LITTLE ROCK — A 10-run third helped the Bryant All-Stars secure a 13-2 win over Lakewood in the opener of the 12-year-old (50/70) Cal Ripken State Tournament on Saturday but, in a second game, later in the day, Bryant got down early and never recovered as Little Rock Junior Deputy forged a 12-4 win in the second round.
The team was set to play on Sunday at 7 p.m., in an elimination game against a team to be determined.
The Bryant 12’s are managed by Danny Jackson with assistance from Bryon Glenn and Johnny Alliston. The players are Conner Alliston, Bailey Bowers, Luke Brantley, Chase Brooks, Zach Byars, Conner Chapdelaine, Jordan Gentry, Zach Jackson, Caleb McElyea, Liam Miller, Conner Tatum, Hunter Winkles and Matthew Vangilder.[more]
In the win over Lakewood, Bryant trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the third. Both of Lakewood’s runs had come on solo homers by its No. 3 hitter, Satchel Nash, one in the first and one in the top of the third.Bryant had gotten on the board in the bottom of the opening frame when Tatum walked and stole second. Brantley singled and, with one out, Bowers cracked an RBI single.Bowers, Bryant’s starting pitcher, worked around a pair of walks in the top of the second but, other than Alliston getting hit by a pitch, Bryant’s second was uneventful.
Byars relieved in the third for Bryant and was greeted by the second solo homer for Nash. But he retired the next three including the last two on strikes to set up Bryant’s game-breaking inning.
Tatum singled to right-center to start the outburst. He stole second and scored on a double by Brantley. Singles by Jackson and Bowers followed and, an out later, Alliston drew a walk and stole second.
With two away, Winkles beat out an infield hit and Miller drew a walk before Tatum ripped an RBI double.
Moments later, Brantley smashed a 2-1 pitch over the fence in left-center to make it 10-2.
A walk to Brooks kept the inning going. Bowers doubled him home. A walk to Gentry followed but, after a double steal got the runners to second and third, a strikeout concluded the inning.
Byars walked a batter in the top of the fourth but he wound up stranded at third.
Bryant then ended the game with the 10-run rule in the bottom of the fourth. Byars drew a walk and advanced to second on a bunt single by Chapdelaine. Miller bounced into a force at second but a single by Tatum drove in the runs.
Against Junior Deputy later in the day, Bryant got on the board first. Tatum led off the game with a double and, an out later, Jackson smacked a double as well. After a passed ball got the runner to third, he scored on a groundout by Bowers.
But Bryant’s two runs didn’t add to the six that the Little Rock team produced taking advantage of three walks and two errors with a pair of singles, one a single by Joseph Hampton to drive in a run. Dylan Thompson singled later in the frame.
Two more scored in the second to make it 8-2. Douglas Munson and Dylan Hays each had hits for Junior Deputy.
Tatum drew a walk to start the third inning and, after he stole second, he scored on a double by Jackson. Bowers singled to put runners at first and third then Gentry lifted a fly to center. Byars, running for Jackson, tagged up and tried to score only to have the Little Rock center fielder Cade Mills throw him out at the plate to end the inning.
Solo homers by Hampton and Munson highlighted a four-run fourth for Junior Deputy.
In the fifth, Tatum reached on an error and stole second. He eventually scored on a groundout by Jackson.
Even though the Little Rock team went down in order in the bottom of the fifth, Bryant couldn’t get much going in the top of the sixth after Gentry opened the inning with a single. But Junior Deputy turned a doubleplay to erase Gentry. A strikeout ended the game.
