HOT SPRINGS — The Bryant 8-year-old All-Stars have advanced to the championship of the District tournament tonight. As the only unbeaten team remaining they'll have to be beaten twice to be denied the title.

On Friday, the team beat North Garland County, 13-1. On Saturday, the Bryant 8's beat the Bryant 7's, 12-1. On Sunday, a 9-2 win over the Benton's 8's put them in the title game where they await the winner of the game between the Benton 8's and the Benton 7's.

Dylan Johnson and Scott Schmidt combined on a two-hit shutout as the Bryant 9-year-old All-Stars topped their rivals from Benton to capture the championship of the District Tournament at Ashley Park on Sunday.

Bryant opened the tourney with an 11-0 win over Benton then bounced the North Garland County All-Stars , 14-0, to reach the championship game. They outscored their three opponents by a combined score of 35-0.

Bryant’s 9-year-olds, coached by Bill Kyzer with assistance from Kirk Schmidt and Clint Hilson, include Myers Buck, Luke Curtis, Caleb Dorsey, Brooks Ellis, Hunter Hilson, Dylan Johnson, Preston Kyzer, Hayden Mills, Blake Pennington, Matthew Sandidge, Scott Schmidt, Larry Thompson and Cooper Wright.The team advances to the State tourney at Magnolia beginning July 10. Regionals are set for Gulfport, Miss., July 30.

CABOT — Bryant’s 14-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars cruised to a 12-2 win over Little Rock Junior Deputy on Sunday to capture the championship of the Panther Classic. The Classic was an invitational tournament in Cabot held in advance of the Babe Ruth State Tournament in Benton on July 17 and the Southwest Regional Tournament in Bryant beginning Aug. 6.

It was the second win over Junior Deputy in the tournament for Bryant. In the tournament opener, Bryant scored in every inning to top Junior Deputy, 10-3. In the second round, played on Saturday, just after the opening win, Bryant clinched a spot in the title game with a 7-1 victory over Maumelle’s All-Stars.

Bryant’s 14-year-olds, coached by Jimmy Parker, B.J. Wood and Tony Ethridge, 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.

District tournament championship:

Bryant 7, Hot Springs 2 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Bryant's Travis Wood, riding an eight-game win streak, took a no decision on Sunday when he left the Carolina Mudcats' game against the Chattanooga Lookouts with the game tied 2-2 going into the eighth inning.

Things got wild after that as Chattanooga rallied for a 6-5 win in Class AA Southern League play.

In his seven innings, Wood allowed two runs on five hits. He walked one, hit one and struck out four. His league-leading earned run average "ballooned" to 1.36 as a result. 

After finishing 37-32, good for second place in the North Division of the Southern League, in the first half of the season, the Mudcats (Cincinnati Reds) are off to a 1-6 start to the second half of the season.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Because the Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team led most of the way, when their game against the North Little Rock Colts was called after nine innings with the game tied 4-4 at DeJanis Field in Burns Park on Sunday, it was a disappointment.

The Sox came within two outs of winning in the regulation seven innings but the Colts rallied for a run to tie it. The game was called after nine innings so a Senior game between North Little Rock and Russellville could get under way.

Perhaps the Junior Colts and Sox will get a chance to determine a winner down the line. That would have to be at the State tournament, something both teams have their eye on.

Bryant closes out the regular season on Monday with a home game against Benton, starting at 7 p.m. District tournament play is set to begin on Friday at either Sheridan or Benton.

Bryant 10, Benton 0 

TEXARKANA — To say the doubleheader between the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team and the TEXAR Razorbacks was heated would be an understatement in more ways than one.

Literally, the temperature reached triple digits. And there was controversy. 

But, in the end, the Sox extracted a pair of come-from-behind victories, 7-4 and 9-7, over a team that threw a pair of college pitchers with designs on pulling into a tie for first place in Zone 4 with them. For the eighth year in a row, Bryant sewed up the regular-season Zone title. The Sox will be the top seed at the District Tournament, which they host beginning Friday, July 17.