By Madison McEntire
ZACHARY, La. — The Bryant 9-year-old All-Stars opened pool play on Friday, July 23, in the Cal Ripken Southwest Regional with two convincing wins.
The Bryant team members are Logan Chambers, Logan Grant, Nathan McFarland, Ryan Lessenberry, Cade Dupree, Coby Greiner, Logan Catton, Jake Cowell, Will McEntire, Sawyer Holt, Garett Nguyen, Hunter Mullings, and Chandler Taylor. The team is managed by Michael Catton with assistance from coaches Phillip Dupree and Madison McEntire.[more]
The team continues pool play on Saturday, July 24, with games against two squads from the state of Louisiana, Donaldsonville at 10 a.m. and Madisonville at 4 p.m.
Bryant 8, North Randall County, Texas 0
Chambers started the game and retired the first two batters on a grounder to shortstop and a fly ball to center, but then allowed the next batter to reach on a single back up the middle when he stumbled off the mound to field it. With the cleanup batter up, Lessenberry caught the runner straying too far of the base and picked him off first to end the top of the first.
Bryant tallied a run in their first at-bat. Catton lined the second pitch of the game back up the middle for a single. Chambers grounded to the first baseman, who instead of stepping on the bag for an out elected to try to force Catton at second. His throw went into left field and both runners were safe.
McFarland grounded to third to force out Catton. Dupree struck out but not before a wild pitch moved both runners up. With Greiner at the plate, a wild pitch popped straight up in the air but the catcher could not find it in time as Chambers slid home, knocking the ball from the pitcher’s glove. Greiner fanned to end the inning.
After getting a strikeout to begin the inning, Chambers was uncharacteristically wild and walked the next three to load the bases but his defense bailed him out when Grant fielded a chopper back over the mound, stepped on the bag, and fired to McFarland at first for a doubleplay.
Bryant went quietly in the second with a pop fly to the pitcher and two strikeouts.
McEntire took over for Chambers to start the third. He retired the number nine hitter on a pop to shortstop before allowing a line drive double to the left-center gap. The next batter was caught looking at a 2-2 pitch for the second out. Although the base runner moved up to third on a wild pitch, he was left stranded when the next batter grounded back to the mound.
In the bottom of the third, Bryant increased its lead to 2-0. Lessenberry fouled out to the catcher and Catton popped out to first. Chambers stepped in and drove the first pitch over the right fielder’s head for a triple. With two strikes on him, McFarland grounded a hard single back up the box to score Chambers. Dupree fanned to send the game into the fourth.
North Randall County got a fly ball single to center to start the fourth, but then went quickly. Second baseman Grant made a nice backhanded play on a ball to his right for an out at first and McEntire struck out the next two, each on a full-count pitch.
Bryant blew the game open in the fourth when they scored the maximum of six runs, with all of them crossing the plate with two outs. Greiner led off with a soft fly to right that fell for a hit. Grant grounded back to the pitcher who forced Greiner at second. After Cowell struck out, McEntire dropped a single into left, which moved Grant to second. Mullings pinch-ran for McEntire and, with Nguyen at the plate batting for Lessenberry, a wild pitch moved each runner up a base. Another wild pitch scored Grant and put Mullings on third. Nguyen walked and Lessenberry re-entered to run.
With Catton batting, a throwing error on the catcher to second base allowed Mullings to score and Lessenberry to scoot around to third base. Catton hit a grounder to the shortstop, who booted it for an error, which brought Lessenberry in from third. Chambers hit a sharp grounder at the first baseman that took a hop for a single and allowed Catton to get to third. Chambers then stole second.
McFarland grounded a single into left field, which scored Catton and moved Chambers to third. After McFarland stole second, Dupree slammed a single back up the box which scored both runners and made the score 8-0.
McFarland took over on the mound in the fifth. He got the first batter to pop to shortstop where Chambers made a nice play to haul it in. After a walk, the next batter grounded out to shortstop and then a line drive to Grant at third ended the game.
