DAPHNE, Ala. — The Bryant All-Stars have advanced to the semifinals of the 2019 Cal Ripken 8U Southwest Regional pitching machine tournament with an 11-2 win over Semmes, Ala., on Saturday. Bryant faces the host Daphne, Ala., on Sunday morning.
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.
Neither team scored in the first inning of Saturday’s contest but Bry8ant went on to score in every other inning while hold Semmes to a run in the second and another in the fourth. The run in the second for the Alabama team had them in the lead at first. But Bryant gained the upper hand in the bottom of the inning.
Verdell and Jackson started the uprising with singles. With two down, Rue came through with a clutch double to left center then McPherson singled.
Trailing 2-1, Semme managed a pair of two-out singles in the third but could not score. In turn, Bryant tacked four on when Young, Summers and Lloyd singled. Martin followed with a drive to left-center for a triple. Robertson singled in Martin and it was 6-1.
Three singles produced a second run for Semmes in the top of the fourth. Bryant then put the finishing touches on the victory with five in the bottom of the inning. A one-out single by Rue ignited the outburst. Jordan got a base hit but was forced at second on Young’s grounder to short. Summers and Lloyd started the carousel with back-to-back singles then Martin came through with another big hit, a double to right-center. Base hits by Robertson and Verdell made it 11-2.
So, when Semmes could muster no more than a one-out triple, Bryant advanced in the single-elimination tournament.
With a win over Daphne, Bryant will advance to the championship game against the winner of the other semifinal between Fairhope A and Petal, La.
