By Rob Patrick
The Fort Smith Church League All-Stars finally hit the bull’s eye in the middle of the target that’s been on the backs of the Bryant 14-year-old All-Stars all summer.
Fort Smith, the only unbeaten team left in the Southwest Regional Tournament at Bryant High School field, scored three runs in the top of the third then, with solid pitching that was the hallmark of their success, closed out a 4-1 victory on Tuesday night.[more]
Bryant had hoped to win twice after battling through six games through the losers bracket and make a return trip to a Babe Ruth World Series.
But it will be Fort Smith that represents Arkansas at the 14-year-old Series in Appleton, Wis., starting Saturday, Aug. 22.
The Bryant squad made an incredible run to a World Series championship at 13-year-olds last summer and that, as tremendous as it was, proved to be both a blessing and a curse to the team this summer.
From the Major Leagues on down, back-to-back World championships rarely happen. And such a title one year can carry over to the next. The players know they have the talent. They know they can, because they have. And they full expect to win another one.
On the other hand, with one World title, it’s hard the next season to think it could be a full success unless you win it again. Players and coaches put pressure on themselves and, whether they intend to or not, parents and fans add to that.
Then there’s that target.
Bryant made an impressive run to get to the championship round against Fort Smith. It was, at times (like the five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh against Nederand, Texas) downright incredible.
But, on Tuesday, there were no late-inning heroics. Fort Smith pitchers retired the last seven Bryant batters and, along the way, the offense added an insurance run.
Bryant’s 14-year-olds, coached by Jimmy Parker with assistance from Tony Ethridge and B.J. Wood, include Zach Cambron, Evan Castleberry, Hayden Daniel, Josh Davis, Evan Etheridge, Tyler Green, Riley Hall, Blain Jackson, Tyler Nelson, Cameron Price, Daniel Richards, Trent Rivers, Tryce Schalchlin, Justin Vincent and Marcus Wilson.
While Bryant, after losing its opener in the tournament, 2-0 to Nederland, Texas, wound up playing seven games, Fort Smith played just four, defeating Tri-County, Texas, 10-0, on Friday; blasting Nederland 14-4 on Sunday then knocking off White Hall, 7-2, to advance to the championship round.
Bryant took the lead early in Tuesday’s game. An error allowed Nelson to reach base with one out in the first. He advanced on a wild pitch and scored when Daniel Richards came through with a two-out double.
But Fort Smith starter Jonathan Smith, who was named the MVP of the tournament, allowed only an infield hit by Ethridge in the second. And he was caught trying to steal to end the inning, thanks to a strong throw from catcher Dakota Suttles.
In the third, Nelson reached on an error with two down but was stranded.
In the fourth, Rivers’ bunt toward third drew a wild throw to lead off the inning. Smith retired the next two then Price singled to left. Rivers, despite getting tangled up with Fort Smith second baseman Tucker White made it to third. But when he rounded the bag too far, he was caught off the bag and tagged out.
The umpires acknowledged the interference but, since it didn’t hinder Rivers’ reaching the next base, the play stood much to the consternation of Parker and the Bryant faithful.
In the meantime, Fort Smith had taken the lead. Seth Youngblood, who walked three times in the game, led off the frame with one of those free passes. It was the third time in as many innings that the first Fort Smith batter drew a walk.
This time, it burned Bryant. Will Harris pulled a single into right. After Spencer McClure grounded into a force at third, Cole Teague’s single to left. The hit looked like it would load the bases but when the ball was misplayed in the outfield, Harris raced home, tying the game 1-1.
Max Schaffer followed with a sharp single to left that chased in McClure with the go-ahead tally.
Teague wound up at third and Schaffer took second on the throw to the plate.
Richards made a nice play at third on a grounder by Smith. Teague was caught in a rundown and tagged out for the second out of the inning.
But when Tucker White reached on an error, Schaffer scored to make it 3-1.
Nelson, who had worked around a walk to Schaffer and a two-out single by Joe Presley in the second, pitched through another jam in the fourth when Suttles beat out an infield hit and Harris shot a single to right with one out. McClure flew out to Wilson in shallow left then Teague popped to third.
In the fifth, Nelson retired the first two but then hit White with a pitch. Justin Vincent relieved and, after the speedy White stole second and third, surrendered a walk to Presley. But he got Suttles to pop to second to retire the side.
Bryant’s last good opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth afte McClure came on to relieve Smith. Ethridge reached on an error but, after a pickoff throw chased him back to first, Harris, the Fort Smith first baseman, faked throwing the ball back to the mound and quickly applied a tag catching Ethridge off the bag for the first out.
But Davis beat out an infield hit moments later and, after Daniel grounded into a force, Nelson rifled a single to center. Daniel sprinted to third so Bryant had runners on the corners for Wilson who ripped a 1-0 delivery to left. But the liner held up for Teague to catch to end the inning.
Bryant turned a nice doubleplay to negate a lead-off walk to Youngblood in the sixth. Zach Cambron made the plate at first on a roller off Harris’ bat. He stepped on first and fired to Daniel, the shortstop, covering second in time for him to tag out Youngblood.
Vincent struck out McClure to end the inning and it seemed that Bryant had some momentum. Vincent led off the bottom of the inning with a lined shot that appeared to be headed down the line in right. But Harris went up high to snare it. McClure then retired the next two on strikes and a bouncer to first.
Schaffer singled and scored all the way from first on a two-out double by White to make it 4-1.
Youngblood came to the mound in the bottom of the inning and he retired the side in order. Blain Jackson, after fighting off a trio of two-strike pitches was finally fanned to end the game.
