LONOKE — In heartbreaking fashion, the bid for the Bryant 7-year-old All-Stars at the Cal Ripken 8-and-under State Tournament came to an end on Monday. Bryant had built a 15-10 lead going into the bottom of the fifth against the Stuttgart All-Stars. But Stuttgart rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth and, after holding Bryant in the top of the sixth, for the only time all game, scored two in the bottom of the sixth to survive with a 16-15 win.
The Bryant 7’s, coached by Chris Pringle, includes Blake Brower, Cannon Chalmers, Carson Dozier, Jake Elliott, Cooper Hatman, Lyndon Johnson, Hunter Markham, Reid Mitchell, Paxton Pringle, Max Rauth, Jaxon Riggs, Drew Tate-Lee and Jackson Trusty.
Bryant won its first two games at the tourney before the Benton 8’s knocked them into the losers bracket. Bryant’s Stars knocked out Lonoke’s 7/8 team Sunday before taking on Stuttgart.
Elliott, Riggs, and Mitchell each had three hits. Brower and Mitchell drove in three runs apiece.
A three-run first put Bryant ahead initially. Elliott singled and stole second. With one out, Riggs drilled a triple to drive him home. Mitchell followed with an RBI double to center. After taking third on Hatman’s grounder to second, Mitchell scored on a bunt single by Markham.
Stuttgart tied it in the bottom of the first but Bryant regained the upper hand with a run in the top of the second on hits by Dozier, Johnson and Trusty.
Back came Stuttgart in the home second, scoring twice to take its first lead, 5-4.
Bryant responded by scoring the maximum of six runs in the top of the third. Chalmers singled then scored when Rauth tripled. Pringle’s hit put Bryant back on top 6-5.
The inning continued with Elliott belting a double to center. Pringle scored on Brower’s grounder to second. Elliott surprised Stuttgart by rounding third and scoring on the play as well.
Riggs, Mitchell and Hatman cracked consecutive doubles as the lead grew to 9-5. Markham’s RBI single ended the inning with Bryant up by five.
Stuttgart rallied to cut the lead to 10-9 in the bottom of the third. In turn, Tate-Lee smacked a one-out triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Johnson to make it 11-9 going into the bottom of the fourth.
It was 11-10 when Bryant came back up in the top of the fifth. A one-out hit by Pringle started a four-run uprising. Elliott tripled him home the nscored on a single by Brower. Riggs followed with a base hit to left then Mitchell cleared the bases with a triple. Hatman’s knock made it 15-10 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Again Stuttgart pulled within a run but could not get over the hump. Bryant came up in the top of the sixth clinging to a 15-14 edge.
But Dozier’s one-out single was all Bryant could muster. In the bottom of the inning, two doubles and two singles produced the tying and winning runs for Stuttgart.
