SHERWOOD — The Bryant 8-and-under All-Stars won two games Monday night and, if they can do the[more] same tonight, they’ll be the South Arkansas Cal Ripken State champs.
Completing their battle back through the losers bracket, Bryant’s Stars ousted the Dumas 8’s 7-0 then, in a rematch, bounced the Crossett 8’s, 14-3, to advance to the championship round where they’ll get another shot at their nemesis, Little Rock Junior Deputy.
Bryant will need to win the first game tonight at 6 o’clock to force a winner-take-all final against LRJD, which comes in as the lone unbeaten team left in the tournament.
The Bryant team includes Evan Barrett, Gavin Burton, Luke Dreher, Caleb Greiner, Drew Hatman, Conner Martin, Logan McDonald, Colby Morrow, Cade Parker, J.T. Parker, Turner Seelinger, Hayden Thompson, Logan White. Jason Greiner is the manager. He’s assisted by Ryan Martin and Jeremy Morrow.
Bryant 14, Crossett 3
The Stars shut out Crossett while building an 11-0 lead going into the bottom of the third inning. Crossett stayed alive with three in the bottom of the third but Bryant got those back in the top of the fifth to make it a run-rule victory.
To start the game, Burton singled and scored on a double by Cade Parker to break the ice. Thompson beat out an infield hit the got Parker to third. From there, he scored on a Barrett’s sacrifice fly. McDonald made it 3-0 with an RBI single that plated Thompson.
Crossett managed a base-runner in the bottom of the inning but he was thrown out trying to steal. And Bryant tacked on three more to start the second. Martin led off with a single and raced home on a double by Greiner. And when White doubled, it was 5-0. A clutch two-out single by J.T.Parker brought White around after he’d moved up on a sacrifice by Hatman.
The Stars broke the game open in the top of the third. Dreher ignited the five-run uprising with a double. He sprinted home when Burton ripped a triple. Cade Parker’s single chased in Burton.
Thompson drove in Parker with a groundout then Barrett cranked up the offense again with a double setting the stage for Martin’s inside-the-park home run that made it 11-0.
Crossett answered with its three runs then held Bryant in the fourth but couldn’t take advantage.
J.T. Parker and Seelinger started the top of the fifth with singles. With one out, Burton drove in a run with a base hit. Seelinger scored on a groundout by Cade Parker then Thompson tripled to bring Burton around for the final tally.
Crossett was retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth as Bryant secured the trip to the title round.
Bryant 7, Dumas 0
Dumas never got a runner past second in the game and only got one that far twice as the Bryant defense put the clamps on.
Bryant grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first when, with the help of an error, Dreher circled the bases. With one out, Cade Parker cracked a double and, with two down, Barrett singled him home.
It stayed that way until the fourth when Thompson singled and scored on a triple by Barrett. McDonald singled him home then scored on a base hit by Martin, making it 5-0.
The game went to the sixth when Bryant tacked on two more to close out the win. Base hits by J.T. Parker and Seelinger set the table for Dreher who doubled in a run and, after Burton singled, Cade Parker singled in the final run.
