ARKADELPHIA — The Bryant 6-year-old All-Stars have finished as runners-up of the 2016 Mid-South Regional. After going 2-1 in pool play, the Bryant Stars won their way to the championship game including victories over their rivals from Benton and against the Hamburg team that had edged them out for the Arkansas state title.
In the finals, however, they ran into the same team that had handed them their lone loss in pool play, the Alabama state champion from Mobile Westside, which handed them a 16-9 setback to capture the Regional title.
The Bryant team, coached by Rick Brown, includes Mason Abrahamson, Brady Brown, Alexander Cicero, Deacon Cicero, Tagan Dunn, Garrett Hill, Evan Hill, Wyatt Hunter, Keller Hyder, Ethan Kelley, Austin Markham and Crews Thomason.
Westside was actually Bryant’s first opponent at the event, prevailing 19-8. Bryant bounced back by out-slugging the Picayune, Miss., Punishers, 24-14, and Pine Bluff North, 18-11, to complete pool action.
To open bracket play, Bryant avenged the 17-16 loss to Hamburg in the State finals with a 13-0 victory. A 14-7 win over Benton put Bryant in the semifinals against Valliant, Okla. The result was a 16-1 thumping for Bryant that forged the rematch with Westside.
Mobile Westside 16, Bryant 9
Bryant took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Hyder singled but was forced at second on a grounder by Kelley. Abrahamson, however, belted a double to left. Kelley scored but Abrahamson was thrown out trying to stretch to a triple.
The inning continued, however, when Hunter reached on an error then Thomason and Dunn each singled. Thomason tried to follow Hunter home but was thrown out at the plate.
Westside, however, countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning and, after Bryant was held scoreless in the top of the second, the Alabama team reached the maximum of six runs in the home second to lead 10-2.
Bryant whittled three runs off the advantage in the top of the third. Garrett Hill singled with one out then Hyder’s grounder to third was misplayed. Kelley drove both of them home when he tripled into the right-field corner. And when Abrahamson reached on an error, Kelley came home.
Six more scored for Westside in the bottom of the third to make it 16-5. So Bryant needed five or six in the top of the fourth to stay alive. They were denied, however, after they scored four times.
Thomason singled and, with one out, so did Brown. Markham’s base hit and errors on balls hit by Lex Cicero and Deacon Cicero produced runs. With two down, Garrett Hill singled but he was retired on a force out to end the game.
Bryant 16, Valliant, Okla., 1
Bryant needed just three innings to dismiss the Oklahoma state champion, reaching the maximum of six runs in each of the first two innings.
The opening salvo featured consecutive hits by Hyder, Kelley, Abrahamson and Hunter. With one out, Dunn added a knock. Brown reached on an error and Markham singled him in to make it 6-0.
Valliant, from a small town in southeast Oklahoma, scored its lone run in the bottom of the first on an error, a single and a force at second on a drive to left field.
Bryant’s second-inning blast began with Lex Cicero’s single. Deacon Cicero’s grounder to third was booted and Evan Hill singled to right. With one out, Hyder’s drive to deep left produced a two-run double. A run scored on Kelley’s groundout then Abrahamson and Hunter each singled. The sixth run scored when Thomason’s grounder to second was misplayed.
In the third, Dunn reached on a miscue and so did Brown. Markham’s drive to shallow center was misplayed then a single by Lex Cicero, another error on Garrett Hill’s grounder to first and a base hit by Hyder made it 16-1.
Oklahoma managed a pair of hits in the bottom of the third but could not dent the plate as Bryant closed out the win.
Bryant 14, Benton 7
Bryant built an 8-0 lead over the first three innings before Benton rallied. But a run in the fourth and five in the fifth put the game out of reach for Bryant with the six-run maximum per inning rule.
It was 3-0 after the first. Hyder singled but was forced at second on Kelley’s grounder to short. Abrahamson and Hunter cracked base hits then Thomason’s grounder to first was misplayed to complete the scoring.
In the second, Markham drilled a double to deep center. Lex Cicero and Garrett Hill had singles to get him home.
Kelley and Abrahamson started the third with knocks. Hunter doubled to plate a run then Thomason’s grounder to third was botched. Before the inning was over, Markham spanked his second double of the game and Lex Cicero reached on an error by the shortstop as the lead reached 8 runs.
After being frustrated in the first two frames, Benton broke through with three in the home third, taking advantage of three errors with a pair of singles.
Bryant’s fourth began with singles by Evan Hill and Garrett Hill. With two down, Abrahamson came through with a hit to get the run in and it was 9-3.
The home fourth produced four more runs for Benton, whittled the margin to just two runs.
And it looked like Benton might get a chance to rally past Bryant’s Stars when, after Thomason reached on an error, the next two batters grounded into force outs. But Markham, Lex Cicero and Deacon Cicero each singled and Evan Hill cleared the bases with a triple.
Still, the lead was just six so Benton would’ve had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the fourth. But when Garrett Hill singled in the fifth run of the inning, the lead was too great for Benton to match.
