BENTON — The Bryant Hornets 7-year-old tournament team captured second place at the Everett GMC Triple Crown’s second leg tournament at Bernard Holland Park March 29-30.
The team, coached by Jeff Jackson, Brad Chism, C.J. Brown and Patrick Schroeder, includes John Thomas (J.T.) Allen, Gavin Benson, Carter Brown, Cooper Chism, Zack Covert, Avery Heidelberg, Drake Holland, Landon Jackson, E.J. McCoy, Braxton Speer, Aiden Stout, and Hudson Thomason.
Opening the tournament on Saturday, the Bryant team edged the Rawlings Arkansas Prospects, 6-5. To follow, the 7’s downed the Benton Panthers 7’s, 7-1.
In the semifinals on Sunday, Bryant’s 7’s edged Bryant’s 6’s, 2-1. That set up a rematch with the Prospects in the championship game and this time, the Rawlings team turned the tables and came out with a 5-2 win and the tourney title.
Bryant 7’s 6, Rawlings Arkansas Prospects 5
Bryant scored two runs in the top of the sixth to snap a 4-4 tie then held off a really by the Prospects in the bottom of the inning to get the opening win.
Benson was 3 for 3 in the game. Allen, Heidelberg and Jackson had two hits each.
The game-deciding uprising in the top of the sixth began with a one-out single by Benson. McCoy hit a flare to center forcing Benson to hold up before advancing so, though the ball fell in, he was forced at second. But Heidelberg cracked a single and when Thomason’s grounder to short was misplayed, both scored to make it 6-4.
A pair of errors and a base hit allowed Rawlings to score a run in the bottom of the inning but Bryant retired the next three hitters and the potential tying run was stranded at second.
Bryant took a 2-0 lead in the first when Allen singled, Speer reached on an error and Benson and McCoy rapped base hits.
It stayed that way until the fourth when Benson smacked a base hit, advanced on a groundout by McCoy and scored on a double by Heidelberg.
Rawlings got on the board in the bottom of the inning but Bryant got that run back in the top of the fifth Jackson and Chism singled. Holland followed with a bouncer that struck Chism for the first out. With Holland at first, Covert hit a grounder to short. Rawlings got a force at second but when Covert beat the relay to first to avoid the inning-ending doubleplay, Jackson crossed the plate to make it 4-1.
But the Prospects rallied in the bottom of the inning to tie it to set up the dramatic finish.
Bryant 7, Benton 1
The Bryant 7’s broke out to a 5-0 lead in the first two at-bats and cruised to the victory. Benton’s lone run came on an error and a two-out hit in the bottom of the second.
Allen, Heidelberg, Brown and Covert had two hits each in the game.
Allen’s first hit came with one out in the top of the opening frame. Heidelberg, McCoy and Brown followed with singles to make it 2-0.
In the second, Jackson spanked a base hit. Chism reached on an error but was forced at second on a shallow pop to right off Holland’s bat. Covert, however, came through with the RBI knock. Stout reached on an error as Holland scored then, with two down, Allen came through with an RBI single to make it 5-0.
Bryant tacked on a run in the fifth when Covert singled and advanced on an error. Stout’s grounder to second was booted and Speer picked up the RBI by bouncing into a fielder’s choice.
In the sixth, Heidelberg singled, advanced on a groundout by Benson and scored on a two-out hit by Brown to set the final tally.
Bryant 7’s 2, Bryant 6’s 1
The 7’s scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to extract the victory. Holland opened the inning with a double, advanced on an error as Allen reached. A walk to Speer loaded the bases, setting up a force at the plate. Heidelberg hit a grounder and the 6’s tried to get a force at the plate but Holland got there too soon, sliding in with the winning run.
The only other run for the 7’s was in the first when Speer and Heidelberg smacked singles. McCoy followed with a grounder that was misplayed then Benson picked up the RBI by grounding to short for a force at second.
The 6’s managed to tie it in the top of the fourth when Cantrell reached on an error, Shipe and Motes singled.
Rawlings Arkansas Prospects 5, Bryant 7’s 2
Both teams scored twice in the second inning but Bryant was unable to dent the plate after that. Rawlings snapped the tie in the top of the fourth then added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the fifth to set the final score.
Bryant’s second began with singles by Benson and Brown. Jackson reached on an error and, with one out, Chism’s grounder to third was booted allowing Benson to score. Holland’s sacrifice tied it.
The only other base-runners Bryant managed was on a single by Speer in the first, a single by Allen in the third, Brown reaching on an error in the fourth;
