Bryant 14’s split first two games of World Series pool play

Photos courtesy of Crissy McEntire

By Madison McEntire

Logan Chambers (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

PINE BLUFF — The Bryant 14-year-old All-Stars opened the 2015 Babe Ruth World Series by splitting their first two pool play games. After opening with a 10-0 win over Ohio Valley champs Franklin, Ky., on Saturday, Aug. 15, they came out flat and fell behind early against host team White Hall and lost 5-2 on Sunday.

Next up is a pool play game against Middle Atlantic champion Atlantic Shore, N.J., on Monday at 2:30 p.m.

The team members are Jacob Coppock, Logan Grant, Logan Chambers, Cade Dupree, Coby Greiner, Ryan Taylor, Brock Bariola, Logan Catton, Will McEntire, Sawyer Holt, Ryan Lessenberry, Cameron Tipton, Elijah King and Clift Chaffin. They are managed by Michael Catton with help from assistant coaches Phillip Dupree and Madison McEntire.

Bryant 10, Franklin, Ky. 0

Sawyer Holt (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

Grant was the starting pitcher for Bryant and breezed through the first inning, getting two grounders back to the mound followed by a called strikeout.

In the bottom of the first, Bryant jumped on Franklin for three quick runs. Coppock led off and doubled to right-center on an 0-2 pitch. Chambers grounded to the shortstop whose throw was too late at third to get Coppock. Grant was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Dupree then bounced a ball to third and reached on a fielder’s choice as Coppock used his speed to beat the third baseman’s throw to the catcher resulting in Bryant’s first run. With the bases still loaded and Franklin playing the infield in, Bariola grounded to second to force Chambers at home. Taylor then lined a single to right to plate Grant and keep the bases full.

Catton grounded back to the pitcher who forced Dupree at the plate and was safe at first when the catcher’s throw struck him in the shoulder. With Greiner at the plate, a wild pitch scored Bariola before Greiner hammered a ball to center where the Franklin centerfielder made a nice running catch to end the inning.

Franklin’s cleanup hitter bounced back to the mound for the first out of the second. After a soft single to left, Grant got two ground balls, a force play from Holt to Catton and a bouncer to Griener at short to end the inning.

McEntire grounded to shortstop on the first pitch of the bottom of the second and Holt popped to second for two quick outs. Coppock bunted for a hit and then went to third on an errant pickoff throw. Chambers lofted a soft fly to left that looked like it would fall for a hit but the Franklin centerfielder made a diving catch to keep Bryant off the board.

Logan Grant (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

In the top of the third, Dupree fielded a ball at first and tossed to Grant covering for the initial out and then a three-pitch strikeout accounted for another. After Catton dropped a line drive and a single to center put two on, Franklin tried to steal third but Coppock’s throw was on the money to end the threat.

Bryant doubled their lead in the bottom of the third. Grant and Dupree led off with walks. Bariola sacrificed them up and when the pitcher’s throw got past the first baseman, both runners scored and Bariola ended up at third.

After Frankin changed pitchers, Taylor reached on an error by the shortstop with Bariola scoring on the play. After Taylor was picked off and tagged out in a rundown, Catton grounded to the pitcher and Greiner lined to second.

Grant retired Franklin 1-2-3 in the fourth on a pop to Dupree behind first and two strikeouts. Bryant tacked on two more in the home half. After McEntire grounded sharply back to the mound, Holt was safe on a throwing error by the Franklin shortstop and ended up at second base. Coppock bunted for his third hit of the game which moved Holt to third. After Coppock stole second, Chambers singled to left to bring home Holt and put Coppock on third.

After Grant walked, Dupree forced him at second on grounder to short but beat the relay to first which allowed Coppock to score from third. Bariola grounded to first for the third out and Bryant led 8-0 after four innings.

In the top of the fifth, Grant walked the first batter on four pitches. On a visit to the mound, he admitted to Coach Dupree that he was gassed but following an error by Holt at third, he picked the runner off second for a big first out. A called strikeout and a grounder to Catton at second ended the inning.

Will McEntire (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

Taylor led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and, after two unsuccessful sacrifice bunt attempts, Catton was hit by a pitch to put two on. Greiner bunted the runners into scoring position. Tipton came off the bench to hit for McEntire and slapped the first pitch just inside the line at third base. Taylor scored easily from third and Catton also headed home scoring without a throw when the Franklin third baseman bobbled the relay. The two runs gave Bryant a 10-0 run-rule win.

