The Bryant 8-year-old All-Stars have captured the Cal Ripken Southwest Regional tournament championship with an 11-3 win over Mountain Home today at Bishop Park.
A six-run first and a five-run third produced the victory completing a seven-game sweep in the tourney.
Team members are Garrison Blacklaw, Brady Brower, Reid Catton, Clay Crawford, Gavin Hill, Gage Horn, Aiden Hughes, Grant Johnson, Carson Kemp, Gideon Motes, Hank Penfield and Caden Stovall. They are managed by Jeremy Stovall with assistance from Michael Brower and Chad Kemp.
Bryant won all three games in pool play, drubbing Jonesboro 14-1 then Rogers 15-2 and Springdale 12-0.
Opening bracket play, the Stars buried North Garland County 18-0 then bounced Batesville, 5-2. A 12-3 win over Little Rock Junior Deputy set up the title game with Mountain Home.
Bryant 11, Mountain Home 3
Blacklaw, Penfield, Brower, Horn and Johnson each had two hits for Bryant with Johnson driving in three runs. Blacklaw and Kemp each knocked in a pair.
Mountain Home grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but Bryant’s first big inning wiped that out. Penfield opened the home first with a single. Stovall doubled to drive him home. With one out, Horn singled. Kemp grounded into a force at second as Stovall scored to give Bryant the lead.
Brower’s single kept the inning going. Blacklaw beat out an infield hit that got Kemp home and Johnson singled in a run. An errant throw allowed Blacklaw to score and, moments later, Hughes lined a single to left to make it a six-run inning.
In the third, Penfield was again the igniter with an infield hit. He took second on a passed ball then third on another. He tagged and scored on Catton’s sacrifice fly, making it 7-1.
Horn and Kemp smacked doubles, Brower beat out an infield hit then consecutive doubles by Blacklaw and Johnson made it 11-1.
Mountain Home managed a pair of runs in the top of the fifth but the rally was cut short by the Bryant defense, completing the title victory.
Bryant 12, Little Rock Junior Deputy 3
The finalists for the South Arkansas State championship met again in the Regional semifinal and Bryant built a 6-2 lead going into the bottom of the fourth. By scoring the maximum of six runs in that at-bat, Bryant put the game out of reach.
Penfield and Johnson each had three hits in the game. Brower knocked in three. Blacklaw and Kemp chased in two apiece.
Bryant took the upper hand with a five-run first. Singles by Penfield, Stovall and Catton loaded the bases. Stovall was forced at third on a grounder by Horn but Penfield scored the first run. Kemp then cracked a double to chase in Catton and Brown plated two with his two-bagger. A double by Blacklaw made it 5-0.
Singles by Crawford and Penfield followed by an RBI double off Stovall’s bat made it 6-0 in the bottom of the second.
Junior Deputy whittled a run off the lead in the top of the third and the top of the fourth before Bryant’s game-busting outburst. Hill’s single to center lit the fuse. Crawford singled then Penfield ripped a double to left to make it 7-2. Stovall’s sacrifice fly brought in Crawford and it was 8-2.
With two down, Horn got things going again with an infield hit. Kemp and Brower followed with back-to-back doubles. Blacklaw came through with an RBI single before Johnson completed the outburst with an RBI double.
A run in the top of the fifth was all Junior Deputy to add at the end.
Bryant 5, Batesville 2
In Bryant’s closest game of the tournament, it was tied 2-2 going into the fourth. Bryant snapped the tie with a run then, after holding Batesville in the top of the fifth, tacked on two more in the home fifth.
Penfield contributed three hits. Brower and Horn had two each.
Bryant took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Penfield opened the inning with a bunt single. With one down, Catton hit a squibber in front of the plate that the catcher fielded, throwing to first for the out. But when third base was left uncovered, Penfield raced all the way around to third on the play. He then scored on Horn’s double.
