SPECIAL TO BRYANT DAILY
SHERWOOD – Time ran out on the Bryant Black Sox 8U literally in a semifinal loss in the Cal Ripken 8U State Tournament Sunday afternoon.
Sylvan Hills, the host, held off the Sox 14-13 as the time limit ticked away at the end of the fourth inning.
Bryant needed to score one run to force the game to extra innings. Two runs would have won the game. It looked promising for the Sox as Luke Olson led off the inning with a smash that got past the third baseman. After Sylvan Hills retired the next two batters, Brantlee Baker hit a hard grounder to the shortstop who tossed the ball to the second baseman but Olson slid under the tag keeping the inning alive. But that’s where the rally ended as the Bears recorded the third out and advanced to the state finals to play the No. 1-seeded Paragould Lumberjacks.
Bryant, the No. 2 seed, was 3-1 in pool play before advancing to the semifinals.
The fact that the team even played this summer was remarkable. After playing one tournament in March, the season was suspended until June due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sox, already down a player before the initial season started, lost three more players after the pandemic as well as a head coach.
Carl Martinous, who played college baseball and has coached at different levels, volunteered to take the team over and was joined by Sean Gore, Adam Baker, Shane Trusty, Will Lewis and Luke Weaver.
The team added four additional players to field a full roster and won a tournament in North Little Rock and advanced to the quarterfinals of the USSSA State Tournament losing to eventual undefeated champion White River.
Members of the team are: Baker, Bryson Baxter, Jack Gore, Jack Henry Hall, Jaxon Hutchins, Gage Lewis, JaVon Lowden, Kellan Mosley, Olson, Eli Schultz, Wyatt Travinski and Bryston Trusty.
Bryant 8’s edged out in semifinals of State tourney
