RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
DECATUR – Bellmont junior Kaigan Lee’s walk-off two-run double to deep right center completed a three-run seventh-inning rally that gave the Braves a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Woodlan Warriors at Bellmont Wednesday.
It was a win the Braves (4-4) needed. They had lost three in a row, including a conference-opening 4-0 loss on Tuesday to Columbia City, a game in which they were no-hit by the Eagles’ Dylan Pequignot.
“We’ve been in just a little bit of a slump,” said Bellmont coach Garrison Brege. “So this is big for us, to get out of that, get the bats going, get the momentum rolling.”
The Braves’ offense had been struggling, scoring only two runs in the previous three games. The first six innings Tuesday weren’t much better; Woodlan junior right-hander Nolan Meeks kept the Braves off-balance, scattering six hits and walking no one. He took a 4-2 lead into the seventh, but the Braves’ bats soon woke up.
Pinch hitter Matt Bleeke started the winning rally with a lead-off single. Bleeke was then replaced by the player he had pinch hit for, Jayden Springer. Jaxon Blythe followed with his second hit of the game, a looping single to shallow center, Springer advancing to second. Woodlan coach Mark Koos replaced Meeks on the mound, going to his ace, Will Delagrange.
With no outs, Brege opted for a bunt to advance the runners, and senior Layne LeMaster laid down a good one, a slow roller down the first base line. He was nipped at first, but Springer and Blythe moved to second and third.
Delagrange quickly got ahead of Daniel Selking with two called strikes. But Selking fought off the next pitch, driving a fly ball to left center where it was briefly caught and then dropped, allowing Springer to score and Blythe to reach third. With heads-up baserunning, Selking took second.
It was then that Lee played hero by putting the sweet spot on a 1-1 fastball from Delagrange and driving it far beyond the Woodlan outfielders. Blythe and Selking scored easily, and the Braves had their victory.
The Warriors (6-5) did most of their damage in a three-run third inning, on just two hits, singles by Brody Linker and Evan Koch. The Braves gave up two stolen bases and committed an infield error to help the Warriors’ cause. Woodlan’s third run of the inning came on a first-and-third double-steal attempt when catcher Springer threw out Ashtin Jacquay at second, but Koch scampered home from third on the play to make it 4-0.
The Braves cut the lead in half when they scored two in the bottom of the third on back-to-back-to-back doubles by Blythe, LeMaster, and Selking.
Selking gave the Braves five strong innings on the mound, yielding five hits and three walks while striking out three. He gave up four runs, only one earned. Blake Christner pitched a perfect inning of relief, and Jack Schultz threw a scoreless seventh to earn the win.
Meeks gave up eight hits, no walks, and four runs, all of them earned. He struck out two. Delagrange took the loss.
The Braves travel to Norwell Thursday for an NE8 matchup. Game time is 5:30.
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