Bryant 13, Hampton 0
Hampton managed just one hit and three base-runners in its three turns at the plate. Bryant struck for six in the first then tacked on another six in the second. A single run in the bottom of the third brought the contest to an end, out of Hampton’s reach.
Hyder doubled and Kelley tripled to start the first-inning uprising. Abrahamson singled to make it 2-0 then Hunter doubled.
After Thompson popped out, Dunn, Brown, Markham and Lex Cicero rattled off consecutive singles to max out in inning.
Deacon Cicero started the second-inning flood with a base hit. Evan Hill beat out an infield hit but then was forced at second as Deacon Cicero advanced to third. Hyder and Kelley each singled before Abrahamson cleared the bases with a triple. Hunter singled him home.
The last run came as a result of Markham’s single, an error that allowed Lex Cicero to reach second and Markham to take third. He scored on Deacon Cicero’s grounder to first.
Bryant 18, Pine Bluff North 11
After the top of the first, Bryant found itself trailing 5-0. A six-run home half elipsed that advantage and a quartet of Pine Bluff North errors helped out. The first two allowed Kelley and Abrahamson to reach ahead of Hunter’s double. Thomason and Dunn each got aboard via miscues then Brown, Markham and Lex Cicero drilled singles to complete the rally.
The lead seesawed back to Pine Bluff, which scored four times in the top of the fourth to make it 9-6 only to have Bryant reach the maximum again in the bottom of the inning.
Deacon Cicero’s fly to left was misplayed to start the home second. Evan Hill singled then Garrett Hill’s drive to center was kicked. Deacon Cicero scored but Evan Hill was thrown out at the plate.
But the inning continued with a base hit from Hyder. Kelley cracked an RBI double and, with two down, Hunter and Thomason each singled before Dunn made it 12-9 with an RBI double.
In the third, Bryant, aided by a doubleplay, limited Pine Bluff to just one run so, in the bottom of the inning, the lead grew. Brown and Markham each singled. Lex Cicero’s grounder forced Markham at second but when Deacon Cicero’s grounder to third resulted in an error, Brown scored and the floodgates were opened again. Evan Hill doubled, Garrett Hill singled, Hyder added a knock and when Kelley’s grounder to short was booted, it was 18-10.
Pine Bluff needed at least two runs to keep the game going but only scratched out one in the top of the fourth as Bryant prevailed.
Bryant 24, Picayune, Miss. 14
The slugfest of the tournament featured six-run innings for both teams in each of the first two innings. But when Bryant did it again in the third, the Punishers couldn’t keep up the pace. Bryant held them to two in the bottom of the third, leaving it 18-14.
Bryant made it four consecutive max innings leaving the Mississippi team in need of at least four runs to stay alive. With the help of a game-ending doubleplay, the Punishers got nothing.
To begin the run bonanza in the top of the first, Hyder singled. After he was forced out on a grounder by Kelley, Abrahamson reached on an error. Hunter’s fly to left was dropped then Thomason reached when his grounder to the shortstop was kicked. Dunn hit a drive to right that was played into a double to make it 3-0.
Brown and Markham each cracked singles then Lex Cicero reached on an error. When Deacon Cicero grounded out, Brown scored the sixth run to end the frame.
After Picayune tied it, Bryant went back to work in the second. With one out, Garrett Hill’s grounder to third was misplayed then so was Hyder’s. Kelley crushed a double then Abrahamson circled the bases with an inside-the-park homer that made it 10-6.
Hunter followed with a double that was kicked around in the outfield allowing him to circle the bases as well. Thomason singled and the ball was thrown around allowing him to score as well.
When it was 12-12, Dunn tripled and scored on an error. Markham and Lex Cicero had grounders misplayed. Deacon Cicero reached when the Punishers tried to get a force but unsuccessfully. With the bags filled, Evan Hill tripled to drive in three. Garrett Hill singled him in then came around with the inning’s sixth run on hits by Hyder and Kelley.
The game-clinching top of the fourth began with Abrahamson’s grounder to short resulting in a miscue. Hunter singled then Thomason reached on an error. Dunn did as well and Brown rapped a single. Markham’s hit to center was misplayed then Lex Cicero’s grounder to first was booted. When Deacon Cicero grounded to first, Markham crossed the plate to make it 24-14.
Mobile Westside 19, Bryant 8
Bryant produced four runs each in the first and third but Westside scored in every frame.
When Bryant came up in the home first, it was already 5-0. But Kelley doubled, Hunter singled him in then Thomason’s drive to left was mishandled. Dunn belted a double then Brown singled him home to make it 5-4.
A four-run second put Westside up 9-4 then a six-run third put Bryant in a deep hole.
The four-run uprising in the bottom of the third kept Bryant alive for the time being. A two-out double from Kelley started the uprising. Abrahamson’s grounder to third was kicked then Hunter tagged a double to plate a run. Thomason reached on an error at third as Abrahamson scored then Dunn’s single drove in two and Bryant was within 15-8.
Four more runs for the Alabama team made it an 11-run lead. Bryant needed at least five in the bottom of the inning to send it to the fifth inning but, despite hits from Lex Cicero and Evan Hill, they were denied.
