Photos courtesy of Crissy McEntire
By Madison McEntire
EAGLE PASS, Texas — The Bryant 13-year-old All Stars played two intense extra-inning games in the 2014 Babe Ruth Southwest Regional on Sunday, July 27. They lost a 7-6 heartbreaker to host Eagle Pass, which got a lucky break when a poor throw to first base stuck in the fence to prevent the game-ending run from scoring, but then rebounded with a gritty 5-3 win in 10 innings over St. Charles, La.
Next up for Bryant is a rematch with Nederland, Texas on Monday, July 28. Should they win, they will immediately play the loser of the 1 o’clock game between Eagle Pass and Tri-County, Texas.
Team members are Logan Grant, Cade Dupree, Jacob Coppock, Logan Chambers, Logan Catton, Will McEntire, Jacob Shepard, Hunter Mullings, Ryan Lessenberry, Brock Bariola, Coby Greiner, and Sawyer Holt. They are managed by Michael Catton with help from coaches Phillip Dupree and Madison McEntire.
Eagle Pass 7, Bryant 6 (8 innings)
Coppock started for Bryant and got a fly to Bariola in right and a grounder to Grant at third for two quick outs. After hitting the next batter on the first pitch, he fanned the cleanup hitter on three pitches to end the inning.
The left-handed hitting Coppock led off Bryant’s half of the first with a line drive down the left field line but Eagle Pass had him played that way and held him to a single. Chambers’ grounder to the shortstop moved him to third but then Grant popped out to second. With Dupree at the plate, Coppock attempted to score on a wild pitch but was tagged out at the plate for the third out.
In the second, the first Eagle Pass batter popped back to the pitcher but the next batter reached on a fly to right that the wind knocked down, preventing Bariola from coming up with the catch. A liner to right put runners on the corners. After a stolen base, Eagle Pass attempted a bunt but Coppock held the runners and fired to first for the second out. The next batter popped foul near the third base line where Coppock hauled it in to end the threat.
Dupree struck out on a 3-2 pitch to start the Bryant second but then Greiner walked and went to second on an errant pickoff attempt. Mullings moved him to third with a hard grounder to first but Shepard struck out to strand him at third.
Eagle Pass scored first in the third. The 10-hole hitter led off with a double over Mullings in left and went to third on a sac bunt to Dupree, who tagged the batter before he reached first. Coppock snagged a grounder back to the mound for the second out but then made a poor throw on pick off attempt allowing the runner to score. After allowing a grounder down the third base line for a double, Coppock got a grounder to second to send the game to the bottom of the third with Eagle Pass up 1-0.
Bryant went in order as Bariola struck out, Lessenberry popped to short and Coppock lined to center.
In the top of the fourth, Coppock walked the first batter, who then went to second on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Coppock hit a batter to put two on. The next batter popped to short right center where Greiner made a nice catch while avoiding a collision with Holt who had replaced Bariola in right field. On a full count pitch, the next batter popped foul directly above the plate where Lessenberry caught it to end the inning.
In the Bryant fourth, Chambers grounded to second, Grant lined a single to center but Dupree flied to deep left for the second out. Greiner singled to right but then Catton, after entering for Mullings who had been feeling ill, hit a hard grounder to third that was snared by the third baseman who stepped on the bag for the third out.
McEntire replaced Coppock on the mound in the fifth, with Coppock taking Lessenberry’s spot behind the plate. McEntire’s second pitch was popped up directly over the plate and, at the last moment Coppock lost the ball in the sun and it fell foul. The batter later grounded a single to left and, moments later, was then caught off first on a pickoff attempt. But McEntire’s low throw skipped away from Dupree and the runner raced all the way to third.
After a hit by pitch put two on, Coppock nailed the trail runner trying to steal second and then Shepard made a charging catch on a windblown fly to center. A grounder to left brought in a run and, after a walk, a fly-ball single to left-center scored a third run.
McEntire recorded a strikeout to end the inning but Eagle Pass led 3-0.
Bryant exploded for four run to take a 4-3 lead in their next at-bat, all of the runs coming with two outs. Shepard struck out, then Holt walked but McEntire also went down swinging. Coppock slammed a single to center to put two on then Chambers lined a single to left. And when the ball got past the left fielder, Holt scored, Coppock went to third and Chambers pulled into second.
Eagle Pass changed pitchers and the new hurler got Grant to ground to the shortstop but his throw was wild and both runners scored to tie the game. Grant ended up at second. Dupree then singled on a fly ball that fell in right and Grant scored to give Bryant the lead. Greiner grounded to first to end the inning.
