CAMDEN — The Bryant 9-year-old All-Stars are champions of the Cal Ripkin 10-and-under South Arkansas State Tournament.
Bryant capped off a sweep of four games in the tournament with a 4-3 win over the Clark County All-Stars on Wednesday night. The final was a rematch of the 10-and-under District title game, which Bryant won 4-2 on June 28 in Benton.
The Bryant 9’s reached the final after drilling Magnolia 14-4 on Friday, July 3, then knocking off Lonoke 9-3 on Monday and overwhelming Clark County 14-3 in the winners bracket final. Clark County won the losers bracket final to get back to the championship round.
Bryant, managed by Jeremy Stovall with assistance from Michael Brower and R.C. Penfield, includes Garrison Blacklaw, Brady Brower, Reid Catton, Clay Crawford, Gage Horn, Grant Johnson, Carson Kemp, Justen Myles, Gideon Motes, Hank Penfield, Caden Stovall and Cason Trickey.
The team advances to play in the Southwest Regional Tournament in Columbus, Texas, starting July 17.
Bryant 4, Clark County 3
After breaking up a scoreless game with two runs in the top of the fourth, Bryant surrendered two in the home half then countered with two in the top of the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, Clark County made a bid to rally and send the tourney to the “if” game. A pair of errors and a one-out double cut the score to 4-3 but when a second runner tried to score on the double, Penfield fired to Blacklaw the catcher in time for the out. The next batter popped to Brower at second to end the game.
Trickey and Brower each had two hits for the champs. Trickey went the route on the mound allowing three unearned runs on three hits with a walk, two hit batsmen and five strikeouts.
Bryant threatened to score in the first and third innings but was frustrated, stranding five. In the fourth, however, Stovall drew a one-out walk and Blacklaw drilled a 1-0 pitch to deep center for an RBI triple. He scored when Motes bounced out to short.
Clark County used a hit batsman, a single, a passed ball, a groundout and a two-out error to tied in the bottom of the inning.
Bryant’s answer began with a single by Brower and a walk to Penfield. After Brower moved to third on a passed ball, Penfield stole second and Horn picked up an RBI with a grounder to second. With two down, Kemp came through with an RBI single to center, making it 4-2.
Trickey fanned the first two in the bottom of the fifth before surrendering a double. A passed ball got the runner to third but he was stranded there when the next batter was retired on a comebacker to the Bryant pitcher.
Bryant got runners to second and third with two down in the top of the sixth but both were stranded, setting up the dramatic finish.
Bryant 14, Clark County 3
A five-run second gave Bryant the upper hand. It was 10-1 before Clark County rallied to extend the game in the bottom of the fifth. But Bryant pushed four runs across in the top of the sixth to complete the rout.
Blacklaw and Motes each had two hits and two RBIs in the contest. Johnson picked up the win with five innings of work on the mound. Blacklaw retired the side in the sixth despite hitting a batter.
The second-inning uprising began with Horn reaching second on a wild throw to first. A passed ball allowed him to take third and score on a late throw to third. Johnson walked then errors allowed Kemp and Stovall to reach safely, loading the bags for Blacklaw who beat out an infield hit as Johnson scored.
Motes’ infield hit made it 3-0. Crawford got a bunt down and when the throw to first was errant Blacklaw scored and runners advanced to second and third. Catton picked up an RBI on a groundout, making it 5-0.
Clark County carved out a run in the bottom of the inning then threatened in the third only to be turned aside. In the top of the fourth, Kemp reached on an error, took second on a passed ball and third on a base hit from Stovall, who took second on a throw to the plate. Blacklaw’s singled brought in a run then Motes bounced out to plate Stovall. Blacklaw scored on a passed ball and it was 8-1.
Brower and Penfield singled to open the fifth. An error allowed Brower to score. Penfield followed moments later on a passed ball.
Clark County used three hits, a hit batsman and an error to score twice in the home fifth. In response, however, Bryant put together its final outburst. Motes singled, took second on a passed ball and scored on a knock by Trickey. Catton was plunked by a 1-2 delivery then Brown as well on a 2-0 count. Penfield picked up an RBI when he tapped into a force at third and, with two down, a Brower raced home when Johnson’s grounder to second was kicked. Another error on a ball hit by Kemp got Penfield home to make it 14-3.
Bryant 9, Lonoke 3
A five-run third broke open a tight 3-2 game as Kemp, with sixth-inning relief from Blacklaw, shackled Lonoke after a two-run first.
Horn had two hits for Bryant and Kemp helped himself with a pair of RBIs.
Bryant grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Penfield doubled in Brower, who had singled. Horn singled in a run and, after Johnson walked, a passed ball made it 3-0.
A trio of walks and a single produced Lonoke’s two runs in the bottom of the inning then Kemp settled in. He worked around a single in the second and Bryant’s big third inning commenced when Brower was struck by a pitch with one out. Penfield and Horn walked and, after a pitching change, Kemp drilled a two-out double to knock in a pair. When Stovall’s bouncer to short drew a throw that the first baseman dropped, Horn scored, making it 6-2.
Kemp scored on a passed ball then Blacklaw singled to center, chasing in Stovall.
Lonoke managed a run on a pair of hits in the third to make it 8-3. The final Bryant run scored in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Motes. It came after walks to Kemp and Mote and a passed ball.
Bryant 14, Magnolia 4
Bryant opened the tournament in telling fashion, scoring eight runs in the first inning of the opener.
Catton, Horn, Johnson and Kemp each had two hits in the game. Horn, Johnson, Stovall and Motes drove in two apiece.
The opening blitz began with a single by Catton. Brower, trying to sacrifice, reached on an error then Penfield single to center, filling the sacks. With one out, hits from Johnson and Kemp made it 3-0.
Stovall’s bunt was misplayed and Johnson came around to score and, hustling all the way, so did Kemp from second.
After a base hit by Blacklaw, Motes reached on an error and two more came home. Trickey singled Motes to third then Catton picked up an RBI with a groundout to first.
Magnolia scored twice in the home first and whittled another run off the margin in the bottom of the second. But a four-run home third regained the momentum for Bryant.
It was a two-out uprising ignited by Catton’s single to left. Brower’s grounder to second drew a wild throw so when Penfield’s grounder to short resulted in an errant peg to first, two more scored.
Horn singled in a run and Johnson doubled in another to make it 12-3.
In the fifth, Brower doubled to left, Penfield reached on an error and Horn picked up an RBI with a groundout. Johnson’s grounder to short was booted and Penfield hustled home to complete the scoring.
Magnolia made a bid to avoid the run-rule in the bottom of the fifth, aided by a pair of Bryant errors and a walk but Trickey induced a groundout to end the game.
