Decision to seed in '12 pays off for Sanders, Bellevue
It was at the 2012 36th District Tournament draw that Bellevue baseball coach Rob Sanders cast the deciding vote that led to the district using a seeding process starting in 2013 rather than a blind draw to determine matchups for the tournament, because he wanted to challenge his program and he thought it would be good enough to compete under that parameter.
His players made Sanders' faith pay off when No. 2 seed Bellevue downed No. 3 seed Newport Central Catholic, 4-1, in a 36th District semifinal game on Tuesday at Morscher Park to not only advance to Thursday's championship game, but also earn a berth in next week's Ninth Region tournament for the first time since 2010.
Bellevue (15-16), which split two games with NewCath (11-23) in the regular season, losing in the Ninth Region All 'A' Classic and winning in the district seeding game, will face either No. 1 seed Highlands or No. 4 seed Newport in Thursday's championship game.
Sophomore Briley Seiter scattered six hits and needed only 93 pitches in tossing a complete game and senior first baseman Brian Dill drove in all four runs, including a three-run double with two outs in the bottom of the third that broke a scoreless tie.
"One of the biggest reasons I voted for the change is because I knew we could physically compete, but also because I wanted us to mentally compete and not think we could only get into the regional tournament because of luck of the draw," said Sanders. "This team was up to the challenge of that."
Seiter also pitched Bellevue to the win over NewCath in the district seeding game, which is why Sanders turned to him on Tuesday.
"It worried me a little bit, because they would have such a good scouting report on him, but he's such an intelligent pitcher and has a great memory about hitters and how to get them out and mixes up his sequence so well I didn't worry as much," said Sanders.
Seiter mixed a well-placed, but not overpowering fastball with a very effective curve, and while he struck out only one and hit NewCath's Jake Yeager twice, he walked only one batter as well. NewCath didn't hit many balls very hard off him and Bellevue made just one error, none on balls that were hit.
"I'm not a big strikeout pitcher, I just try to keep them off balance and I have great belief in my fielders that they will make plays and they did," said Seiter. "I'm just so happy for our school and our seniors that we're going to the regional."
NewCath did get the leadoff batter on base in each of the final six innings, but scored its only run of the game in the top of the fifth. Junior shortstop Zach Pangallo led off with a ground-rule double down the right field line. One out later he raced to third on a wild pitch and scored on the same play when Bellevue catcher Zack Poinsett overthrew the third baseman attempting to throw out Pangallo.
Bellevue got the run back in the bottom of the fifth thought when senior shortstop Dylan Huff led off with a ground-rule double to right-center, went to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dill to put the Tigers up 4-1.
Bellevue took control in the bottom of the third when senior shortstop Dylan Huff walked to load the bases with one out. NewCath junior starter Grant Moeves, who went the distance in the loss, induced a force out at home, but Dill followed by drilling a shot down the left field line that NewCath senior Cole Zenni almost caught while diving toward the line and all three runners scored.
"When I hit it I thought he had a chance to catch it and the next thing I knew my first base coach was waving me to run so I knew he didn't get it," said Dill, who pitched a perfect game against Newport on May 12.
W–Seiter. L–Moeves. Leaders: B–Huff 2-3, 2B, 3B; Dill 2-2, 2B, 4 RBI; Apted 2-3. N–J. Pangallo 2-4; Z. Pangallo 2B; M. Pangallo 2B. Records: B 15-16, N 11-23.