White Hall 5, Bryant 2

White Hall jumped to a quick lead in the first inning. On the game’s second pitch, the starting battery of McEntire and Coppock failed to communicate on a foul pop and the ball fell to give White Hall’s leadoff batter a second chance. He reached on an infield single.

After a walk, McEntire fielded a sac bunt and retired the batter at first but another walk loaded the bases. White Hall’s five-hole hitter went down looking at a 2-2 curveball but the next pitch was lined to left-center to plate two runs.

Coppock threw out the lead runner attempting to steal third to end the top of the first with Bryant trailing 2-0.

In the bottom half, Coppock flied out to left and Chambers was thrown out at first by the catcher on his squibber in front of the plate. Grant reached on an error by the shortstop but was picked off to end the inning.

In the top of the second, White Hall led off with an infield single to short. After a fly out to right, McEntire walked the next two and was replaced by Greiner.

Brock Bariola (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

Another infield single to second brought in a run and kept the bases loaded. White Hall’s three-hole hitter lofted a fly to short right that fell just over Catton’s glove. It was picked up by McEntire who fired to second to get a force out but a run scored on the play to make the score 4-0. After a stolen base, Greiner induced a grounder to Grant at shortstop to end the inning.

Dupree led off the bottom of the second with a pop to the pitcher near the first base line. Taylor bounced out to short for the second out. Greiner lined a single to right before Catton grounded out to second for the third out.

Greiner set White Hall down in order in the third with a ground ball to Holt at third and two strikeouts. Bariola led off for Bryant in the bottom of the third and singled on a ball that went off the pitchers glove. After McEntire flied out to left and Holt struck out swinging, Coppock hammer a pitch to deep center but it was run down by the centerfielder to keep Bryant off the scoreboard.

In the fourth, Greiner again kept White Hall off the board with grounders to Holt and Grant and, after a single to right, a fly to McEntire for the third out.

Logan Catton slides home. (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

Bryant finally got on the board in the fourth. After Chambers grounded out, Grant was safe on a throwing error by the shortstop and Dupree smoked a double to left-center to put two runners in scoring position. Taylor grounded out to second to score Grant and move Dupree up. White Hall’s pitcher fanned Greiner for the third out but not before uncorking a wild pitch which allowed Dupree to score. Bryant had cut the lead to 4-2.

Greiner got a fly ball to center to start the fifth but then an infield single to short put a runner on. After a wild pitch moved the runner to second, Greiner had a 3-2 pitch on the batter and fired another wild pitch for ball four.

The lead runner reached third but rounded the bag too far and Coppock fired behind him. Holt applied the tag but the third base umpire had turned his head and did not see the play. Manager Catton asked that he get help and after a discussion the umps ruled the runner out.

White Hall’s next batter singled on a hard liner off Holt’s glove at third but Greiner worked out of trouble with a called strikeout.

Catton started the bottom of the fifth by getting hit by a pitch. Bariola attempted to bunt Catton to second but it went to the pitcher who got the force at second. However, the throw to first was wild, allowing Bariola to make it to second. Tipton hit for McEntire and lined out to center and then Chaffin, hitting for Holt, grounded out to first to end the inning.

Coby Greiner (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

Greiner worked out of trouble again in the sixth. After getting a foul pop to Coppock behind the plate and fly to McEntire in right, a single and a walk put two on before a pop to Grant at short ended the threat.

Coppock led off the bottom of the sixth with a bunt but was thrown out at first by the pitcher. Chambers laced a single to left but was forced out at second by Grant’s grounder to third. Dupree bounced out to second for the third out.

In his sixth inning of relief, Greiner finally allowed a run. After a fly to center, an infield single to short put a runner on before Greiner got a fly to left for the second out. An error by Grant at short put two on and Greiner hit the next batter to load the bases. The White Hall 10-hole hitter lined a single up the middle to bring in a run but Greiner got a ground ball to Holt at third who stepped on the bag to end the inning.

Bryant attempted a two-out rally in its last at-bat. After Taylor grounded to first and Greiner grounded to short, Catton singled on a fly that was just over the shortstop’s glove and Bariola singled on a fly to left. McEntire stepped in and grounded hard at the second baseman who briefly fumbled the ball. His throw was low and off-line but the White Hall first baseman sprawled in the dirt and managed to hold his foot on the bag to end the game.