LINCOLN, Ala. — The anxiety and drama of a 2-2 game was undercut on Saturday morning when the Eagle Pass, Texas All-Stars scored five times in the top of the sixth inning to snap the deadlock and put themselves in position to beat the Bryant Athletic Association All-Stars at the 2017 Babe Ruth Southwest Regional tournament for 13-year-olds.
The setback sent Bryant to the losers’ bracket where they’ll try to fight back. The first step will be an elimination showdown on Sunday at 11:30 a.m., against the survivor of the game between Matthews Park, Ala., and host Lincoln, which was played Saturday night.
The Bryant team, coached by Jason Greiner, includes Chase Boardman, Chandler Boardman, Brayden Boyce, Gavin Burton, Caleb Greiner, Drew Hatman, Connor Martin, Colby Morrow, Calvin Myles, Kyler Pabon, Cade Parker, J.T. Parker and Hayden Thompson.
The game with Eagle Pass was nip-and-tuck for five innings. The Texas team picked up a run in the top of the first on a double and a pair of passed balls. Though he later hit a batter and gave up a two-out single, Morrow, the Bryant starter on the bump, fanned two on his way to getting out of the inning with his team down just 1-0.
And Bryant tied it in the bottom of the inning. Martin was struck by the third pitch of the inning. With one out, Pabon blooped a single. Morrow’s base hit to left chased Martin home.
Morrow set down Eagle Pass in the second around a two-out error. But the runner was caught. Trying to steal third on Burton’s throw to Cade Parker.
Greiner singled to start the home second. He was forced at second on Thompson’s grounder. Moments later, a wild pitch had Thompson at second. He went to third on Hatman’s grounder to the right side. He scored on a passed ball before Myles cracked a two-out double. Martin lined a single to right and Myles tried to score but Eagle Pass worked the relay in time to throw him out.
Eagle Pass used a double and a single that was misplayed in the outfield to tie the game back up. Martin relieved for Bryant and got out of the jam with a strikeout and a fly to Pabon in center.
Bryant made a bid to snap the tie in the bottom of the fifth when Myles drew a one-out walk then so did Martin but both were stranded.
That led to the big sixth-inning uprising by Eagle Pass, marred by a pair of Bryant errors.
In the bottom of the sixth, Bryant was retired in order.
A pair of singles for Eagle Pass in the top of the seventh came to nothing. In Bryant’s final opportunity in the bottom of the inning, Chase Boardman beat out an infield hit with two down but nothing came of it as Eagle Pass closed out the win.
