By Tyler Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
SEYMOUR, Mo. — The Class 2 District 10 championship game lived up to the billing Tuesday evening at Seymour High School.
The Gainesville Bulldogs, the No. 1 seed, utilized a stellar pitching performance by sophomore hurler Andrew Hambelton, speed on the basepaths, and a strong defensive effort en route to the 3-2 come-from-behind win.
Hambelton went 5 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out three.
The sophomore painted the black and went to his curve while mixing in a nasty two-seam fastball.
“We have poured in a lot of effort and hard work for this,” Hambelton said. “On days when we don’t go to school, we still come in and practice for two to three hours. And on days when games get rained out, we still practice two or three hours. It just shows how we want to work hard.”
The sophomore was in the zone from the onset, mixing up the arsenal.
“I felt loose. There towards the end, they started hitting me. I had to make an adjustment,” he said. “It seemed to work.”
Both starting pitchers mixed in the two seam and curveballs, but Hambelton wanted something more.
“We were wanting to go in on their hands because that is where they struggle a little bit,” he said. “On a few of them, we had to go outside.”
While the pitching was clicking for both sides, the offense had yet to illuminate the scoreboard.
The ‘Dogs’ offense was kept in check for 3 1/3 innings.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
“Just win the inning. That is all it is,” Gainesville head coach Blake Hobbs said. “If we get down, focus on winning the inning. Find a way to scratch back the runs that you allowed. We have had lots of situations where we put big runs on the board, and then we kind of die. [If you] win each inning, you never have to worry.”
Given the way his hurler pounded the inside, Hobbs’s worry was indeed minimal.
“I saw a lot of good things. I threw what I would consider both of my No. 1s tonight,” Hobbs said of the Hambelton-[Jake] Leeker combo. “I saw a sophomore (Hambelton) compete his tail off tonight. And then I saw a senior step up and say, ‘This is my game. Let me take over.’ Which is exactly what we needed.”
Leeker struck out three of the four hitters he faced in the seventh inning.
After falling behind in the top of the fourth on Henry’s blast, the ‘Dogs could be seen fist-bumping one another and their skipper in the dugout.
“When they went up 1-0, it is nerve-racking. It is very scary. It is something … it is an uneasy feeling when they get up,” Hobbs said.
Seymour starter Chade Noble fanned 13 hitters — setting the stage for the old-fashioned pitchers’ duel.
Down 1-0, the Bulldogs strung together hit after hit.
Bryce Hambelton connected for the solo home run in the fourth.
Hambelton entered the tilt hitting .317.
Then, after falling behind again, 2-1, due to an ill-timed error, the ‘Dogs rallied once again.
Aden Yarger blasted a shot over the left-field fence to square up the contest, 2-2, in the fifth.
Then, with brains and speed on the basepaths, the pressure was put upon the host Tigers.
Seymour committed two throwing errors on the same play in the fifth, as Wyatt Alms plated the final and winning run.
Hobbs said the duel between both starting hurlers was one for the ages.
“Yes. Absolutely, absolutely,” he said. “Their [Seymour] arm is a great arm.”
Gainesville will host the Class 2 sectionals on Monday. Time and opponent are TBD.
