AMITE, La. — It took eight innings but the Bryant 10-year-old All-Stars survived an elimination game against the Madisonville, La., All-Stars on Monday with a 12-6 win that put them in the final four of the 2014 Cal Ripken Southwest Regional Tournament. But later in the day, they were unable to get past Petal, Miss., in the losers’ bracket final. The 7-1 loss ended their bid to win the Regional and advance to the World Series in Winchester, Va.
The Bryant team, managed by Jason Greiner with assistance from Ryan Martin and Jeremy Morrow, includes Carson Burnett, Gavin Burton, Luke Dreher, Caleb Greiner, Drew Hatman, Connor Martin, Colby Morrow, Cade Parker, Jackson Parker, Turner Seelinger, Hayden Thompson and Logan White.
Bryant 12, Madisonville, La., 6 (9 innings)
Trailing 6-1 after four innings, Bryant rallied for four runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to tie it up. With Martin, the third Bryant pitcher, shutting out the Lousiana team over the final four innings, the game went to the eighth deadlocked.
But Bryant erupted for six runs in the top of the inning to rack up the final score. Martin, who allowed two hits in his four innings with one walk and four strikeouts, closed it out in the bottom of the eight, surrendering only a one-out single.
J.T. Parker was the hitting star, going 4 for 4. Seelinger had two hits and three runs batted in. Burnett and Martin added two hits each.
Bryant scored first in the game on base hits by J.T. Parker, Martin and Burnett. But Madisonville topped that with a three-run burst in the home first then adding a run in the second. A two-run fourth produced the 6-1 margin.
Bryant’s four-run fifth began with Greiner getting plunked with one out. Parker got a bunt down and beat it out for a single. A base hit to left by Martin loaded the bases for Seelinger who drove in a run with an infield hit. Parker scored on a passed ball then Burnett drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. An errant throw allowed Seelinger to score and it was a one-run game.
After Madisonville was retired in order in the bottom of the fifth, Bryant tied it in the sixth. Cade Parker singled, took second on an error, third on Thompson’s grounder to second then scored on a passed ball. Morrow reached on an error, Greiner walked and J.T. Parker singled to load the bases but Madisonville got the final out to escape further damage.
Neither team could get more than one runner aboard in the subsequent turns until, in the top of the eighth, Burton and Morrow each walked. The duo pulled off a double steal and, with one out, Greiner snapped the tie with a single to center.
Attempting to sacrifice, J.T. Parker beat out a bunt hit to load the bases then Martin walked to force in a run. Seelinger broke it open with a two-run single. Martin wound up scoring on a wild pitch and, after White walked, Cade Parker drew a pass to force in the sixth run of the inning.
Petal, Miss., 7, Bryant 1
The Mississippi team shut out Bryant over the first five innings as it built a 6-0 lead. The game was scoreless through two then Petal pushed across a run in the top of the third. A three-run fourth opened up some daylight then two more scored in t he fifth. A sixth-inning run made it 7-0.
In the bottom of the sixth, Greiner’s grounder to short drew a wild throw to first that allowed him to race all the way to third. With one out, Martin hit a grounder to the third baseman who tried to throw home for the out only to have Greiner slide in safely.
The inning continued when Martin beat the rap at second on Seelinger’s grounder to third. Both tagged and moved up a base on Burnett’s fly to deep center then White walked to load the bases. But the game ended went Cade Parker grounded into a force at third.
J.T. Parker had a one-out single in the first. Burnett and White each singled in the second then Bryant was held hitless the rest of the game.
Helen Brown
So proud of JT Parker. I am his great-grandmother. Wish I could see him play.