LITTLE ROCK — With a 10-0 romp over the Lakewood All-Stars on Sunday, the Bryant Blue[more] League All-Stars advanced to the championship game of the Cal Ripken 12-and-under South Arkansas State Tournament at Junior Deputy ballpark.
They’ll await the survivor of the losers bracket with the championship game at 5 p.m., on Tuesday. As the only unbeaten team remaining, Bryant will have to be defeated twice to deny it the title.
The Bryant team, playing on the 50/70 field, are managed by Bill Kyzer with assistance from Kirk Schmidt and Chris McKinney. Team members are Logan Chambers, Luke Curtis, Brooks Ellis, Logan Grant, Christian Harp, Brandon Hoover, Preston Kyzer, Dylan McKinney, Grayson Prince, Matthew Sandidge, Scott Schmidt, Jacob Stroud.
Ellis pitched the four-inning shutout allowing just three hits and walking just one. He was backed by some stellar defense by the Bryant Stars.
A run in the first on four walks gave Bryant its initial lead. Prince, Hoover, Curtis and Chambers waited out the free passes. The resulting 1-0 lead held until the third when Prince smacked a lead-off double to left-center and scored on a single by Ellis. After Ellis stole second, Hoover singled him in to make it 3-0.
Bryant made it a run-rule win with a big home fourth. Stroud reached on an error to open the inning. He stole second and third as Sandidge walked. Prince got down a bunt for a hit to drive in Stroud then so did Ellis to make it 5-0.
Prince and Ellis worked a double steal to set up RBI singles by Hooever and Curtis. With runners at the corners, Curtis stole second and both of them raced home on a double by Chambers into right-center. The final run came in on a single to right by Harp.
Lakewood had runners aboard in every inning but had a couple of runners thrown out trying to steal in the first then Bryant turned doubleplays in the second and third. Lakewood made a bid to score in the top of the fourth but had a runner thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