Bryant 8, Little Rock Jr. Deputy 4
Grant started for Bryant and Little Rock jumped to a quick two-run lead. The leadoff batter hit the second pitch of the game for a double over Nguyen’s head in left. The next batter, hitting an 0-2 pitch, singled to left, moving the runner to third, as he took second base on the throw. Following a strikeout, the cleanup batter hit an RBI-groundout to second. A long double to center made it 2-0.
Greiner made a nice diving play on a pop up in short right field to end the inning, keeping a run from scoring.
Bryant responded quickly. Catton led off with walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a passed ball. Chambers walked and stole second. After throwing the first pitch for a ball to McFarland, the Little Rock pitcher was replaced.
McFarland grounded out to second but Catton scored on the play while Chambers moved to third. The first pitch to Dupree was wild and Chambers scampered home. After Dupree was hit by a pitch, Greiner’s grounder to short forced him at second. Grant lined a single to center. With McEntire batting, both runners moved up on a wild pitch and then another wild one allowed a run and put Grant on third. On a full-count, McEntire hit a grounder to third but reached when the throw was off the mark as Grant scored. Lessenberry grounded out to the shortstop for the third out, but Bryant had a 4-2 lead.
In the second, Little Rock’s first batter singled to left. Grant got the next two batters to hit a grounder to shortstop for a force out and a pop out to third. On the next pitch, the runner broke for second and Lessenberry’s throw was on the money to end the inning.
The All-Stars plated another run in the second. Nguyen opened the frame with a walk and Mullings ran for him. Catton hit a grounder that the shortstop took to the bag to force out Mullings. After a wild pitch and passed ball moved Catton around to third with two out, McFarland hit a grounder off the end of the bat with a nasty spin on it; the third baseman could not handle it and McFarland reached on a single that scored Catton. After being up 3-0 in the count Dupree struck out but Bryant had increased the lead to 5-2.
McFarland came in to pitch in the top of the third and retired the first batter on a pop fly to first but then hit the second batter. A hard line drive was then hit to center field but the ball was right at Catton who hauled it in for the second out.
A grounder in the hole appeared to end the inning but the umpire ruled that the runner beat Chambers’ throw to second. But, on a pop fly over third just inside the line that looked to be a hit, Chambers raced over from shortstop and made a great sliding catch to end the threat.
In the third, Bryant increased its lead. With one out, Grant hit a soft liner to center for a single. Taylor batted for McEntire and drew a walk on four pitches. On the first pitch to Lessenberry, Taylor was caught too far off first by the catcher but stayed in the rundown long enough for Grant to score all the way from second base.
After Lessenberry walked, Little Rock changed pitchers again. Holt hit into a 5-4 force out to send the game into the fourth inning with Bryant up 6-2.
Bryant brought Dupree in to pitch in the fourth. He retired the side in order on a liner to Taylor in right field, a grounder to Greiner at second and a comebacker to the mound.
Bryant padded the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Cowell batted for Catton and dumped a single over first base that landed just inside the line. After Chambers struck out, McFarland crushed a grounder to the shortstop that took a big hop that almost hit him in the head on its way into left field.
With runners on first and second, Dupree grounded a hard shot back up the middle to load the bases. Greiner hit a ground ball to the second baseman who threw to second for a force out, but Little Rock’s shortstop dropped the throw. Cowell scored from third and McFarland came around to score on the error. Little Rock escaped further damage when their right fielder made a great catch of Grant’s liner in right-center and Taylor grounded out to third.
In the top of the fifth, Little Rock cut Bryant’s lead to 8-4. Their number nine hitter reached on a soft infield pop that Greiner dove for but could not reach. Dupree then walked the next two batters to load the bases with no one out.
McEntire re-entered the game and went to the mound in relief of Dupree. He got the first out on a foul pop to Lessenberry and then got a force out for the second out with a run scoring on the play. A wild pitch brought in another run and moved the trail runner to second.
Two walks reloaded the bases but Bryant escaped further damage when McFarland hauled in a popup at first, although he gave the Bryant coaches and fans a momentary scare as he snowconed the ball in the tip of his glove.
With just minutes remaining in the game, Bryant batted in the bottom of the fifth. Lessenberry battled and drew a walk. Holt struck out swinging. With a 2-2 count on Catton, time ran out and Bryant had secured the win.