The lead did not last long as Eagle Pass quickly plated three runs. McEntire started the inning with a strikeout but then issued a walk. On an 0-2 pitch, the next batter hit a soft liner off the end of the bat that fell harmlessly in left field for a single. The Eagle Pass 10-hole hitter collected his third hit of the game with a liner to left that got by Catton, allowing a run to score and putting runners on second and third. A fly ball single to right center brought in another run and put runners on the corners.
The next batter grounded hard back to the mound. McEntire knocked it down, checked the runner at third, fumbled the ball and threw high to first where the ball went off Durpee’s glove. A run scored and runners were still on first and third.
Chambers came in to pitch with Grant moving to shortstop, Greiner to third, Catton to second, Holt to left and McEntire to right. Chambers’ first pitch hit the batter to load the bases but, with the infield in, a grounder to Dupree resulted in a 3-2-3 doubleplay to end threat.
In the bottom of the sixth, Catton walked, Shepard bunted him to second, and he moved to third on a wild pitch. But Bryant was unable to bring him in when Holt popped to shortstop and McEntire fouled out on a soft liner to the third baseman.
Chambers’ first pitch of the seventh was grounded to Dupree for an out but the next batter doubled to left. A liner to Grant at short and a come-backer to the mound sent Bryant into the bottom of the final inning trailing 6-4.
Coppock led off with a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Chambers reached out and punched a ground ball through the left side to put two on. Grant grounded to second and Chambers avoided the tag long enough to allow Grant to reach first and avoid the doubleplay.
With runners on the corners, Dupree struck out. With Greiner up, Bryant gambled and Grant successfully stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. On a 3-2 pitch, Greiner drilled the ball back up the middle to score both runners and tied the game 6-6.
Catton hit a grounder to the shortstop who elected to make the longer throw to first. His throw was wild and it bounced and stuck in the chainlink fence. Greiner raced around third and hesitated. The first baseman retrieved the ball and threw to the plate where it went off the catcher’s glove. Greiner raced home with the apparent winning run and was mobbed by his teammates. But because the ball had lodged in the fence, he was entitled to only two bases and was sent back to third. Shepard popped up foul to the catcher and the game headed for extra innings.
Chambers easily got the first two Eagle Pass batters on a ground ball to short and a fly to left. But the Eagle Pass leadoff batter grounded a single to left and that was followed by a long double to left to make the score 7-6, with the batter taking third on the throw to the plate. A grounder back to the mound ended the inning.
Bryant went quietly in their last chance. Holt grounded to third and was tagged by the first baseman when the throw was wide. McEntire struck out swinging at a pitch in the dirt and was thrown out at first. Coppock ended the game with a soft pop that the pitcher caught behind the mound.
Bryant 5, St. Charles 3 (10 innings)
Bryant batted first and threatened but came up empty. Coppock lined to short but Chambers grounded a single to left. After Grant forced Chambers out with a grounder to short, he stole second and Dupree was hit on a 0-2 pitch. But Grenier’s grounder to short forced Dupree at second.
Greiner started for Bryant and issued a four-pitch walk to the leadoff batter who stole both second and third as the next batter struck out. The three-hole hitter singled to right and was called safe on a close play when Holt fired to first. Greiner then got a grounder back to the mound and fired to Catton at second who made the relay to first for a doubleplay.
Mullings led off the Bryant second and grounded back to the pitcher. Catton grounded to short for the second out. Holt then fouled off four two-strike pitches before singling to center but Shepard struck out to end the inning.
Greiner walked the first batter of the bottom of the second. The next batter hit a hard shot back up the middle off Greiner’s glove but Grant recovered the ball and fired to first for the out. After a balk moved the runner to third, Greiner recorded a strikeout then fielded a bunt and fired to first to leave the runner stranded.
Coppock walked on a 3-2 pitch to start the third, stole second and went to third on Chambers sac bunt. Grant’s groundout to second scored Coppock before Dupree struck out to end the inning.
Greiner got two easy outs to start the bottom of the third on a grounder to Chambers and a groundball to right field that Holt scooped up and fired to first. After consecutive fly balls fell in center for singles, a grounder to Catton at second ended the inning.
Bryant left two more runners on in the fourth. After Greiner popped foul to the first baseman, Mullings singled on a windblown pop to center that fell between three St. Charles players. Catton then popped foul to the third baseman but Holt’s pop fly to the shortstop was dropped to put two on. Shepard hit yet another pop up and this one was caught by the first baseman to end the inning.
