HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Trailing 4-2 going into the third inning, the Bryant 8-and-under All-Stars blasted their way to the six-run maximum per inning in the third and fourth to leave the Southeast Oklahoma Storm in their wake as they improved to 2-0 in pool play at the Cal Ripken Baseball Southwest Regional Tournament.
Bryant completes pool play on Friday with an 11 a.m. game against St. James Parish and a 2:30 p.m., contest against East Feliciana, La. Bracket play commences on Saturday.
The Bryant All-Stars are managed by Brad Chism with assistance from Jeff Jackson, Brad Benson. Team members are John Thomas Allen, Brayden Beenken, Gavyn Benson, Carter Brown, Cooper Chism, Avery Heidelberg, Drake Holland, Preston Howlett, Landon Jackson, E.J. Keith, Braxton Speer, Aiden Stout and Hudson Thomason.
Keith finished the game with three hits. Heidelberg, Allen, Speer, Thomason, Jackson and Brown each had two hits.
Bryant grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Heidelberg reached second on an error and scored on Keith’s two-out double to center. In the second, Jackson singled and took second on an error. Brown singled him home.
But the Storm pushed four runs across the plate in the bottom of the second to take the lead, though briefly.
Howlett reached on an error to start the third. He was forced at second on a grounder to third by Holland. But consecutive singles by Heidelberg, Allen and Speer produced two runs. Keith followed with an RBI double to put Bryant back on top 5-4.
Benson beat out an infield hit as Keith held at second but Thomason got a bunt down that resulted in a single and an errant throw, enabling Keith and Benson to score, making it 8-4.
In the fourth, Jackson singled and Stout got a sacrifice bunt down. And when it was misplayed, Jackson was able to score. Brown singled to right then Beenken’s grounder to first was kicked, loading the bases.
With one out, Howlett lined a single to right to drive in Stout. Brown scored as well when the ball was misplayed in the outfield. With two away, Heidelberg singled in Beenken. Allen’s base hit got Howlett home and, on an errant throw, Heidelberg crossed the plate as well.
Bryant scored two more in the top of the fifth. Speer and Keith singled. Benson picked up an RBI with a groundout then Thomason beat out an infield hit. Keith scored when Jackson’s fly to center was dropped.
