HUGO, Okla. — The Bryant All-Stars are a win away from the 13U Babe Ruth World Series in Ottumwa, Iowa.
In the winners bracket final on Sunday, Bryant erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to bust open a 7-4 game. The uprising made it a walk-off win in the bottom of the sixth in accordance with the 10-after-five run rule..
Bryant will await the survivor of the losers’ bracket final in the title round at 8:30 tonight. A loss would force a winner-take-all showdown on Tuesday night. Meridian will take on South Brazoria, Texas in the losers’ bracket final at 6 p.m., with the winner turning around to play Bryant.
Bryant’s team, coached by Greg Riggs with assistance from Matt Orender and Scott Allison, includes Kannon Allison, Dakota Clay, Joey Jilek, Cooper Kinzler, Cameron McDonald, Dayton Medlock, Justin Orender, Alec Purdom, Ryan Riggs, Blaine Sears, BrandonThomisee and Joshua Turner.
McDonald and Riggs each had three hits for Bryant. Clay and Orender added two apiece.
Turner picked up the win with five innings of solid pitching despite struggling through a three-run fourth. In the final inning, Clay relieved and retired the side around a pair of walks to set up Bryant’s game-breaking home half.
Meridian put together a one-out single and a two-out walk, an error and a single to grab a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
In Bryant’s half, two runs scored. Sears opened the inning with a double and, after Riggs was drilled with a pitch, they worked a double steal. Jilek’s bunt single wound up getting both runs home.
With the strikeout that ended Meridian’s first, Turner retired six of the next seven batters. The lone base-runner resulted from a lead-off walk in the third. But the threat ended when an infield pop resulted in a doubleplay.
Meanwhile, Bryant added to its lead with three runs in the second and one in the third.
The second-inning burst started with McDonald’s first hit. Orender cracked a single to right then the duo completed a double steal. Allison earned a walk to load the bases and, with one out, Sears delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
Riggs singled then walks to Clay and Jilek forced in runs and it was 5-1.
In the home third, McDonald reached on an error and Orender singled. Though Orender was picked off first, McDonald stole third and scored on a tapper off Allison’s bat.
Meridian’s three-run fourth was highlighted by four hits and a walk. A run also scored on a balk. A walk, three singles and a double made it 5-4.
Bryant tacked on a run in the fifth. McDonald singled but was erased with a doubleplay. Allison reached on a third-strike wild pitch then scored on a double by Purdom.
Trailing by two runs, Meridian waited out a pair of walks but to no avail.
The game-breaking home sixth began with a walk to Riggs. Clay ripped a double. Jilek yanked a single to left to plate Riggs. With Clay at third, Jilek swiped second. With one out, McDonald stroked a single to plate a run as the lead ballooned to 10-4.
Jilek scored on a passed ball as McDonald moved to third. Orender walked and stole second. With two out, walks to Purdom and Sears forced in a run. Riggs singled and, after Clay walked, Jilek’s grounder to third was booted allowing the 14th run to dent the plate, ending the game.
