BENTON — One time for all the marbles.
The Bryant All-Stars were set to play the Clark County All-Stars this evening at 6 for the championship of the Babe Ruth 14-year-old State Tournament at Bernard Holland Park.
A trip to Regionals in Bay City, Texas, will be on the line.
Clark County forced the winner-take-all showdown with an 8-2 win on Tuesday over the previously unbeaten Bryant Stars.
The Bryant 14’s include Wesley Akers, Harrison Dale, Justin Emmerling, Zach Graddy, Ashton Green, Tristan Matthews, Austin Miller, Christopher Phillips, Nate Rutherford, Korey Thompson, Chris Troillett, Chase Tucker and Blake Yates. Jason Thompson manages the team with assistance from Mark Akers.[more]
Recent days at the State tourney have involved some payback moments. On Sunday, Bryant blasted White Hall 10-0 to avenge losses to White Hall in the championship and “if” game in the finals of District Tournament play. Along the way to the title round at District, Bryant had stunned Clark County on their home field with an 11-run seventh to wipe out a 9-2 deficit.
Of Tuesday’s rematch Coach Thompson said, “We just didn’t show up.”
Certainly, Bryant’s potent offense didn’t for the first six innings as Clark County had a shutout going. Bryant trailed 3-0 but then Clark County blew the game open with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Bryant tried to mount a comeback in the seventh. Phillips drew a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a passed ball and third on a groundout by Matthews. With two down, Green reached on an error that allowed Phillips to score.
Green stole second and, after Dale walked, Akers singled to left to make it 8-2. But that’s all Bryant could get as Clark County closed out the win.
Clark County scratched out single runs in each of the first two innings but Akers, the Bryant starter, forced them to strand runners in scoring position including full in the second.
He pitched around a lead-off walk in the third. In the fourth, he surrendered a one-out infield hit but Graddy, the Bryant catcher, threw the base-runner out trying to steal second. A pop to Thompson at second ended the inning.
A third run scored in the fifth on a single to center, a two-out walk and an infield hit.
Bryant, meanwhile, went down in order over the first five batters. Miller reached second on an errant throw to first but was stranded there.
Matthews reached on an error to start the third. Thompson walked but nothing came of it.
Graddy had a one-out single in the fourth but was stranded. In the fifth, Thompson singled to center with two down, Green was hit by a pitch and Dale singled to right to load the bases but Akers’ fly to right was flagged down to end that threat.
After Bryant was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth, Clark County scored five times after a walk and a pair of one-out errors got the inning going.
