Dylan Johnson and Scott Schmidt combined on a two-hit shutout as the Bryant 9-year-old All-Stars topped their rivals from Benton to capture the championship of the District Tournament at Ashley Park on Sunday.
Bryant opened the tourney with an 11-0 win over Benton then bounced the North Garland County All-Stars , 14-0, to reach the championship game. They outscored their three opponents by a combined score of 35-0.
Bryant’s 9-year-olds, coached by Bill Kyzer with assistance from Kirk Schmidt and Clint Hilson, include Myers Buck, Luke Curtis, Caleb Dorsey, Brooks Ellis, Hunter Hilson, Dylan Johnson, Preston Kyzer, Hayden Mills, Blake Pennington, Matthew Sandidge, Scott Schmidt, Larry Thompson and Cooper Wright.The team advances to the State tourney at Magnolia beginning July 10. Regionals are set for Gulfport, Miss., July 30.[more]
Bryant 10, Benton 0
Bryant scored four in the first and six in the second on the way to the championship win.
Johnson pitched the first three innings, walked three, struck out five and allowed one hit. Schmidt worked the fifth and allowed one hit.Bryant’s first began with a walk to Sandidge. He advanced to third on a pair of passed balls. Schmidt was hit by a pitch and stole second and, with one out, Johnson cracked a two-run double. A pair of wild pitches brought him around to score as Wright drew a walk. He stole second and scored when Hilson reached on an error.
In the second, Buck was hit by a pitch but forced at second on a tap back to the mound off Sandidge’s bat. A wild pitch allowed Sandidge to reach second then Schmidt reached on an error and Kyzer drew a walk before Johnson belted another double. Kyzer scored on Wright’s groundout to short which also got Johnson to third. Hilson singled him home. Thompson reached on a two-out error then walks forced in the final two runs of the inning, setting the final score.
Bryant 14, North Garland County 0
Schmidt, Kyzer and Thompson combined on a no-hitter. Schmidt struck out all six batters he faced in the first two innings. Kyzer fanned two more in his lone inning of work.
North Garland County managed its first baserunner in the fourth as Dakota Fortenberry reached on an error. But Thompson worked around that and a two-out walk to preserve the gem.
Bryant scored the maximum six runs in the first with Sandidge setting the tone with a lead-off triple. Schmidt walked and stole second before Kyzer, Ellis and Hilson cracked consecutive singles. Mills drew a walk and stole second before Pennington doubled to complete the uprising.
Bryant hit the max again in the second. This time, Dorsey’s single got things started. With one out, Sandidge, Schmidt, and Johnson drilled singles. Ellis drew a walk and, after Hilson reached on an error, so did Mills. Pennington again capped off the inning with a single.
In the third, Curtis drew a one-out walk and advanced on a wild pitch and a passed ball. With two down, walks to Thompson and Kyzer, coupled with more wild deliveries produced the final two runs.
Bryant 11, Benton 0
Johnson pitched the four-hit shutout over four innings, walking three, hitting a batter and striking out three as his teammates played errorless defense behind him.
Benton had a chance to gain the early lead when Jared Kelly walked, made his way to third on a pair of wild pitches. But he was picked off third by Kyzer, the Bryant catcher, caught in a rundown and tagged out.
In the bottom of the inning, Bryant staked a 2-0 lead on singles by Sandidge, Schmidt and Johnson.Benton’s Braden Carman managed a two-out single in the top of the second but could not take advantage.
In the bottom of the inning, the first two Bryant batters were retired but a walk to Buck opened the door. Errors on balls hit by Sandidge and Schmidt kept the inning going before Kyzer singled to make it 5-0.
Benton threatened to score in the third when Austin Harklau singled and Conner Kordsmeier walked but Kelly bounced into a force as Schmidt, from shortstop, threw to Wright at third.
Preston Fleeman singled to load the bases but Kordsmeier was tagged out trying to score on a pitch that got past Kyzer, the catcher. He scrambled after the ball and tossed to Johnson who applied the tag in time.
Beau Brown was hit by a pitch to load the bags again but Johnson got Yates Prickett to pop up to end the threat.
Bryant put the finishing touches on the offensive outburst with a maximum inning in the third. Walks to Wright and Hilson set the stage. Thompson singled in a run then Hilson scored on a passed ball. Curtis and Buck walked and Thompson scored on a wild pitch. Singles by Sandidge and Schmidt followed and, after Kyzer walked, an error allowed the sixth run to score.
Ross Caryer singled to start the fourth for Benton but Carman popped out to Hilson at second and Caryer was caught off first for a doubleplay. After a walk to Logan Black, Johnson ended it with a strikeout.
