Photo courtesy of Mandy Keith
EDITOR’S NOTE: All Bryant area youth teams are welcome to submit scorebooks or GameChanger links with rosters to rob@bryantdaily.com to post game reports.
SHERWOOD — The Bryant Future Hornets eight-year-old team swept four games on the way to the championship of the Sylvan Hills Fathers Day Bash over the weekend.
In pool play on Saturday, they knocked off the Arkadelphia All-Stars 12-1 then edged the Little Rock Junior Deputy All-Stars, 5-2.
In bracket play on Sunday, Bryant blanked Junior Deputy 7-0 then rallied past Sylvan Hills, 8-7, in the title game.
The Bryant team, coached by Brad Chism, Jeff Jackson and Brad Benson, includes J.T. Allen, Brayden Beenken, Gavyn Benson, Carter Brown, Cooper Chism, Avery Heidelberg, Drake Holland, Preston Howlett, Landon Jackson, E.J. Keith, Braxton Speer, Aiden Stout and Hudson Thomason.
Bryant 8, Sylvan Hills 7
In a seesaw battle, the Future Hornets led 2-0, trailed 3-2 then erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fourth. They tacked on a run in the fifth to make it 8-3 but had to hold on as Sylvan Hills rallied for four in the top of the sixth. The game ended with the potential tying run on first.
Bryant’s two-run second began with a single by Benson. He was forced at second on a grounder by Jackson. A passed ball moved him to second and when a single by Speer was misplayed in the outfield, Jackson scored. Speer wound up on second. He held there as Heidelberg beat out an infield hit. The duo worked a double steal and Stout plated the run with a sacrifice fly.
Sylvan Hills scored its first run in the top of the third then took the lead with two in the fourth.
The game-breaking home fourth began with base hits from Thomason, Keith and Benson. Jackson’s groundout drove in a run to tie the game then Speer laced a double to left to knock in a pair, making it 5-3.
Heidelberg lined a single to left then Stout beat out an infield hit to drive in Speer. Heidelberg scored on Brown’s groundout to third.
Bryant made it 8-3 in the fifth. Chism reached on an error and Howlett beat out an infield hit. Both advanced when Holland tapped out to the pitcher. Allen’s bouncer to third plated Chism.
Sylvan Hills’ comeback in the sixth started with a double. An out later, an RBI single made it 8-4. With two down, a double and a triple cut it to 8-6. A single made it a one-run game but the next batter flew out to Stout in center to end the game and clinch the championship.
Bryant 7, Little Rock Junior Deputy 0
Junior Deputy managed just three hits and got runners in scoring position just twice.
Bryant grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Allen and Thomason singled then Keith ripped a two-run double. He advanced to third on Benson’s groundout and scored on Jackson’s bouncer to second.
Little Rock put two of its hits together in the top of the second but Bryant turned a doubleplay to get out of the jam.
In the home second, Heidelberg led off with a double to left and scored on Brown’s single to make it 4-0.
A pair of two-out errors gave Junior Deputy a chance to score in the top of the fourth but the Future Hornets escaped with the shutout intact.
Benson’s one-out single started another three-run uprising in the bottom of the fourth. Jackson grounded into a force at second but Speer followed with a two-run homer to left to push the lead to 6-0.
A triple by Heidelberg and a single by Stout set the final score.
Bryant 5, Little Rock Junior Deputy 2
In Saturday’s meeting between the two teams, the Future Hornets built a 5-0 lead through five innings then held off a Junior Deputy rally in the bottom of the sixth for the win.
A triple and a pair of errors produced Little Rock’s runs in the sixth.
Bryant took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third. Brown and Beenken each singled and, after Chism grounded into a force at second, a passed ball put runners at second and third. Howlett singled to center to drive in Brown. After Howlett swiped second, Holland drove in a run with a single and Allen got down a squeeze bunt to get Holland home.
In the fourth, Thomason singled and, after Keith bounced into a force at second, Benson singled to left and Jackson drilled a triple that made it 5-0.
Bryant 12, Arkadelphia 1
The Future Hornets put up crooked numbers in four of the five innings and held Arkadelphia scoreless until the bottom of the fifth.
It was 2-0 after the first. Allen, Speer and Keith each singled to produce the runs. In the second, Brown laced a one-out double to left and scored when Beenken cracked a two-bagger moments later. With two down, Howlett beat out an infield hit and Holland bunted for a hit to load the bases. Allen followed with a shot to center for a two-run single that made it 5-0. Speer’s hit plated Holland.
Bryant continued its onslaught with three more runs in the top of the third. Jackson reached on an error, stole second. He held at second on an infield single by Thomason. Stout made it 9-6 when he slugged a three-run homer.
The Hornets put the finishing touches on the win with a four-run top of the fifth. Keith and Benson each reached on Arkadelphia miscues. Jackson grounded into a force at second but, with two down, Heidelberg singled in a run. An error allowed Jackson to score then Stout singled to make it 12-0.
