EL DORADO — With a 13-3 romp over the rival Benton All-Stars, the Bryant All-Stars advanced to the championship round of the Cal Ripken 8-and-under South Arkansas State tournament on Tuesday night. They will need two wins over Little Rock Junior Deputy tonight to capture the championship.
Junior Deputy handed Bryant its lone loss of the tournament earlier Tuesday evening, 9-7, but the win over Benton in the losers bracket final lifted them back into the title round.
The Bryant 8’s are Garrison Blacklaw, Brady Brower, Reid Catton, Clay Crawford, Gavin Hill, Gage Horn, Aiden Hughes, Grant Johnson, Carson Kemp, Gideon Motes, Hank Penfield and Caden Stovall. They are managed by Jeremy Stovall with assistance from Michael Brower and Chad Kemp.
Bryant, which will host the 8-and-under Regional starting July 18, opened the tournament on Friday, July 4, with a 13-2 win over Pine Bluff and a 17-0 blitz over Hamburg. On Saturday, they pounded Jacksonville 18-1 then dismissed Lakewood 11-1 and Benton 11-1 on Sunday.
Bryant 13, Benton 3
Catton had three hits and drove in two runs to lead Bryant. Penfield, Kemp, Motes and Hill added two hits each. Stovall had three RBIs.
A six-run first put the Bryant Stars in the driver’s seat right away. Penfield beat out a bunt single to open the barrage, stole second and scored on Stovall’s base hit up the middle. Stovall swiped second, took third on Catton’s infield hit and scored when Blacklaw grounded out.
Horn to the inning to another level with a ringing double to left, knocking in Catton. Kemp singled in a run and, after Johnson singled him to third, Hughes ripped a double to center to plate them both and make it 6-0.
Benton got on the board with a run in the top of the second but Bryant trumped that with five more in the home half. Hill singled and Motes chased him home with a triple to right. Crawford followed with an RBI single.
Penfield kept the carousel turning with an infield hit. An errant throw allowed the runners to move up to second and third for Stovall who picked up a run with his groundout to short. Catton’s triple made it 10-1. He would score on Blacklaw’s sacrifice fly to cap the inning.
A single, a triple and two doubles enabled Benton to trim two runs off the lead but Bryant got those back in the bottom of the fourth. Hill doubled but held at second as Motes beat out an infield hit. Both moved up on Crawford’s bouncer to first leaving first base open. Benton walked Penfield intentionally to set up a force at every base but when Stovall hit a grounder on the infield the only play was at first as Hill scored. Catton’s third hit plated Motes and it was 13-3.
Junior Deputy 9, Bryant 7
The Little Rock team opened up a 6-0 lead in the first and tacked on just enough to hold off the Bryant Stars. Bryant cut it to 6-3 in the second and, after JD picked up a run in the top of the third, trimmed the margin to 7-6 in the bottom of the inning. Neither team could score after that until the sixth when Junior Deputy tacked on a crucial pair of runs. Bryant mounted a rally in the home half when Brower doubled and scored on Johnson singled him home. That brought the potential tying run to the plate with one out but Little Rock retired the next two to hang on for the win.
Bryant’s three-run second started with a double by Horn. Brower beat out a bunt for a hit and Kemp drove in a run with a groundout. Johnson bunted for a hit and took second on an errant throw as Brower held at third. With two out, Hill singled him in.
The third-inning uprising began with singles by Penfield, Stovall and Catton. Blacklaw’s grounder to short resulted in a force on Catton at second but Penfield scored. Horn’s grounder produced the same result as Blacklaw was forced and Stovall scored.
Brower kept the inning going with a bloop hit to left then Kemp drove one to right for an RBI double to make it 7-6. With the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position, however, Junior Deputy got the third out to preserve its one-run lead.
Bryant 11, Benton 1
On Sunday, Bryant scored five runs in each of the first two innings while keeping Benton off the board until the top of the fourth for a run-rule win. Blacklaw, Penfield, Horn, Catton and Motes each had two hits. Stovall drove in three and Browner two.
The opening salvo was ignited by Penfield’s double. Stovall singled him in then hits by Catton and Blacklaw loaded the bases. Horn’s infield hit produced a run then Brower cracked a double to center to knock in two. Horn scored on Kemp’s boucer to second to make it 5-0.
Motes and Crawford each got to second on bunts to start the bottom of the second. Penfield belted a drive to left for a double then Stovall picked up an RBI with a groundout.
After Catton singled and stole second, Blacklaw doubled him home. Another two-bagger by Horn made it 10-0.
Bryant tacked on a final run in the bottom of the third when Kemp singled and scored on Hill’s two-out double.
