LONOKE — The Bryant 8-year-old All-Stars put up crooked numbers in each of the four innings as they opened the 2016 Cal Ripken 8-and-under State Tournament on Friday with a 13-3 run-rule win over Little Rock Junior Deputy.
The Bryant team, coached by Josh Daves, includes Luke Andrews, Jonathan Carter, Cohen Chalmers, Grant Daves, Kolby Duncan, Dante Hernandez, Colt Martin, Dawson Martin, Barrett Royal, Jake Taylor, Chance Thompson and Chase Trimble.
They were set to play on Saturday against Stuttgart.
Colt Martin led Bryant with three hits and three runs batted in. Taylor and Daves each had two hits. Daves drove in three as well.
A five-run first put Bryant in charge. A one-out single by Duncan got things going. He stole second and scored on Colt Martin’s double. Royal blooped a single to center and when the throw came home to keep Martin at third, Royal sprinted to second. Chalmers plated them both with a liner to right for a hit. And when the ball was misplayed, Chalmers wound up at second. Dawson Martin beat out an infield hit and Chalmers snuck home on the late throw to first. And when Hernandez’ grounder to short was booted, Dawson Martin scored to make it 5-0.
Junior Deputy managed a run in the top of the second but Bryant answered with three more in the home half. A two-out error allowing Carter to reach base opened the door for Bryant. Taylor singled to left. Two scored on Duncan’s hit. Duncan came around on Colt Martin’s knock, making it 8-1.
A triple and a groundout produced a second run for Junior Deputy but that’s all they could muster. Bryant continued the onslaught in the bottom of the third.
Chalmers reached on an error and, with one out, so did Hernandez. Daves got a sacrifice bunt down but when it resulted in a bad throw to first, both Chalmers and Hernandez scored. Thompson singled in Daves and it was 11-2.
A single and another triple gave Little Rock another run but Bryant got the third out as JD stranded a runner at third.
Carter singled to open the Bryant fourth. Taylor slapped a base hit to right. Duncan picked up an RBI with a grounder to first before Colt Martin closed out the game with a triple that made it a 10-run victory.
