After building a 9-3 lead, the Bryant 14-year-old All-Stars fell victim a roaring comeback by the Crossett 15-year-old team, falling 10-9 in the opening round of the Babe Ruth 15U State Tournament at Bishop Park on Friday.
Bryant will play again on Sunday at 4 p.m., in the losers’ bracket while Crossett advances in the winners’ bracket to play at 2 p.m.
The 14’s, coached by Michael Catton, include Jorge Acosta, Luke Bickerstaff, Mason Butler, Reid Catton, Clay Crawford, Tucker Dunn, Brandon Gabe, Logan Grantham, Ryan Green, Matthew Griffe, Hunter Holt, Justen Myles, Gustavo Rico and Lakin Woods.
Bryant led Crossett through five innings but a five-run sixth gave Crossett the lead. The Bryant Stars were just unable to generate much offense after scoring their nine runs in the first three frames.
Crossett used a pair of walks and a single to take a 2-0 lead in the first. But Bryant came back in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-2 advantage. Gabe and Acosta each singled to get the rally going. Holt was hit by a pitch to load the bases and when Griffe reached on an error, two runs scored to tie it.
A walk to Butler filled the sacks again. Crossett turned a doubleplay but Holt scored to make it 3-2 then Griffe came home on a wild pitch.
Gabe pitched around a one-out single in the top of the second and, in the home half, Bryant got more. Catton and Ricco singled. Dunn sacrificed them to second and third and, after Gabe walked, Acosta drew a free pass to force in a run.
After a pitching change, Ricco crossed the plate on a passed ball to make it 6-2.
A double, a single and an error allowed Crossett to trim a run off the advantage. Again, however, Bryant increased the margin again. Butler was hit by a pitch and Bickerstaff drew a walk. Myles got a sacrifice bunt down and, on an error, both Butler and Bickerstaff scored. Ricco’s grounder to first was booted then Dunn picked up an RBI on a groundout to first, making it 9-3.
Gabe worked around a one-out walk in the top of the fourth and Bryant threatened to add on in the bottom of the inning. Holt beat out an infield hit and, with one out, Butler drew a walk. After yet another pitching change, Myles’ grounder to third was misplayed, loading the bases. But a strikeout ended the threat.
Crossett trimmed two more runs off the lead in the top of the fifth with a pair of singles on either side of a two-base error. Dunn relieved and gave up the second single but then worked out of the inning with Bryant still leading 9-5.
Dunn singled with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but Bryant was unable to take advantage.
Crossett’s big comeback included five consecutive singles then a triple. A pair of strikeouts by Woods kept it at 10-9.
But Crossett set down Bryant in order in the bottom of the sixth and, after Woods retired the side in order in the top of the seventh, all Bryant could muster in the final frame was a two-out walk to Myles.
