BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — The Bryant All-Stars earned their way to the semifinals of bracket play at the 2016 7U Cal Ripken Southwest Regional Tournament before being stopped by Ascension, La., this weekend.
Bryant ousted Gulfport, Miss., 12-0 then edged out Iberville, La., 8-7, before suffering the 8-3 loss to Ascension.
The Bryant team, coached by Chris Pringle, includes Blake Brower, Cannon Chalmers, Carson Dozier, Jake Elliott, Cooper Hatman, Lyndon Johnson, Hunter Markham, Reid Mitchell, Paxton Pringle, Max Rauth, Jaxon Riggs, Drew Tate-Lee and Jackson Trusty.
“We didn’t play our best but I’m super proud of the boys and the effort they put forth,” Coach Pringle said.
Bryant 12, Gulfport, Miss., 0
Bryant hammered out 20 hits including two eacy from Elliott, Markham, Johnson, Dozier, Tate-Lee, Trusty and Chalmers.
The game was scoreless until Bryant ripped five runs across in the bottom of the second. Hatman singled and Brower doubled to set the table. Markham and Johnson singled then Dozier drilled a home run to center.
Elliott cracked a solo homer to start a six-run third. Riggs beat out an infield hit and Mitchell legged out a bunt single. Brower’s pop to second was the second out but Riggs tagged up and sprinted home.
Markham’s bunt turned into two bases as Markham scored then Johnson laced a double to left. Dozier singled in two runs to make it 10-0. Singles by Tate-Lee and Trusty finished off the max inning.
Scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth put the game out of Gulfport’s reach. Chalmers, Raulth and Pringle each had infield hits to load the bases then Elliott singled to left to make it 12-0.
Bryant 8, Iberville, La., 7
Dozier singled to center to drive in Markham with no one out in the bottom of the sixth as Bryant claimed a walk-off victory in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Markham had beaten out a bunt single to start the inning. Johnson lined a single past short to set up Dozier’s game-winner.
Iberville rallied for four runs in the fifth to get within 6-5 then tied the game 7-7 in the top of the sixth.
Bryant grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Elliott tripled, Riggs singled and raced home on a one-out knock by Hatman.
Iberville picked up a run in the top of the second but Bryant got that back in the home half. Johnson and Dozier singled but remained at first and second after two were retired. Chalmers came through with an RBI hit to make it 3-1.
Elliott stroked a base hit to lead off the home third. Riggs followed with a hit that allowed Elliott to score.
The lead grew to 6-1 in the home fourth. Markham beat out a bunt hit then Johnson blooped a single to left. Dozier’s infield hit drove in a run then Trusty ripped an RBI single to center.
Iberville’s initial rally might’ve been bigger but Bryant threw out two runners at third to preserve a lead for the time being.
In the home fifth, Riggs singled to left with one down and Markham legged out an infield knock. Hatman popped to second but Riggs tagged and scored all the way from second as the Iberville second baseman tried to recover after the catch.
Three doubles tied the game in the top of the sixth and Iberville had runners at second and third when Bryant got the final out to set up the game-winning rally.
Ascension, La., 8, Bryant 3
The Louisiana team broke up a tight contest with four runs in the fourth inning. Bryant got its three runs in the first then was shut out the rest of the way.
Ascension tied it in the bottom of the first then eked out a run in the third to take a tenuous 4-3 edge.
Elliott, Markham and Johnson each had two hits to pace Bryant’s Stars.
The first-inning burst started with consecutive singles by Elliott, Riggs, Mitchell and Hatman. Brower’s bunt to the pitcher resulted in a force at the plate but Markham singled to center and Dozier’s base hit to left made it 3-0.
A single, two doubles and a triple produced Ascension’s runs in the home first.
Pringle had a hit in the third and, after Ascension’s uprising in the fourth, Markham and Johnson each had a knock in the fifth, though Markham was thrown out trying to reach third on the play.
Bryant’s last gasp effort in the top of the sixth started with promise. Tate-Lee singled to center and Chalmers legged out an infield hit. A bunt single by Rauth loaded the bases.
Pringle popped to second then when Elliott flew out, Tate-Lee tried to tag and score but was thrown out to end the game.
