JACKSONVILLE — In t-ball, everybody hits. Admittedly, some hit harder than others but, in the post-season, just about everybody can hit the ball pretty well. So the difference-maker most of the time is defense.
If a team can hold its opponent to fewer than five runs in a game, it’s going to have a great chance of winning.
And that’s just what the Bryant 6-year-old All-Stars were able to do in their first five games of the Cal Ripken South Arkansas State Tournament. Those five opponents could muster no more than four runs apiece as Bryant advanced to the finals on Tuesday.
In the championship game, Sylvan Hills broke loose for six runs so it took some extra offense for Bryant. Sylvan Hills held a 6-5 lead going into the last at-bat for Bryant’s Stars. But, in dramatic fashion, Bryant scored two runs for a 7-6 walk-off win, capturing the State title with a 6-0 run through the tournament.
The Bryant 6-year-old team, coached by Brad Fischer, Chris Taylor and Josh Daves, includes Jonathan Carter, Cohen Chalmers, Grant Daves, Kolby Duncan, Julian Epperson, Brodie Fischer, Colt Martin, Jeremiah Motes, Elem Shelby, Jordan Shipe, Jake Taylor and Chase Trimble.
The team will advance to the Southwest Regional tourney to be held in Benton starting Friday, July 11.
Bryant opened the tournament with an 8-4 win over Sylvan Hills then dismissed Camden, 18-4; Benton, 16-3; Beebe, 21-4; and Pine Bluff North, 9-2.
Bryant 7, Sylvan Hills 6
The winning rally in the bottom of the fifth started with a base hit by Carter. He advanced on a groundout to first by Chalmers then sprinted home when Shipe ripped his second triple of the game. Fischer followed with a grounder to second. Shipe flew home and scored the winning run.
Sylvan Hills had staked out a 2-0 lead in the first inning then added a run in the second. But Bryant forced them to leave the bases loaded and, in the home half, began to whittle on the lead. Duncan and Trimble cracked singles and when Epperson grounded into a force at second, Duncan took third. He scored on a base hit by Motes to make it 3-1.
Bryant retired Sylvan Hills 1-2-3 in the top of the third and proceeded to surge into the lead. Carter and Chalmers started the inning with singles then Shipe ripped his first triple to chase them home, tying the game. Sylvan Hills retired the next two batters to make a bid to get out of the inning with the game deadlocked but Taylor came through with an RBI double to put Bryant ahead.
But the lead didn’t last long as Sylvan Hills matched those three runs in the top of the fourth, building a 6-4 lead. Bryant clipped a run off that edge in the home sixth when Trimble doubled and scored on a clutch two-out single by Motes.
Sylvan Hills got the first batter of the top of the fifth on base with a single but consecutive force plays took the starch out of the inning and the game went to the bottom of the fifth, setting up Bryant’s thrilling win.
Bryant 9, Pine Bluff North 2
Bryant built a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and held Pine Bluff North scoreless until the top of the fourth. But, in the bottom of the inning, Bryant scored four times to put the game out of reach and forge the win.
Bryant scored three runs in the first. Shipe doubled and Taylor cracked a triple. Base hits by Shelby and Duncan capped the inning.
In the second, Motes, Daves and Carter belted consecutive hits to make it 5-0.
The fourth-inning uprising came as a result of hits by Taylor, Shelby, Duncan, Trimble, Epperson and Motes.
Bryant 21, Beebe 4
Beebe took a lead on Bryant’s Stars with a run in the first but it didn’t last long. Bryant scored the maximum of six runs in the bottom of the inning. Shipe, Fischer and Martin singled then Taylor cleared the bases with a triple. Shelby singled him in then base hits by Duncan, Trimble and Epperson completed the inning without an out being recorded.
In the second, Motes singled but was forced at second on Daves’ grounder. Carter cracked a base hit and, with two down, Shipe doubled. Base hits by Fischer and Martin made it 9-1.
Beebe cut it to 9-4 in the top of the third but Bryant answered with force once again, putting up another max inning. Hits by Shelby, Duncan and Trimble revved it up then Epperson and Motes lashed doubles. Daves’ grounder to third retired Motes but Carter singled to keep the inning going. Chalmers’ hit to center was so sharp that Beebe was able to get a force at second. But Shipe’s two-out double and a base hit by Fischer made it 15-4.
The final six-run outburst in the fourth started with singles by Martin and Taylor ahead of doubles by Shelby and Duncan. Epperson singled with one out and, with two down, Daves, Carter, Chalmers and Shipe had hits to cap off the rout.
Bryant 16, Benton 3
A six-run first started Bryant on its way to another lopsided win. Shipe, Fischer, Martin, Duncan, Trimble and Epperson each singled ahead of a double by Motes. Daves drove in the sixth run with his single.
Benton plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and held Bryant in the top of the second. Benton couldn’t get anything going in the home half and, in the third, Bryant maxed out again. Fischer singled and Martin doubled to set the table. Taylor, Shelby and Duncan followed with base hits ahead of a two-bagger by Trimble and a final hit by Motes to make it 12-2.
Benton stayed alive with a run in the bottom of the third but when Bryant scored four in the top of the fourth, the game was over. Carter started the fourth-inning uprising with a one-out single. He moved to second on Chalmers’ groundout. Shipe doubled him in and, after Fischer singled, Martin cracked an RBI double. Taylor capped it off with a two-run double.
Bryant 18, Camden 4
Bryant scored the maximum of six runs in each of its three turns at the plate, building an 18-1 lead. Camden rallied for three runs in the fourth but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the game as Bryant finished off the win.
Camden took a 1-0 lead in the opening innings but Shipe tied it right away in the bottom of the inning, slugging a home run. And when Fischer homered as well, Bryant was ahead to stay.
The inning continued with a double by Martin and a single by Taylor. Shelby grounded into a force at second but Duncan singled, Trimble doubled and Epperson, Motes and Daves followed with hits to make it 6-1.
The second-inning uprising started with Carter’s hit. Chalmers smacked a double ahead of singles by Shipe and Martin. Taylor’s double was followed by a single by Shelby. Duncan bounced into a force at second but hits by Duncan, Trimble and Epperson bumped the lead to 12-1.
Daves, Carter, Chalmers, Shipe and Fischer singled to start the third. Martin belted a double then hits by Taylor and Shelby completed the frame.
Bryant 8, Sylvan Hills 4
Bryant got off to a fast start in a preview of the championship game, scoring six times in the first. Shipe singled and Fischer chased him home with a triple. Martin singled in Fischer then Taylor doubled and Shelby cleared the bases with a triple. Duncan singled and Trimble doubled. Epperson picked up an RBI on the sixth run with a grounder to first.
Sylvan Hills managed a run in the bottom of the first and it stayed 6-1 until the fourth when Shelby and Duncan singled. Trimble bounced into a force at second but Epperson singled to plate Shelby. Motes grounded into a force as Trimble scored to make it 8-1.
Sylvan Hills mounted a rally for three runs in the bottom of the inning but stranded runners at second and third.
In the fifth, Bryant was set down in order. Sylvan Hills managed a lead-off single in the bottom of the inning but Bryant retired the next three to complete the victory.
