ARKADELPHIA — The 9-year-old All-Stars of the Bryant Athletic Association opened play in the 2016 State Tournament on Friday in convincing fashion. While holding the El Dorado All-Stars to just two hits, Bryant piled up runs in three innings to run away with a 16-1 win.
The Bryant 9’s, managed by Brad Chism, include John Thomas Allen, Brayden Beenken, Gavyn Benson, Eli Berry, Carter Brown, Cooper Chism, Avery Heidelberg, Preston Howlett, Landon Jackson, E J Keith, Braxton Speer, Aiden Stout and Hudson Thomason.
Benson, Thomason, Speer, Keith and Jackson each had two hits as Bryant struck for 14 knocks. Benson’s included a double and a triple. Thomason capped the rout with a two-run homer. Jackson contributed a two-run shot.
Jackson drove in three runs with Thomason and Benson chasing home two each.
Keith started on the mound and held El Dorado hitless through two frames, fanning four. Chism worked the third and surrendered the lone run on two hits with a walk.
A six-run first put the Bryant 9’s on the road to victory. Thomason got things started with a double then Benson ripped his triple, burning the centerfielder. Speer singled to get Benson home.
Stout kept the onslaught going with a double to left. Keith traded places with him with a two-bagger to left. Jackson singled to make it 5-0 then, later, scored on a passed ball to max out the inning (six run per inning limit).
Brown got the offense revved up again in the second. With one out, he singled then sprinted to third on a passed ball. He scored on a wild pitch as Beenken drew a walk. He swiped second then advanced to third on Heidelberg’s grounder to short. And when Thomason’s roller on the infield resulted in an errant throw to first, Beenken scored to make it 8-0. Benson cracked his double to plate Thomason.
El Dorado’s first base-runner came on a double to start the third. But Bryant threw him out as he tried to stretch it to a triple. A walk, a groundout and another double produced the run with two out.
Keith singled to start a game-clinching six-run third. Jackson followed with his round-tripper to center.
Berry kept the inning going with a double and, after he took third on an error, he scored on Brown’s groundout. Chism walked, Heidelberg singled and an error allowed Heidelberg another run.
After Heidelberg advanced on a passed ball, Thomason lined his homer to right.
