CABOT — Bryant’s 14-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars cruised to a 12-2 win over Little Rock Junior Deputy on Sunday to capture the championship of the Panther Classic. The Classic was an invitational tournament in Cabot held in advance of the Babe Ruth State Tournament in Benton on July 17 and the Southwest Regional Tournament in Bryant beginning Aug. 6.
It was the second win over Junior Deputy in the tournament for Bryant. In the tournament opener, Bryant scored in every inning to top Junior Deputy, 10-3. In the second round, played on Saturday, just after the opening win, Bryant clinched a spot in the title game with a 7-1 victory over Maumelle’s All-Stars.
Bryant’s 14-year-olds, coached by Jimmy Parker, B.J. Wood and Tony Ethridge, include Zach Cambron, Evan Castleberry, Hayden Daniel, Josh Davis, Evan Etheridge, Tyler Green, Riley Hall, Blain Jackson, Tyler Nelson, Cameron Price, Daniel Richards, Trent Rivers, Tryce Schalchlin, Justin Vincent and Marcus Wilson.[more]
Bryant 12, Junior Deputy 2
An eight-run fourth inning blew open a 2-2 game just after the Little Rock team had managed to tie it in the top of the inning.A pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth made it a run-rule win.
Bryant took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Nelson’s one out single was followed by an RBI double by Wilson. Green reached on an error and, with two down, Ethridge beat out an infield hit and Price drew a walk.
Nelson pitched around a hit batsman and a single in the top of the first then worked around a lead-off walk in the second.
Green allowed a double to start the third but retired the next three batters on a strikeout, a tap back to the mound and a dribbler in front of the plate that Jackson, the catcher, pounced on for an out at first.
A third-strike passed ball with one out opened the door for Junior Deputy to tie the game in the top of the fourth. A single, a walk and a pair of errors followed before Green got a strikeout then induced an inning-ending fly to left to end the threat with the bases loaded.
The tell-tale home fourth began with a double by Schalchlin. Jackson singled and Daniel drew a walk. Nelson followed with a single then Wilson bounced into a force at second as a run scored.
Green drilled a two-run double then Rivers doubled him home. With two down, Rivers scored when Price reached on an error. In turn, Schalchlin laced his second double of the inning to chase him home. Moments later, Schalchlin scored on a passed ball to make it 10-2.
Hall relieved in the fifth and fanned two around a pop out to second in a 1-2-3 inning.
Bryant put the finishing touches on the win in the bottom of the inning when Daniel singled, Nelson doubled him home, Wilson walked and Hall singled to bring home Nelson to end it.
Bryant 7, Maumelle 1
Vincent and Daniel combined to stop Maumelle on two hits while Wilson belted a first-inning home run to get Bryant off to a fast start.
Vincent worked the first three innings on the mound. After issuing a first-inning walk, he retired six in a row. Another pair of walks started the third. Vincent caught a popup then picked off the runner at first. But a single followed to bring in the lone Maumelle run. Another pickoff, which ended in a tag out at second, ended the inning.
By then, Bryant had built a 3-0 lead. All three runs came in the first when Nelson walked and Vincent doubled him home. Wilson then blasted his homer.
After Maumelle scored, Bryant answered in the top of the fourth. With one out, Hall, Price and Jackson cracked consecutive singles. Hall scored on a passed ball and Price came home on Daniel’s bouncer to short, making it 5-1.
Daniel worked around a single and a walk in the fourth and the Bryant Stars added two runs in the top of the fifth.
Rivers started the inning with a bunt single and Wilson sliced a single to right. Both moved up a base on Green’s tap back to the mound and, with two down, Hall singled to drive them in.
In the bottom of the fifth, Maumelle got a runner aboard with one out on an error but Bryant turned a 1-2-3 doubleplay to end the game.
Bryant 10, LR Junior Deputy 3
Bryant built a 7-0 lead before Junior Deputy managed three runs in the fifth. But a three-run sixth put the finishing touches on the opening-round win.
Bryant scored twice in the first. Daniel singled and stole his way to third, scoring from there on a double by Nelson. An out later, Green singled to center to bring in Nelson.
Wilson, the starter on the mound for Bryant, pitched around a walk in the bottom of the inning and, in the second, Bryant added a run.Singles by Rivers and Vincent set the table. Jackson sacrificed the runners to second and third and, with two down, Nelson singled to make it 3-0.
Wilson allowed a one-out single in the bottom of the inning but a pair of groundouts followed to preserve the shutout.
Bryant’s third began with a double by Green. He stole third and, an out later, scored on a two-bagger by Price. After Price swiped third, he scored on a sacrifice fly by Rivers before Schalchlin cracked a double.
Schalchlin took over on the mound in the bottom of the inning and issued a pair of walks to start with. But he fielded a bunt and got a force at third for the first out then retired the next two on a fly to center and a tap back to the mound.
He would work a 1-2-3 fourth after his teammates pushed another run across the plate in the top of the inning. Daniel beat out a bunt hit and was sacrificed to second by Castleberry. With two down, Green walked and Ethridge reached on an error as the run scored.
In the fifth, Davis drilled a two-out double and scored on a triple by Daniel to make it 7-0.
Hall relieved in the bottom of the inning and issued a one-out walk. With two down, a single brought in the first run. Another walk and a two-run error made it 7-3.
Bryant’s sixth began with a walk to Wilson. Green and Richards singled. With one out, Wilson was tagged out after being caught off third. But two runs scored when Rivers’ bouncer to first got through. Rivers reached second on the play and scored two pitches later on a single by Hall.
A pair of one-out walks in the bottom of the sixth gave Junior Deputy a chance but Bryant turned a 4-6-3 doubleplay to end the game.
Kathy
Way to go Team Bryant!!