SHERWOOD — The Bryant 6-year-old All-Stars got their State Tournament started on the right foot Friday night when they whipped Hermitage, 13-2.
Bryant scored the maximum number of runs in each of the first two innings in cruising to the four-inning victory.The team will take on Marion Saturday at 3:30 in a winners bracket contest.
The Bryant 6 year olds, coached by Matt Orender with assistance from Patrick Schroeder and Jimmy Pennington, include Luke Bessire, Clay Curtis, Cooper Davis, Josh Day, Peyton Dillon, Gavin Glasgow, Austin Ledbetter, Jagger Littleton, Justin Orender, Brett Pennington, Austin Schroeder, and Blaine Sears.[more]
Bryant spotted Hermitage a run in the top of the first on a double by Gage Boykin, a groundout and a two-out single by Toby Spurlock.
But Hermitage couldn’t record an out in the bottom of the first as everyone hit for Bryant. Schroeder singled then Pennington, Ledbetter and Glasgow drilled consecutive doubles. Orender and Littleton followed with singles before Curtin cracked double to drive in the sixth run.
In the second, the onslaught continued with Sears getting things started with a base hit. Bessire and Day drilled doubles before Hermitage recorded the first out of the game on defense.
But Davis got the offense revved up again with a single. Schroeder doubled and Pennington pounded a triple to clear the bases. He held as Ledbetter beat out a tap to the mound, reaching on the fielder’s choice before Glasgow singled to bring him in, making it 12-1.
Hermitage stayed mathematically alive with a run in the top of the third but Bryant put it out of reach by matching that in the bottom of the inning on consecutive singles by Littleton, Curtis and Sears. Bessire grounded into a force at third but Littleton scored to make it 13-2.
Hermitage managed to get a couple of runners aboard in the fourth but stranded them as Bryant closed out the win on a pop out to Orender at first.
