SHERWOOD — After opening play in the 8-and-under State Tournament on Friday with a[more] wild 18-11 loss to the Camden 8-year-old All-Stars, the Bryant 7-year-old All-Stars stayed alive by ousting Hot Springs Village 8’s, 10-0, and Marion’s 7’s, 12-2 on Saturday.
The Bryant Stars were set to return to action today against an opponent to be determined.
The Bryant 7’s are Logan Owen, Logan Hope, Daniel Taylor, Alex Skelley, Reece Rowland, Mason Lucas, Braxton Fischer, Dylan Stroud, Tucker Dunn, Drake Brown, Matthew Griffe, Chase Small. Joey Small manages the team with assistance from Jonathan Hope and Michael Stroud.
Bryant 12, Marion 2
Bryant’s Stars piled up a 9-0 lead over the first three innings and, after Marion scored twice in the fourth, brought the game to an end with three more runs in their final at-bat.
A three-run first gave Bryant the upper hand. A double by Hope started the uprising. Griffe beat out an infield hit as Hope held at second then Owen singled to load the bases. Stroud drove in the first run with a hit then Lucas knocked in the second before Skelley made it 3-0 with a double. Owen, trying to score on the play as well, was thrown out at the plate.
In the second, Rowland doubled, took third on a groundout by Taylor and scored on a bouncer to short by Fischer.
Marion managed its first hit in the top of the third but could muster nothing else, setting up Bryant’s five-run outburst in the bottom of the inning. Hope’s triple got the inning started. He scored when Griffe grounded out. With two down, Stroud singled and scored on a triple by Lucas. Skelley singled in Lucas then scored on a double by Dunn. A two-bagger for Rowland brought Dunn around, making it 9-0.
Two singles and two doubles produced Marion’s runs in the top of the fourth then Fischer tripled to open the bottom of the inning. He scored on a groundout by Small then doubles hits by Hope, Griffe and Owen produced the final two runs.
Bryant 10, Hot Springs Village 0
The Bryant Stars made quick work of the All-Stars from North Garland County. A three-run first came after Hot Springs Village was unable to score despite three hits. A runner was caught stealing and another was nailed at the plate to end the inning.
In Bryant’s first, Small and Hope singled then worked a double steal to set up a two-run double by Griffe. Stroud’s groundout moved Griffe to third and he scored on a groundout to short by Owen.
Bryant expanded the 3-0 lead to 7-0 in the second. Skelley singled and scored on a double by Taylor. Fischer singled him in then Small smacked and RBI double. Hope traded places with his teammate by cracking another double to cap off the inning.
A three-run third created the run-rule margin for Bryant. Signels by Owen, Skelley and Dunn produced a run then Rowland’s double plated two.
Hot Springs Village was retired in order in the top of the fourth as Bryant closed out the shutout victory.
Camden 18, Bryant 11
In a wild game, Bryant trailed just 12-11 after five innings but Camden put the game out of reach with six runs in the top of the sixth, the maximum number of runs a team is allowed in one at-bat.
Before that, it was a seesaw battle. Camden put up five runs in the first but Bryant countered with four in the bottom of the inning, sparked by consecutive singles from Small, Hope and Griffe for the first run. Stroud picked up an RBI with a groundout, Lucas singled and Skelley drove in a run.
The Bryant Stars held Camden scoreless in the top of the second so when they came up with four more in the bottom of the inning, they held an 8-5 lead. Owen singled and scored on a hit by Rowland. Fischer singled and when Small flied out, Rowland tagged up and scored. A base hit by Hope set up Griffe’s two-run double.
This time, Camden answered with its own four-run inning, taking a 9-8 lead. Bryant tied it, however, in the bottom of the inning on a single by Dunn and a triple by Owen.
Camden pulled back ahead with a three-run fourth, making it 12-9. In turn, Bryant whittled a run off the lead on singles by Taylor and Rowland and a sacrifice fly from Fischer.
Bryant held Camden in the top of the fifth to keep it 12-10 then pulled within a run in the bottom of the inning when Hope doubled and scored on a single by Griffe.
