Regional Final Postponed By Lightning

SPRINGDALE — Regardless of the outcome of the 12-Year-Old Cal Ripken Southwest Regional, an Arkansas team will be headed to the World Series.

Mountain Home and Bryant beat out teams from Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi to face off in the championship game on Tuesday night at the Tyson Sports Complex.

After Bryant won the first game 8-7 and forced a second championship tilt, Mountain Home came back in a big way, leading 8-0 in the fourth inning before play was suspended due to lightning and rain. The game will continue at 10 a.m. today with Mountain Home batting in the bottom of the fourth inning with no outs.

Just before the game was called, Mountain Home hit back-to-back solo home runs to put the team within two runs of winning by the 10-run rule.

The winner of today’s completed game will earn one of only 10 berths to the Major/70 Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Md. starting Aug. 9.

The first game of the night resembled more of a home run derby than an actual baseball game.

Four homers accounted for seven of the runs scored in Bryant’s 8-7 victory, which forced Game 2 in the double-elimination tournament that started last Friday.

Bryant first baseman Cade Dupree hit a grand slam in the second inning to give his team a 5-2 lead.

In the third inning, Luke Jackson, the Mountain Home shortstop, hit his first of two solo home runs. His second came in the top of the sixth inning with two outs to extend the game into extra innings.

But in the bottom of the seventh, Coby Greiner walked and eventually scored the game-winner on an error to keep Bryant’s season alive.

Game 1

Bryant 8, Mountain Home 7 (7 innings)

Mt. Home^021^301^0^—^7^7^3

Bryant^140^110^1^—^8^8^3

Anderson, Kruse (7) and Ludwig; Grant, Coppock (7) and Lessenberry. W - Coppock. L - Kruse. HRs – Bryant, Ludwig, Jackson (2); Mountain Home, Dupree.

Game 2

Bryant 8, Mountain Home 0 (game suspended in 4th inning)

Bryant^000^0^—^0^1^0

Mt. Home^141^2^—^8^8^1

Coppock and Lessenberry; Kruse and Ludwig. HRs – Mountain Home, Kruse.

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