HATTIESBURG, Miss. — The Bryant All-Stars came two outs away from capturing the 2015 Cal Ripken Baseball 8-and-under Southwest Regional Tournament but the Oak Grove, Miss., Nationals rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Bryant got one more chance at the plate in the bottom of the inning and, on a single by Cooper Chism and a sacrifice by Preston Howlett, got the potential tying run to second only to have Oak Grove get the final out to claim the championship on their home field.
To get to the championship game, the Bryant Stars ousted Tri-County, Texas, 11-4, and Little Rock Junior Deputy, 4-3, earlier on Sunday. The loss in the finals was their long setback in the event after four pool play victories and three more in bracket play.
The Bryant All-Stars, managed by Brad Chism with assistance from Jeff Jackson, Brad Benson, include John Thomas Allen, Brayden Beenken, Gavyn Benson, Carter Brown, Cooper Chism, Avery Heidelberg, Drake Holland, Preston Howlett, Landon Jackson, E.J. Keith, Braxton Speer, Aiden Stout and Hudson Thomason.
Oak Grove Nationals 3, Bryant 2
In a defensive jewel of a game, Oak Grove took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first then didn’t score again until the sixth.
Bryant took a 2-1 lead in the second. Keith reached on an error, took second on Thomason’s groundout, third on Benson’s single to left then scored on a line-drive hit to center by Heidelberg, tying the game.
Stout bounced into a force at second and Benson hustled all the way home from second to snap the deadlock.
Oak Grove held Bryant’s Stars the rest of the game. Howlett and Holland each singled with two down in the third but were stranded. Stout had a two-out single in the fifth.
The game-turning top of the sixth began with an error then a bunt hit. After a force at third, a single loaded the bases and a double drove in the tying and go-ahead runs. Another runner tried to score on a grounder to Speer at third but he threw home to Benson in time for the tagout. The next batter bounced to Brown at short. He flipped to Thomason at second for a force to end the inning and starting Bryant’s last chance.
Bryant 4, Little Rock Junior Deputy 3
In a spirited battle with their instate rivals, Bryant rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead.
Junior Deputy started the top of the sixth with a bunt single but the next three batters were retired as Bryant held on.
The tale-tell bottom of the fifth began with a one-out single by Keith on a liner to center. Thomason shot a single to right then Benson beat out a bunt for a hit that filled the sacks. Heidelberg delivered a two-run single to tie the game.
Benson tried to score on Stout’s grounder to short but was tagged out but Brown came through in the clutch, stroking a two-out RBI single to right to put Bryant ahead.
The Little Rock team had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but Bryant tied it in the home half. Jackson’s one-out single set up the inning. With two down, Keith laced a single to left and when the return throw was off line, Jackson hustled all the way home.
But Junior Deputy put together three hits and a pair of groundouts to produce the 3-1 edge. Neither team could must much after that until Bryant’s rally in the fifth.
Bryant 11, Tri-County, Texas 4
Bryant broke a 4-4 tie with four runs in the bottom of the fourth then put the game away with a three-run fifth. Keith and Beenken each had two hits in the game.
Tri-County scored twice in the top of the first to take the early lead. Bryant tied it in the bottom of the frame. The two-out uprising was ignited by Speer’s single and Keith’s RBI double. Thomason’s grounder to third was misplayed and, as he reached safely, Keith scored to make it 2-2.
Bryant took its first lead in the home second. Heidelberg singled, Stout sacrificed and Brown and Beenken followed with base hits.
In the third, Allen and Jackson singled. An error allowed Allen to score, making it 4-2. But Tri-County scored two in the top of the fourth to tie the game back up.
The game-breaking home fourth commenced with a single by Keith. Thomason sacrificed him to second. Consecutive errors allowed Benson and Heidelberg to reach as Keith came around to score. Stout singled to fill the bases and Brown picked up an RBI with a fielder’s choice off a grounder to short. Beenken capped off the inning with a two-run double.
Tri-County started the fifth with the first two batters reaching safely. But Bryant turned a doubleplay, started by Speer at third. The Texas team stranded a runner at third.
In the bottom of the fifth, Chism reached on an error, Howlett singled and Holland beat out a bunt hit to load the bags. Allen grounded into a force at third as Chism scored and when Speer’s grounder to short was booted Holland and Allen scored to set the final score.
