MOBILE, Ala. — The offense revved up for the Bryant 8-year-old All-Stars on Friday as they completed pool play at the 2018 8U Regional Tournament with a pair of lopsided wins that made their pool record 3-1 going into bracket play on Saturday.
Bryant started the day with a first-inning uprising that produced the maximum limit of six runs then scored in every inning of a 14-3 win in five innings over the Gulf Shores All-Stars. Later in the day, they started and finish with max innings in a 13-2 romp over the George County, Miss., All-Stars.
The Bryant team, managed by Rick Brown with assistance from Jacob Hunter, Seth Hyder and Mike Abrahamson, includes Mason Abrahamson, Luke Bowden, Brady Brown, Dax Drake, Tagan Dunn, Garrett Hill, Evan Hill, Wyatt Hunter, Keller Hyder, Ethan Kelley, Austin Markham, Isaac McCormick and Crews Thomason.
Bryant 14, Gulf Shores 3
The opening salvo in the bottom of the first started with a single by Kelley. Hyder’s groundball was misplayed then so was Abrahamson’s. With the bases loaded, Markham beat out an infield hit for two RBIs.
Thomason singled to drive home Abrahamson then Dunn’s base hit made it 4-0. Bowden’s base hit to left was misplayed, which allowed Thomason and Dunn to score, ending the inning.
Gulf Shores scored twice in the top of the second on four consecutive singles and a groundout.
Bryant got three in the bottom of the inning. Hunter’s fly to center was misplayed with one out then Brown cracked a single to right. On the throw to the plate that held Hunter at third, Brown alertly took second.
Hunter scored when Evan Hill’s groundball was booted. Brown scored when a throw to the plate went awry. McCormick’s grounder was kicked, and it was 9-2.
After Gulf Shores managed its third run in the top of the third but Bryant’s onslaught continued in the bottom of the inning. Abrahamson led off with a single and took second when the ball was misplayed in the outfield. An errant throw on Markham’s grounder to short allowed a run and allowed Markham to reached third. Another error on Dunn’s grounder made it 11-3.
Another pair of errors started the bottom of the fourth. With runners at second and third, Evan Hill singled in a run. A second one scored on a misplay. McCormick’s base hit put runners at the corners then Garrett Hill singled in a run to make it 14-3.
Gulf Shores managed to get two aboard in the top of the fifth, but they were stranded.
Bryant 13, George County 2
The six-run first started with a double by Kelley and a single by Hyder, who took second on a throwing error. Both held when Abrahamson’s single fell in so, with the bases loaded, Markham knocked in two with a single to center. Again, a misplay allowed Markham to take second.
Thomason’s base hit made it 3-0 before George County could record an out. Bowden’s single to right chased home Markham and Thomason and an error on Drake’s hit got Bowden home with the sixth run.
George County managed to get on the board with a run in the bottom of the second, but Bryant got that back in the top of the third on singles by Hyder and Abrahamson along with an RBI groundout from Thomason.
A double, a groundout and an error allowed George County to score again in the third.
It stayed 7-2 until the top of the fifth when Evan Hill led off with a bunt single. McCormick lined a single to left then Garrett Hill bunted for a hit to fill the bases. Kelley grounded into a force at third as Evan Hill scored then Hyder singled in Garrett Hill, making it 9-2.
Kelley came home when Abrahamson grounded out to short then Markham doubled in Hyder. Thomason’s singled loaded the bases before Dunn’s base hit capped off the inning, making it 13-2.
George County managed a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth but couldn’t muster anything else.
