DAPHNE, Ala. — At the 2019 8U Cal Ripken Regional Tournament, the Bryant All-Stars completed pool play unbeaten at 3-0. On Thursday, they edged Fairhope, Ala. B, 8-7, and Florence, Ala., Blue, 6-5. On Friday, they began bracket play with a 15-0 romp over Grand Bay, Ala.
Bryant advanced in the winners’ bracket to play on Saturday at 11 a.m.
The 8’s, coached by Bill Lloyd, include Trey Atkins, Cade Jackson, Gabriel Jordan, Griffin Lloyd, Cameron Martin, Cash McCrary, Sawyer McPherson, Hunter Robertson, Rizer Rue, Judah Summers, Landen Verdell and Fletcher Young.
Bryant 8, Fairhope 7
Bryant built a 5-2 lead before Fairhope rallied for five runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead, 7-5. But the Bryant Stars stopped the Alabama team in the next two innings as they rallied for a run in the fifth and two in the bottom of the sixth for a walk-off victory.
Fairhope took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but Summers, Lloyd and Martin each scored in the bottom of the inning. Lloyd and Martin had doubles in the inning.
A run in the top of the second cut the lead to 3-2 but, in the third, Jordan and Young crossed the plate to extend the Bryant advantage.
After Fairhope’s five-run fourth, Bryant was unable to score in the bottom of the inning. In turn, Fairhope mustered little in the top of the fifth. In the home half, Rue doubled and scored on a single by McPherson to cut the margin to 7-6.
Fairhope got a runner aboard in the top of the sixth, but Bryant retired the next three to set up the game-winning uprising in the bottom of the frame. One-out doubles by Lloyd and Martin produced the tying tally. A single for Robertson sent Martin to third then a base hit by Verdell brought him home to end it.
Bryant 6, Florence Blue 5
Bryant walked it off again when, trailing 5-4 going into the bottom of the sixth, Summers smacked a homer to tie it then Lloyd tripled and scored the winning run on Martin’s single.
Florence was shut out over the first three innings. Bryant took a 2-0 lead in the second when Verdell singled and, with one out, Atkins reached on an error. With two down, Rue belted a two-run triple.
Florence tied it with two in the fourth only to have Bryant regain the upper hand with two of its own in the bottom of the inning. That’s when Verdell singled with one out and scored on a double by Atkins. McCrary singled to make it 4-2.
Florence tied it again in the top of the fifth and, in the sixth, plated a run to take the lead only to have Bryant walk it off once more.
Bryant 15, Grand Bay 0
An eight-run first put Bryant on the road to the three-inning victory on Friday. All 12 batters came ot the plate in the first with Summers, Lloyd, Martin, Robertson, Jackson, Atkins, McCrary and Rue each scoring.
Grand Bay managed to get two aboard in the bottom of the first but came up empty.
Bryant’s second started with a double by Summers. Martin, Robertson, Verdell and Atkins followed with singles. Martin and Robertson scored behind Summers to make it 11-0.
In the third, McPherson, Jordan, Young and Summers each scored as Lloyd and Martin finished it off with base hits.
