Photos courtesy of Paul Dotson
HUGO, Okla. — The incredible run of the Bryant All-Stars, which brought them to the brink of the Babe Ruth 13U World Series came to a heartbreaking end on Tuesday night. In a game that went into extra innings tied 2-2, the Meredian, Miss., All-Stars scratched out two runs in the top of the eighth then held Bryant in the bottom of the inning to capture the 2016 Southwest Regional championship and the trip to the World Series in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Bryant was the last unbeaten team in the tournament then Meredian clipped them with a come-from-behind 6-5 win on Monday night, forcing the winner-take-all final on Tuesday.
The Bryant Stars fell behind 2-0 in the first but battled back with runs in the second and a clutch tally in the fifth to knot it up. The two teams battled after that until Meredian’s game-breaking top of the eighth.
The Regional runner-up Bryant team, coached by Greg Riggs with assistance from Matt Orender and Scott Allison, includes Kannon Allison, Dakota Clay, Joey Jilek, Cooper Kinzler, Cameron McDonald, Dayton Medlock, Justin Orender, Alec Purdom, Ryan Riggs, Blaine Sears, Brandon Thomisee and Joshua Turner.
Meredian used a pair of doubles and a one-out single to plate its two runs in the first. Bryant turned a doubleplay to escape further damage.
Bryant threatened in the bottom of the inning when Sears and Riggs each singled and, with two down, McDonald walked. But all three were stranded.
In the second, Meredian couldn’t muster much but Allison singled and, on a pair of passed balls, reached third with two down. A third errant delivery allowed him to score Bryant’s first run.
Turner started for Bryant on the mound and, after the tough first inning, shut out Meredian through seven innings. In the third, he worked around a pair of singles. In the fourth, he allowed a walk and a two-out infield hit but kept it 2-1 by inducing a grounder to McDonald at third for the final out.
After Clay singled to lead off the bottom of the third, the Meredian pitcher and defense retired six in a row. In the fifth, after Turner and the Bryant defense set down the side in order, Sears drew a lead-off walk and Riggs rapped a single to right sending Sears to third. Riggs stole second and Clay drew a walk to load the bases but they were still at their respective stations after two were retired.
Medlock, pinch-hitting for Turner, was hit by a pitch, however, forcing in the tying run. But that’s all they could get as Meredian wriggled off the hook again.
Turner induced four groundballs in the sixth with one of them going for an infield hit and the other three outs.
In turn, walks to Allison and Sears gave Bryant a chance. Riggs sacrificed them to second and third but the uprising was interrupted by a rain delay. When play resumed, Meredian got the final out to keep it 2-2.
Turner retired the side in order in the seventh as his teammates continued to play stellar defense. But Bryant had no better luck in the home half.
With Turner at his limit on the mound, a change was made in the eighth. With one out, a single and a walk gave Meredian a chance but Bryant retired the next batter on a fly to Purdom in left. The Stars then came within a strike of getting through the inning unscathed but a 3-2 delivery was ruled a ball and the walk loaded the bases. An RBI single snapped the tie then a hit batsman forced in a second run to make it 4-2.
Orender was hit by a pitch to start Bryant’s eighth but a pair of strikeouts followed and the game ended on a grounder to short that resulted in a force at second.