St. Charles opened the bottom of the fourth with a pop out to second but then hit a seeing-eye single up the middle. Greiner then closed out the inning with a grounder back to the mound to force the runner at second followed by a grounder to third.
Coppock struck out on a 3-2 pitch to start the fifth. Chambers walked on a 13-pitch at-bat but was forced at second by Grant before Dupree grounded to first to end the inning.
Greiner walked the first batter of the bottom of the fifth but he was erased when he was off with the pitch and the batter hit a line drive right at Chambers at shortstop. Another soft liner to Chambers sent the game to the sixth inning still tied 1-1.
Greiner was safe to start the top of the sixth when the throw for the St. Charles third baseman pulled the first baseman from the bag. Mullings then bunted Greiner to third. Catton dropped a fly ball into center that fell between two defenders and bounced away. Instead of holding his ground, Greiner attempted to move to third but was thrown out by the center fielder. Holt grounded to third to end the inning.
St. Charles went easily in the bottom of the sixth on a fly to Holt in right, a foul pop to Dupree at first and a ground ball to Chambers at short.
McEntire pinch-hit for Shepard to start the second and lined a single into left. Shepard re-entered to run for McEntire and Coppock sacrificed him to second. Chambers grounded hard right at the third baseman and Shepard mistakenly broke for third. He was tagged out. Grant grounded back to the mound for the third out.
Greiner recorded two quick outs to start the bottom of the seventh on a fly to Shepard in center and a swinging strikeout. But he then issued a walk , balked the runner to second and allowed another walk to put two on.
Chambers took over on the mound and hit the first batter he faced on the top of the helmet with a 1-2 pitch to load the bases. With Bryant facing elimination, Chambers got a 0-2 count on the batter and, after two fouls, got a swinging strikeout to send Bryant to extra inning for the second time.
Having reached the seven-inning maximum, the St. Charles starter had to leave the mound. Their new pitcher got Dupree to ground out to short on his first pitch. Greiner then slammed a drive to right that looked like it would be a hit but the St. Charles right fielder made a great diving catch, snaring the ball just off the top of the grass to prevent Greiner from a double or possible triple.
Mullings and Catton then walked and Holt reached on an infield single to load the bases. Bariola hit for Shepard and drew a four-pitch walk bringing in Mullings and giving Bryant a 2-1 lead. With a chance to blow the game open, Coppock popped to third to end the eighth.
Grant came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. He issued a lead-off walk and then St. Charles bunted the tying run into scoring position. A balk moved the runner to third and then a wild pitch tied the game 2-2. A grounder to Dupree at first and a three-pitch strikeout sent the game to the ninth inning.
Chambers led off the ninth by pulling a single into right. Grant bounced a ball to third that forced Chambers at second. After Grant was caught stealing, Dupree flied to left to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Grant made quick work of St. Charles with a grounder to Greiner at third, a strikeout and a pop to Chambers at short.
Bryant finally broke through in the 10th. After Greiner grounded out to second, Mullings beat a close play on a ground ball up the middle that the shortstop fielded near the second base bag. With Catton at the plate, Mullings broke for second on the left-hander’s first movement and went all the way to third when the first baseman’s throw went into left field. Catton was hit by a 0-2 pitch to put runners on the corners. Holt grounded hard to the second baseman who threw home to try to get Mullings but his throw was high and Mullings slid in safely.
After the close play at the plate, Catton caught the defense standing flatfooted and moved all the way to third. After Holt stole second to put two runners in scoring position, Bariola grounded to the shortstop, who realized he had no play at home and looked to first. But with the infield playing in, the first baseman did not get back to cover the base.
Catton scored, Holt ended up at third and Bariola at first. Coppock grounded out to second as Holt scored. The St. Charles first baseman attempted to throw out Bariola as he went to third but the throw got by the third baseman. Bariola headed home but was thrown out by the left fielder who had backup the throw to third. Bryant led 5-2 going into the bottom of the tenth.
A pop up back to the mound accounted for a quick first out but then an error by Greiner at third put a runner on. The nine-hole hitter for St. Charles smashed a grounder over the bag at first to put runners at the corners. Grant threw a wild pitch to allow a run to score but then recorded a swinging strike out. St. Charles’ leadoff batter bounced to Dupree at first who flipped to Grant covering first to end the game.
