SHERWOOD — Scoring the maximum of six runs in the second and fourth innings, the Bryant[more] 8-and-under All-Stars advanced in the winners bracket of the State Tournament at Sylvan Hills with a 19-1 win over the Little Rock Junior Deputy 7’s on Sunday.
Now 3-0 in the tourney, Bryant was set to play again tonight at 6.
The 8-year-old team, headed up by Joey Small, is Luke Bickerstaff, Dawson Brown, Drake Brown, Tucker Dunn, Braxton Fischer, Matthew Griffe, Mason Lucas, Tanner Newell, Logan Owen, Alex Skelley, Chase Small, Dylan Stroud and Daniel Taylor.
Bryant hammered out 27 hits including three each by Bickerstaff, Griffe, Stroud, Taylor and Dunn. Taylor and Dunn each drove in three runs. Stroud’s hits included a double and a triple.
A three-run first got Bryant off to a fast start. Lucas singled, stole second and scored on Bickerstaff’s first hit. With one down, Griffe singled. Though Bickerstaff was forced at third on a grounder by Newell, Stroud beat out an infield hit to load the bases and Taylor drove in two with a base hit.
In the top of the second, Drake Brown singled and swiped second. He scored on Dunn’s single to right. Dunn, who stole his way to third, came in on a one-out single by Fischer to make it 5-0.
Skelley cracked a double to right and Lucas followed suit with a two-bagger to knock him in. Bickerstaff singled and when Small bounced into a force at second, Lucas scored. Griffe’s double set up Newell’s RBI single, which made it 9-0.
Junior Deputy plated a run on a single, a stolen base and a two-out hit in the bottom of the second.
But Bryant revved up the offense again in the top of the third, sparked by Stroud’s triple. Taylor singled him in and took second on an errant throw. Dawson Brown beat out an infield hit but was forced at second on a grounder by Drake Brown as Taylor advanced to third.
After Drake Brown stole second, Dunn socked a single that brought two runs in, making it 12-1. Fischer singled to chase home Dunn who had stolen second.
Bryant clinched it with the six-run fourth with all the scoring coming after two were out. Bickerstaff legged out an infield hit with one down and, with two away, Griffe doubled him home. Newell and Stroud followed with doubles as the lead grew to 16-1. Base hits from Taylor and Dawson Brown produced a run. Drake Brown’s hit made it 18-1.
After Dunn’s base hit loaded the bases, Owen cracked an RBI single to center to cap off the onslaught.
