LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — When you’re playing some of the best teams in the country, chances are you’re going to run into a pitcher or two that are among the best.

That’s what happened to the Bryant 14-year-old All-Stars on Sunday at the Babe Ruth World Series. In the second game of pool play, Bryant ran into a tough hurler named Alec Dannat from Vancouver, Wash. Dannat took a no-hitter into the seventh before Bryant’s Chase Tucker cracked an 0-2 pitch for a single to left. An out later, Tristan Matthews singled to left as well.

But Dannat ended the game at that point with his fifth strikeout.

The 7-0 win was the Series opener for Vancouver, which had Saturday off. Bryant fell to 0-2 going into Tuesday’s contest with Arlington, Mass., which lost its opener on Saturday, 8-1, to Waite Park, Minn., but bounced back Monday to beat host Loudoun County, now 1-2.

On Monday, the Minnesota team improved to 3-0 by knocking off Vancouver. Bryant plays Waite Park to wrap up pool play on Wednesday.

By Rob Patrick

MONTICELLO — The Bryant All-Stars went into the bottom of the fourth inning holding a 3-2 lead on the North Syracuse, N.Y., All-Stars.

Both teams came in with 2-0 records in pool play at the 2010 Babe Ruth 15-and-under World Series.

Bryant proceeded to load the bases on lefty starter Alex Caruso as Tryce Schalchlin drew a walk, Blain Jackson pulled a single into left and Cameron Price worked for a free pass.

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — The host team at the Babe Ruth 14-year-old World Series snapped a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the sixth inning and the Bryant All-Stars couldn’t quite overcome it. Loudoun County, Va., held on for a 4-2 win in the first round of pool play on Saturday, Aug. 21.

Bryant trimmed a run off the lead in the bottom of the sixth and had the bases loaded when the final out of the inning was recorded. The Bryant Stars then went down in order in the seventh.

The Bryant 14’s include Wesley Akers, Harrison Dale, Justin Emmerling, Zach Graddy, Ashton Green, Tristan Matthews, Austin Miller, Christopher Phillips, Nate Rutherford, Korey Thompson, Chris Troillett, Chase Tucker and Blake Yates. Jason Thompson manages the team with assistance from Mark Akers.

Babe Ruth 15-year-old World Series

At Monticello

Sunday, Aug. 22

Final, North Syracuse, N.Y. 9, Bryant 4

Tuesday, Aug. 24

Bryant vs. Greenville, N.C., 8 p.m.

Babe Ruth 14-year-old World Series

At Loudoun County, Va.

Sunday, Aug. 22

Final, Vancouver, Wash., 7, Bryant 0

Tuesday, Aug. 24

Bryant vs. Arlington, Mass., 1:30 p.m. 

By Rob Patrick

MONTICELLO — Could a slide actually ignite an offensive outburst?

Though it seems unlikely, just such a thing seemed to happen Saturday night at the 15-and-under Babe Ruth World Series at Burlington Field.

Here’s how:

15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series

At Monticello

Saturday, Aug. 21 

Final, Bryant 9, White Hall 1

Sunday, Aug. 22 

Bryant, 2-0 in pool play, versus North Syracuse, N.Y., 11:30 a.m.

14-year-old Babe Ruth World Series

Loudoun County, Va.

Saturday, Aug. 21 

Final, Loudoun County, Va. 4, Bryant 2 

Sunday, Aug. 22

Bryant, 0-1 in pool play, versus Vancouver, Wash., 1:30 p.m. 

MONTICELLO — Riley Hall and Zach Cambron combined on a five-hitter and the Bryant All-Stars piled up 14 runs on 15 hits to cruise to a 14-1 win over Pine Bluff Seabrook in pool play at the 15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series at Burlington Field on Friday night.

Tyler Green, who was on base five times, scored three runs, had two hits, an RBI and a stolen base was the named the Player of the Game. Hayden Daniel, Marcus Wilson, Evan Castleberry and Daniel Richards each had a pair of hits as well.

Bryant, the South Arkansas State champion, is set to continue pool play Saturday at 6 p.m., against White Hall, the South Arkansas runner-up and champion of the Southwest Regional.

The Bryant 15’s include Zach Cambron, Evan Castleberry, Hayden Daniel, Josh Davis, Evan Ethridge, Cody Gogus, Tyler Green, Riley Hall, Blain Jackson, Tyler Nelson, Cameron Price, Daniel Richards, Tryce Schalchlin, Devon Sears and Marcus Wilson. The team, much the same that won a World Series title at 13-year-olds, is managed by Jimmy Parker with assistance from Tony Ethridge.

MONTICELLO, Ark. — The Bryant 15-year-old All-Stars of 2010 will begin their bid to win their second Babe Ruth World Series championship in three years when they open play at Monticello’s Burlington Field on Friday, Aug. 20, against Pine Bluff Seabrook at 5:30 p.m.

Though they didn’t win their District Tournament and they didn’t win their State Tournament, the Bryant 14-year-old All-Star baseball team is now on its way to play in the Babe Ruth World Series in Loudoun County, Va., just outside of Washington, D.C., in Purcellville, Va.

That’s because the team, given a chance to play in the Southwest Regional Tournament in Bay City, Texas, swept to the championship to earn the World Series bid.

Bryant opens pool play at the Series on Saturday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m., against the host team.