, allowed two hits without a walk while striking out another six.
Breeding struck out two and worked around a two-out single in the top of the first.
Bryant’s three-run home first began with a walk to Green. Breeding cracked a double to left-center and Green raced all the way home with the first run. Seale singled Breeding to third then a passed ball allowed him to score as Seale took second. Kincaid’s tap to the mound allowed Seale to take third and he scored a pitch later when Carter drilled a double to center, making it 3-0.
Pine Bluff North went down in order in the top of the second and Bryant revved up the offense again. Knight, who had two hits in the game, singled to center and stole second then third. Lawhon walked and took second on a passed ball that didn’t get far enough away for Knight to score.
After a pitching change, Green drew a free pass to load the bases for Breeding who’s grounder to second was booted allowing Knight to score. With one out, Kincaid drew a walk to force in Lawhon then Carter drew a free pass to force in Green, making it 6-0.
In the top of the third, Pine Bluff managed a one-out single but Breeding picked the runner off before retiring the side with a strikeout.
Besancon was greeted by a single as he came on in the fourth. But he fanned two around a force out to preserve the shutout. He went on to retire the side in order in the fifth then worked around a walk and a two-out single in the sixth, getting the final out on a pop up to Knight at first.
