Bellefontaine outduels Beavercreek and its ace pitcher in sectional final
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ABOVE: Senior right-hander Tyler Jones fired a four-hitter in Bellefontaine’s 3-1 win over Beavercreek in a Division I sectional final at Centerville on Thursday. HOME PAGE SLIDESHOW PHOTO: Bellefontaine’s Sam Martz puts the ball in play Thursday against Beavercreek. (EXAMINER PHOTOS | MATT HAMMOND) |
CENTERVILLE — Call it small ball. Call it blue collar baseball. Whatever one may wish to refer to it as, it is working for Bellefontaine.
Using the same recipe they used to beat fifth-seeded Centerville last week, the sixth-seeded Chiefs clawed their way to a 3-1 upset of third-seeded Beavercreek in a Division I sectional final here Thursday.
Bellefontaine (22-8) will play Loveland (21-4) at 3 p.m. Saturday in the district championship game at Centerville High School.
“We respect everyone, but we fear no one,” said Bellefontaine senior Tyler Jones, who tossed another gem on the mound. “We feel like we can play with anyone.”
The Chiefs were undeterred by the challenge of facing Beavercreek ace Jackson Tedder. A left-hander headed to the University of Virginia, Tedder had only allowed one earned run on the season coming into Thursday’s contest.
Bellefontaine made Tedder uncomfortable by consistently putting the ball in play and working four walks out of the hard-throwing lefty.
The Chiefs had five hits and were the benefactors of six Beavercreek errors.
“It might not be the prettiest baseball, but our kids are grinding and laying it all on the line,” said Bellefontaine head coach Art Caudill. “We knew we were going to have to put some pressure on their pitcher. We put the ball in play and forced them to make plays. When you do that, good things can happen.”
Read complete story in Friday’s Examiner.
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