Photos courtesy of Paul Dotson
The Cabot All-Stars had no answers for the bats of the Bryant Stars as the 13-year-old Babe Ruth State Tournament got underway at Bishop Park on Friday.
Bryant scored in all four turns at the plate including eight runs in the third inning on the way to a 19-2 rout.
The Bryant team, coached by Greg Riggs, includes Kannon Allison, Dakota Clay, Joey Jilek,
Cooper Kinzler,
Cameron McDonald,
Justin Orender,
Alec Purdom,
Ryan Riggs,
Blaine Sears,
Brandon Thomisee and
Joshua Turner.
Cabot scored its only two runs in the top of the first inning but had two base-runners thrown out trying to steal to undercut their effort.
Bryant eclipsed that 2-0 lead with four runs in the home half. With one out, Riggs walked and stole second. Clay followed with a double, taking third when the ball was misplayed in left as Riggs scored. Jilek walked.
With two down, McDonald and Orender drew free passes to force in Clay before Allison drilled a hit to right-center for an RBI. A walk to Thomisee capped the outburst, forcing in the fourth tally.
After working out of the first-inning jam with some help from his defense, Thomisee shut out Cabot the rest of the way. He wound up walking two and striking out eight in five innings.
In the second, he fanned two around a two-out walk. In turn, Bryant added two to its lead. Clay was struck by a pitch with one down and stole second. Passes to Jilek and Turner loaded the bases for McDonald who plugged the gap in left center for a two-run triple. Orender walked but Cabot escaped further damage with a strikeout.
Thomisee struck out two more in the third. In between, he surrendered a single only to have the runner thrown out trying to steal.
That set the stage for the eight-run explosion. A walk to Thomisee got things started. Sears cracked a double then Riggs beat out a bunt for a hit, plating a run. With Sears at third, Riggs stole second ahead of a walk to Clay.
With the sacks jammed, Jilek plugged the gap in right-center for a two-run double. Turner traded places with a shot to left for a two-bagger. McDonald made it three doubles in a row to make it 13-2.
McDonald advanced to third and, with one down, tagged up and scored on Allison’s sacrifice fly. Thomisee walked again and scored on a base hit by Sears to cap the inning.
In the fourth, a one-out error got a runner aboard but the Thomisee got the next batter to ground into a force at second. An infield hit put two on but both were stranded.
Walks to Clay and Jilek opened Bryant’s fourth. Turner was plunked to load the bases and McDonald walked to force in a run. Orender reached on an error then Allison singled. Thomisee walked then Sears hit one to left that fell in resulting in a force at third as a run scored, setting the final score.
In the fifth, Thomisee fanned two then got the final out on a grounder to second.
Bryant advanced to take on Sylvan Hills on Saturday while Cabot dropped into the losers bracket.
