CLEVELAND, Tenn. — A couple of very controversial umpire calls overshadowed an outstanding pitcher's duel as ninth-ranked Siegel came away with a 1-0 victory over Region 3 champ Bradley Central in the TSSAA Sectional opener, at the McKenzie Baseball Complex Thursday.
"Hate it for Tyler’s (Cook) performance to end this way. He battled through a lot to give us a chance at the end. Proud of his resilience," commented veteran "Papa Bear" Travis Adams of the heartbreaking outcome.
"Our guys battled against a very talented Siegel team and pitcher. The only thing we can do is reset and get ready for tomorrow."
While Siegel junior Ryan Russell fired a one-hitter through six innings of work, striking out three and walking a pair for the win, Cook notched nine Ks, handed out four free passes and four hits, but didn't allow an earned runs in a complete-game effort.
The teams will return to the McKenzie Baseball Complex Friday afternoon at 4 for the second game of the best-of-3 format, plus will follow with a third game if needed immediately afterwards, due to severe weather predicted to come through the area early Saturday morning.
STARS 1, BEARS 0: Russell set down the first dozen Bradley batters he faced before senior Colby Stott worked him for a six-pitch walk to open the bottom of the fifth frame.
The Siegel righty answered with five straight five straight outs before Cleveland State signee Jaxon Humble, who made a pair of big defensive plays to turn double plays, drew a two-out base on balls.
Senior Spane Bristol followed with the lone Bear hit of the night on a solid single to left field. Cook then put a scare in the Stars with a deep drive to the warning track in dead away center field, but the ball was hauled in to end the inning.
On the hill, the big Bradley righty struck out the first two Stars he faced, both looking, but ran into some trouble in the second frame allowing back-to-back, one-out singles and a walk to load the bases. Cook bowed his back for a strikeout and a ground out to Humble.
A sliding catch by Bear centerfielder Jaden Griffey got the first out of the top of the third, but then Cook got himself in another jam with a walk and a hit batsman.
Humble bailed him out with a diving stab of a sinking line drive and then doubled the runner off second base to end the inning.
Cook then set down a half dozen Stars in a row, including five straight with strikeouts.
After a flare to short right field for a single to open the top of the sixth, Cook "plunked" a second Star. Once again Humble came to the rescue fielding a hard hit grounder and tagging out the baserunner midway to second, before throwing to first for the "twin killing."
With a Seigel runner still on third, Bear shortstop Jonathan Alomar vacuumed a sharp grounder to his right it up and fired to first for what appeared to be the final out with the first base umpire ringing him out on the bang-bang play.
However, while Bradley was celebrating and running off into the dugout, the Siegel coach came out complaining that the Bear first baseman's foot wasn't on the bag.
After the umpires conferenced, the home plate umpire, who had a runner trying to score on the play, overruled his partner from 90-feet away — proclaiming the batter safe and allowing the only run of the game to count.
Cook came back to the hill and got out four of the final five Star batters, allowing only a two-out flare single in the top of the seventh.
Bradley once again got of pair of baserunners on in its final at bat. Siegel reliever Drew Hostetler, who came on to spell Russell, walked Bear senior Colby Stott before his twin brother, Carson Stott, bunted courtesy runner Landon Miller (who came in for Colby Stott) up a base.
Sophomore DH Nate Thompson followed with a hard grounder to the hot corner, but when Miller appeared to take off, the Star third baseman looked him back before firing a high throw to first, where Thompson collided with the Siegel first baseman.
While Thompson was safe on the throwing error, Miller raced to third base as the ball trickled away.
With runners on the corners and only one out, Bradley senior Bronson Stone lifted a fly ball to right field, allowing Miller to tag up and race home to try to tie the score.
However, although he slid head-first to get under the Star catcher, and appeared to touch the plate before being tagged on the lower leg, the umpire punched him out to end the game.
GAME SUMMARY
TSSAA Class 4A
Sectionals
best-of-3
Game 1
Thursday, May 15
at Joe Adams Field
Siegel 000 001 0 — 1 4 1
Bradley Central 000 000 0 — 0 1 1
WP: Ryan Russell 6 IP, 3 Ks, 2 BB, 1 hit, 0 ER. LP: Tyler Cook 7 IP, 9 Ks, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 4 hits, 0 ER. Save: Drew Hostetler 1 IP, 0 K, 1 BB, 0 ER. RECORDS: Siegel 29-13; Bradley Central 21-15-1.
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