DAPHNE, Ala. — The Bryant All-Stars opened play in the Cal Ripken 8U Southwest Regional pitching machine tournament with a 9-6 win over Mims, Fla., on Thursday.
The team is scheduled to play pool play games against Fairhope, Ala., and Florence, Ala., as well.
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.
The team captured the State championship earlier this summer.
Bryant took a 3-0 lead in the first and never trailed. Summers, Lloyd and Martin scored the runs. Verdell and Jackson had singles.
Mims scored twice in the bottom of the inning but, in the second, McCrary led off with a triple and scored.
In the bottom of the second, Mims was retired in order then neither team scored in the third.
Mims cut into the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth, making it 4-3 but, in the top of the fifth, Bryant tacked on two runs to pad the advantage. Young and Summers crossed the plate.
The Florida team continued to keep the pressure on with a run in the bottom of the inning, but Bryant got out of the inning with a 6-4 lead.
Bryant’s three-run sixth made it tougher for Mims to come back. Jackson, Atkins and McCrary scored. Bryant may have gotten more as they loaded the bases only to have Mims get the final out to set up their last chance, trailing 9-4.
They got two in but that’s all they could get as Bryant closed out the victory.
