Bryant 14’s suffer gut-wrenching loss in extra innings at Series

Photos courtesy of Crissy McEntire

Logan Grant looks to apply a tag on a Portland, Maine, base-stealer. (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

By Madison McEntire

PINE BLUFF — The Bryant 14-year-old All-Stars rallied late to force extra innings but dropped a heart-breaking 5-4 loss to Portland, Maine, in their fourth pool play game in the 2015 Babe Ruth World Series on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The next game for Bryant is a noon match-up on Wednesday with Pacific Southwest champion Tri-Valley, Calif.

Jacob Coppock (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

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.

The game began as a pitching duel as Bryant starter Coppock and Portland starter Justin Ray combined to retire the first 19 batters of the game, each striking out one batter. In the second inning, Dupree and Taylor each hit a line drive but both were snagged by the Portland first baseman Nick Boyle.

In the top of the fourth, Holt grounded out to third before Coppock finally broke the ice with a long double to left. Chambers singled on a hard grounder in the hole that went off the shortstop’s glove and was picked up by the left fielder Ben Sawyer who held Coppock at third base.

Grant hit a hard ball to the shortstop which should have been a doubleplay but Boyle was unable to catch the throw from second which allowed Grant to reach safely as Coppock scored from third. Dupree flied deep to left to end the inning but Bryant was up 1-0.

Ryan Taylor (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

Coppock retired the first two batters in the bottom of the fourth on a foul pop to Greiner at third and a fly to Bariola in right before he finally surrendered a hit on a grounder to right by Trejyn Fletcher. After a stolen base, a fly to Taylor in center ended the inning.

Bryant went in order in the fifth when Taylor grounded to the pitcher, Greiner popped foul to the catcher and Catton went down swinging.

Portland quickly tied the game in the bottom half. After a fly ball to right for the first out, Coppock issued a four-pitch walk to Ray. After the runner stole second, a groundout to Dupree at first moved him to third.

With Ray taking a big lead, Manager Catton called a pickoff play from the first base dugout. Unfortunately, the only player who heard the call was Coppock who fired to the unoccupied base which allowed Ray to trot home and tie the game. Coppock then struck out the batter to end the inning.

After Bariola grounded to second and Lessenberry flied out to left for two quick outs, Holt was plunked in the back by the pitcher to put a runner on. After Holt swiped second, Coppock lined a 2-2 pitch into right field and Holt streaked around third for the plate. Boyle’s relay beat him to the plate and he was initially called out as the catcher swiped the tag on him. But the ball squirted out of this glove unseen by the homeplate umpire. Following a meeting of the umpires, the call was reversed and Bryant led 2-1. Chambers grounded to third to send the game to the bottom of the sixth.

Portland’s nine-hole hitter, Ben Stasium, worked a walk against Coppock on a 3-2 pitch and then stole second. He was sacrificed to third.

Cade Dupree takes a pickoff throw to first. (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

After Coppock fanned the next batter for the second out, Coach Dupree made a trip to the mound and instructed Coppock to work around Fletcher, Portland’s dangerous three-hole hitter. But Coppock’s second pitch caught too much of the plate and was belted into right for a triple to tie the game. The Sawyer, Portland cleanup hitter, then fisted a flyball into center to put his team ahead 3-2.

Greiner took over for Coppock on the hill and after a stolen base, got a groun ball to Grant at shortstop but his throw was low and skipped past Dupree at first for an error as the runner from second scored. Greiner got the third out on a fly to Coppock in center to send the game to the seventh with Bryant trailing 4-2.

Grant bounced out to third to start the at-bat. Dupree then doubled on a hard liner to the leftfield corner and Taylor was hit by a pitch to put the tying runner on base. Portland brought in their best pitcher to close out the game but he uncorked a wild pitch on his first delivery to move both runners into scoring position.

Greiner grounded out to short as Dupree scored from third and Taylor moved to third. With Bryant down to its last out, Catton lashed a 2-1 pitch to right that got down to tie the game and he slid to the inside of the bag and was safe with a double. Bariola lined to the shortstop for the third out.

In the bottom of the seventh, Greiner set the side down in order on a fly to left, a strikeout and a pop up to Grant at short to send the game to extra innings.

Bryant threatened in the top of the eighth but failed to score. Lessenberry led off and grounded out to shortstop. Tipton hit for Holt and walked. Holt re-entered and ran for Tipton. Coppock popped out to the third baseman and his throw behind Holt went past the first baseman allowed Holt to move to second. Chambers singled sharply to left but the ball was directly at the left fielder and Holt was forced to stop at third. Grant grounded to third to end the inning.

Ryan Lessenberry backhands a low pitch. (Photo courtesy of Crissy McEntire)

Portland’s leadoff batter, Donato Tocci, singled to left on a groundball to start the bottom of the eighth. After he stole second, Greiner balked while attempting a pickoff and Tocci, representing the winning run, moved to third.

After two intentional walks loaded the bases, Bryant played the infield in. Grant came in to pitch and got a grounder to Dupree who rushed a low throw to the plate. Lessenberry snagged the throw on a short-hop while keeping his foot on the base for the first out.

The next batter, William Snyder, pushed a bunt to Dupree who fired to the plate to nip the runner on a close play at the plate. With the infield back at normal depth, Grant’s second pitch was in the dirt and scooted to the backstop to bring in the winning run and hand Bryant a stinging 5-4 defeat.