Benton used a pair of singles wrapped around a double to pick up its lone run in the top of the fourth.
Bryant 11, Lakewood Wildcats 1
Bryant built up an 11-0 lead and won by run-rule over four innings in the Sunday afternoon contest. Horn drove in four runs and Stovall two for Bryant’s Stars. Horn, Brower, Johnson, Kemp, Hughes and Motes each had two hits.
A six-run first got Bryant off and running. Catton singled then Stovall ripped a drive to left field for a home run. Penfield and Blacklaw each doubled ahead of Horn’s homer, making it 5-0. Brower singled, stole second and scored on Kemp’s double to complete the inning.
Hill picked up an RBI in the second with a groundout after Johnson singled, stole second and took third on Hughes’ base hit.
A three-run third made it 10-0. With two out, Horn blasted his second round-tripper to center. Consecutive doubles by Brower, Kemp, Johnson and Hughes completed the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Hill and Motes singled, moved up on Crawford’s groundout then scored when Catton bounced out to short.
Bryant 18, Jacksonville 1
Bryant had a 5-1 lead after the first then scored the maximum of six runs in the second and kept adding on after that while shutting down the Jacksonville offense.
Stovall, Horn and Johnson each had three hits.
In the first, Penfield singled and Stovall doubled to set the table for Catton’s RBI single. Blacklaw beat out an infield hit to load the bases then Horn cleared them with a drive to left for a triple. He would score on Brower’s bouncer to first.
A triple and a groundout produced Jacksonville’s lone run in the bottom of the inning then the Bryant barrage continued. Crawford’s bunt single started the second. Penfield added a base hit then both scored on Stovall’s triple to center. Blacklaw’s single brought Stovall in and it was 8-1. Horn doubled in a run, Brower singled and Kemp made it 11-1 with another double.
A four-run third began with Johnson’s triple to left. Hughes singled him in then scored when Hill belted a double. A two-bagger by Motes made it 14-1. Crawford singled Motes to third but Penfield’s grounder to third resulted in Motes being tagged out at the plate.
Stovall kept the inning going, however with a base hit and Crawford scored when Catton bounced to short for a force at second.
Bryant put the finishing touches on the rout in the fourth. Horn doubled, Brower singled and Kemp drove in a run with a hit. Johnson plated another with a single to center then the final run scored when Hill hit a grounder to second.
Bryant 17, Hamburg 0
The Bryant defense held Hamburg to just two hits while running away with Friday night’s game. Penfield led the offense with three hits and Horn drove in five runs including three on a first-inning home run.
That was the big blow of Bryant’s four-run first. Penfield opened the game with a bunt single. Stovall singled but Penfield was tagged out trying to score on the play. Catton bunted for a hit, however, and Stovall, who had advanced on the play at the plate, came around to score.
Blacklaw beat out an infield hit to set up Horn’s circuit shot to center.
Bryant made it a rout with six more runs in the second. Hughes singled and scored on Hill’s triple. Motes singled him in then base hits by Crawford and Penfield filled the sacks. Stovall drove in two with a knock to center. Catton singled in Penfield and Blacklaw made it a max inning with an RBI double.
Brower tripled and scored on a Kemp double in the top of the third. Johnson beat out an infield hit then Hughes blasted a triple to center to chase in two. Motes’ RBI base hit made it 14-0.
In the fourth, Horn doubled in a pair then scored on Brower’s two-bagger to end the game.
Bryant 13, Pine Bluff 2
Penfield had three hits including a solo inside-the-park homer to start the game in Bryant’s opening win. Horn drove in four and Johnson three.
A six-run first and a six-run third highlighted the win.
After Penfield’s fun run, Stovall singled to left and stole second. He held there as Catton’s pop-up fell in for a hit. But both moved up on Blacklaw’s groundout then scored on Horn’s double to left.
Horn held as Brower’s pop fell in for a single but, after Kemp’s grounder to first moved them up to second and third, they scored on Johnson’s triple. Hughes made it 6-0 with a single to right.
Pine Bluff countered with its two runs in the bottom of the first and it stayed 6-2 as both teams were retired in order in the second.
Bryant’s game-breaking third opened with Penfield’s bunt single. He stole second and scored on Stovall’s base hit to left. Singles by Catton and Blacklaw brought Stovall around then Horn doubled to drive them in. Brower traded places with Horn by cracking a two-bagger to center. He would score on Johnson’s groundout, making it 12-2.
The final run came in the fourth when Motes tripled and scored on Crawford’s single to center.
Natalie
Where is Bryant’s game tonight (wed) being played against jr deputy? What time?
Rob Patrick
|AuthorCheck the date on this post.