ARKADELPHIA — The Bryant Athletic Association All-Stars won two bracket games at the Cal Ripken 6U Southwest Regional T-Ball tournament on Saturday before they ran into Westside of Mobile Ala.
The Alabama team defeated the Bryant Stars to end their summer. Westside went on to play in the championship game where they lost to Fort Spanish, Ala.
Players for Bryant’s 6s include Cooper Andrews, Trey Atkins, Witt Brothers, Tanner Hogland, Cade Jackson, Griffin Lloyd, Cameron Martin, Cash McCrary, Hunter Robertson, Barrett Sory, Judah Summers and Landen Verdell. The team is coaches by Bill Lloyd with assistance from Jason Hogland, Jordan Verdell and Eric Andrews.
Bryant defeated Stuttgart 15-5 and Benton 19-12 before running into Westside. The team finished the summer with a sparkling 29-2 record.
In the win over Benton, Bryant scored five times in the first inning to gain the upper hand. Verdell, Robertson, Brothers, Andrews and Lloyd scored.
Benton scored twice in the bottom of the inning. In the second, they fell behind further as Bryant scored four more. Summers, McCrary, Verdell and Martin dented the plate to make it 9-2.
After Benton trimmed a run off the margin in the bottom of the second, Bryant increased the lead when Hogland, Summers and McCrary scored in the top of the third, making it 12-3.
Benton rallied for four runs in the bottom of the third. Bryant countered with two in the top of the fourth as Martin and Andrews cross the plate to make it 14-7.
In turn, Benton rallied for five runs to trim the Bryant advantage to two. But, when Bryant scored five more in the top of the fifth, the game was out of Benton’s reach. Summers, McCrary Atkins, Verdell and Robertson scored those clinching runs.
In the win over Stuttgart, Bryant fell behind 3-0 in the first. Bryant responded with six of its own to take control of the game. Robertson, Martin, Brothers, Lloyd, Jackson and Sory scored those runs.
Stuttgart was then held without a run in the second and third innings. Bryant kept widening the lead. In the home second, McCrary, Verdell, Robertson, Martin, Brothers, Andrews and Lloyd made it another max inning, building the lead to 12-3.
In the third inning, Hogland, Summers and McCrary scored to add to that advantage.
Needing five or six runs in the top of the fourth, Stuttgart managed just two as Bryant claimed the victory.
Richard McKeown
Great season. Great coaching. Great parents. Great players. Great community. Great life lessons and memories.