By DEAN JACKSON
WZBD.com
LEO—Leo didn’t overpower Bellmont; The Lions squeezed the Braves.
A rushed throw, a passed ball, and a misplayed bunt opened the door for three middle‑inning runs that pushed the Lions ahead 5–2. Leo turned pressure into production, manufacturing three runs without an outfield hit and building a lead Bellmont couldn’t chase down.
This was Bellmont’s first game since April 29. Assistant coach Aaron Baker said the long break caused some early hesitation.
“We’ve had five full days of practice and needed to rethink some priorities. There might have been a bit of hesitation at the start when seeing live ground balls.”
Bellmont finished with six hits, slightly below their season average of 6.4 per game, paced by Kaigan Lee, who delivered the night’s biggest swing, a sixth‑inning solo homer as part of a 1‑for‑2 line with a run, an RBI, and four total bases. Jack Schultz and Ben Mills each went 1‑for‑3 and scored a run, with Mills driving in Schultz to tie the game in the fourth. LeMaster, Beau Baker, and Matt Bleeke each added a hit, though none came around to score.
On the mound, Beau Baker had one of his best games this season. He struck out eight batters in five innings and gave up only four hits and three runs. None of the runs were earned, and he did not walk any batters.
Bleeke handled the sixth, giving up two hits and two runs (one earned) with a walk and a strikeout. Together, the pair combined for nine strikeouts, one walk, and only one earned run across six innings, a pitching line strong enough to win most nights but undone by defensive miscues.
A tie game unraveled for Bellmont in the fifth, when an error, a bunt single, and two wild pitches handed Leo a momentum‑swinging 3–1 edge. Lee’s sixth‑inning home run cut the deficit to 3–2, but Bellmont never recovered from the infield avalanche Leo unleashed an inning earlier.
Bellmont coach Baker said the difference wasn’t effort. It was execution.
“We came in, we swung the bat, and we were keeping it close with them,” the coach said. “They just had a couple of opportunities, made a couple of plays, and a couple of mistakes on defense on our end, allowing some runs.”
He admitted it’s not how the Braves typically respond.
“We had a couple of defensive errors that are routine plays we usually expect. They made a couple of smart plays, bunting with two outs; it was good bunting, good small ball.”
Leo opened the scoring when Nolan Butcher ripped a double to left. Two batters later, Cameron Peters dropped a bunt toward third, forcing a rushed throw that skipped away. Butcher scored on the error to give the 1–0 lead.
Bellmont answered in the fourth when Schultz singled, advanced on a balk and a wild pitch, and scored when Mills swatted an RBI single to right to tie it 1–1.
The game flipped in the fifth. After Dominic Rennecker was hit by a pitch, Peters reached on an error, and Butcher followed with a bunt single to score Rennecker. Peters, who had stolen second and moved to third on a wild pitch, later scored on a passed ball to make it 3–1.
Leo’s pressure created problems.
“There really weren’t a ton of opportunities tonight,” He noted. “It was a low‑hit game. They made the most of some opportunities.”
Bellmont clawed back when Lee hammered an 0–1 pitch over the left‑field wall to make it 3–2.
Leo answered immediately. Tanner Reynolds singled home Jace Pidlisny, and Grant Robinson grounded out to score Patrick Drudy, pushing the lead to 5–2.
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