The inning continued with singles by Kemp and Brower, which brought Horn home.
Batesville tied it with a pair of runs in the third. The fourth-inning tiebreaker for Bryant came on doubles by Horn and Brower.
In the home fifth, Motes doubled and scored on a single by Hill. With two down, Penfield lined a single to left then Stovall hammered an RBI double to left to make it 5-2.
Batesville managed a lead-off single in the top of the sixth but the next three batters were retired to end the game.
Bryant 18, North Garland County 0
Scoring the maximum of six runs in each inning, Bryant eased to victory, shutting North Garland County out on four hits in four innings.
Bryant cracked 21 hits including three by Stovall. Horn had four runs batted in.
The initial six-run burst all came after two were out. Stovall had doubled. He scored on Horn’s double. Kemp singled in the second run. After a base hit by Brower, Blacklaw singled in a run and Johnson knocked in two with a two-bagger. Hughes’ double made it 6-0.
More doubles contributed to the six-run second. Motes, Crawford, Penfield and Stovall each belted a double. Catton singled then Horn lined a homer to center.
Hughes doubled in Brower and Johnson in the third. Hill singled then Motes knocked in a run with a base hit. Crawford beat out an infield hit then two runs scored on a base hit by Penfield. Stovall capped it off with a knock that chased in Crawford.
Bryant 12, Springdale 0
Stovall had three hits and three runs batted in to lead Bryant to its third pool play win. Kemp knocked in three and, along with Catton, Horn and Hughes, had two hits.
A five-run first got them off to a good start. Stovall’s one-out single got things started. Catton smacked a single to center and Horn beat out an infield hit to load the base for Kemp who cleared them with a double to center.
Brower and Blacklaw singled before Hughes doubled in two runs, making it 5-0.
Stovall singled in Crawford, who had reached on an infield hit and stolen second, for the lone run in the second. In the third, Kemp tripled and scored on Brower’s grounder to short.
Bryant made it a rout with five more in the top of the fourth. Hughes and Horn singled then Motes grounded into a force at third. Crawford’s infield hit loaded the bases for Penfield who delivered an RBI single to left. Stovall cracked a two-run double then followed Penfield home on a two-bagger by Catton.
Bryant 15, Rogers 2
Max innings in the first and third produced the win over Rogers. The first-inning burst came after Rogers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the frame.
Bryant quickly evened it up when Penfield doubled and Stovall slugged a homer. Catton added an infield hit then Horn blasted a two-run round-tripper. Singles by Blacklaw, Brower and Kemp made it 6-2.
In the third, base hits by Motes, Crawford and Penfield set the table for Stovall who doubled in two. Catton singled in a run then Horn plated two more with a shot to center for a double. Blacklaw made it 12-2 with a single up the middle.
To complete the rout, Bryant added three in the bottom of the fourth on singles by Brower, Kemp, Johnson, Hill, Motes and Crawford.
Bryant 14, Jonesboro 1
The Bryant defense held Jonesboro to just two hits in the game. The Bryant offense was led by Penfield and Catton, each with three hits. Hughes and Motes finished with three RBIs apiece.
Bryant led just 2-1 after the first inning. Jonesboro scored first then singles by Penfield, Catton and Blacklaw produced two runs in the home half.
Jonesboro was retired 1-2-3 in the top of the second and, in response, Bryant piled up six. Kemp singled and scored on a one-out double by Hughes. Hill singled then Motes picked up an RBI with a grounder to second.
Crawford kept the inning going with an infield hit, setting the stage for RBI singles from Penfield and Stovall. Catton made it 7-1 with a double to center the Horn’s infield hit capped the inning as Stovall scored.
A four-run third started the singles by Brower, Kemp and Johnson. Hughes doubled in a pair then Motes did the same.
Bryant put the finishing touches on the win in the home fourth when Penfield and Stovall singled in front of an RBI double from Catton and a finial run-scoring single from Horn.
