SHERWOOD — In the 43-team 8-and-under State Tournament, two Bryant All-Star teams have advanced to[more] the semifinals of the winners bracket.
Bryant’s 8-year-old team, coached by Matt Orender, was set to play tonight at 6 for a berth in the winners bracket final on Tuesday after a 14-1 win on Sunday over Lonoke. And they could meet Bryant’s 8-and-under team, coached by Greg Riggs, in that winners bracket final if Riggs’ team can beat Benton tonight at 6 in the other winners bracket semifinal. They advanced with a 9-0 win over Little Rock Junior Deputy on Sunday.
Orender’s team includes Luke Bessire, Dakota Clay, Cooper Davis, Noah Davis, Peyton Dillon, Will Hathcote, Jagger Littleton, Justin Orender, Brett Pennington, Austin Schroeder, Lawson Speer, Josh Turner and Garret Wilson. He’s assisted by Patrick Schroeder and Paul Speer.
Riggs’ team included Kannon Allison, Tyler Bates, Clay Curtis, Tyler Edmonson, Cole Ferguson, Easton Dinwiddie, Christian Knight, Cameron McDonald, Cooper Kinzler, Ryan Riggs, Blaine Sears and Cole Somer. His assistants are Scott Allison and Scott Curtis.
No details of the 8-and-under games is available yet.
The Bryant 8’s defense held Lonoke scoreless over the first three innings while the offense gradually built a 6-0 lead before an eight-run fourth put the game out of reach.
Noah Davis tripled to start the bottom of the first for Bryant. An out later, Cooper Davis doubled to make it 1-0.
In the second, Wilson and Hathcote singled. With one out, Schroeder grounded into a force at second to get Wilson home.
The Stars started breaking the game open in the third. With one out, Bessire smacked a double and Pennington singled. With two away, Littleton singled in a run then Cooper Davis and Dillon belted consecutive doubles to make it 6-0.
Lonoke got its run in the top of the fourth then Bryant’s eight-run home half of the inning began with Wilson’s two-bagger. Hathcote, Turner, Schroeder, Orender, Speer and Bessire each singled sonsecutively before the first out was recorded. Noah Davis then circled the bases for the final run.
