Before the rain came to Bishop Park on Sunday, the Bryant 14-year-old All-Stars eliminated the Benton 15U team, 15-0 in four innings in the losers’ bracket of the 2019 Babe Ruth State Tournament.
With the win, the Bryant 14’s stayed alive in the tournament. They’ll play Sylvan Hills on Monday at 4 p.m. And, if they win, they’ll take on the Bryant 15’s, an 11-4 winner over Crossett on Sunday.
The 14’s, coached by Michael Catton, include Jorge Acosta, Luke Bickerstaff, Mason Butler, Reid Catton, Clay Crawford, Tucker Dunn, Brandon Gabe, Logan Grantham, Ryan Green, Matthew Griffe, Hunter Holt, Justen Myles, Gustavo Rico and Lakin Woods.
Ricco and Crawford combined to shutout Benton on two hits over four innings. Each pitched two frames, walked one and struck out two.
Bryant had eight hits to take advantage of eight walks, two hit batsmen and five Benton errors. Acosta and Bickerstaff each had two hits. Both drove in a pair as did Holt. Dunn drove in three.
A nine-run second blew up a scoreless game and sent Bryant on its way to victory.
A one-out walk to Butler started the eruption. He stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored on a single to left by Bickerstaff. Myles got a sacrifice bunt down and when the ball was misplayed, reached safely as Bickerstaff reached second. The duo then pulled off a double steal and Catton squeezed in a run. And when his bunt was misplayed, he reached as well, and Myles made it to third.
The small ball onslaught continued when Ricco got a sacrifice down and, again, an error occurred. With the bases loaded Dunn ripped a triple to right, clearing the bases and giving Bryant a 5-0 advantage.
With two away, Acosta singled in Dunn. He stole second, took third on a wild pitch and, after Holt walked and Griffe was hit by a pitch, Butler beat out an infield hit that got Acosta home.
Bickerstaff singled in a run and, when an error followed, Griffe came around too.
Crawford relieved in the top of the third and pitched around a one-out walk. In the bottom of the inning, Bryant revved it up again.
Crawford was struck by a pitch, went to second on Wood’s groundout and, with two down, went to third on a single by Acosta. Holt chased both home with a triple to make it 11-0. Griffe walked and Holt scored on a passed ball with Grantham at the plate.
Benton started the top of the fourth with a pair of hits but, with runners at second and third, Crawford struck out the next two then ended the threat with a fly to Gabe in center.
An error and two walks loaded the bases for Bryant in the bottom of the fourth. Crawford’s single scored a run and, with one out, Gabe walked to force in another. Acosta’s RBI walk ended the game in accordance with the 15-after-three rule.
