MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Cleveland fought tooth-and-nail, but an exciting extra-inning TSSAA Sectional battle ended with a controversial ball-four call sending the winning run across the plate for 10th-ranked Siegel.
After the teams tussled evenly for eight innings, the Stars got an opening single in the bottom of the ninth, then after a strikeout, a sac bunt moved him second.
Blue Raider head coach Brent Tucker intentionally walked the next batter to set up the force out situation.
However, the move backfired when the next two hitters drew bases on balls for the "walk-off walk" and a 3-2 victory for the home team.
Game 2 of the best-of-3 series will be played Friday afternoon at 4p.m., with a final contest, in necessary Saturday at 2 p m., to decide who advances to next week's TSSAA State Championships.
Siegel (30-12) jumped on top quickly with a double from Drew Hostetler and a RBI-single by Layne Akers to open the bottom of the first inning.
Cleveland (24-13) threatened when sophomore Collin Stuart and senior Cam Liner stroked back-to-back singles to open the top of the third, but a fielder's choice and two straight strikeouts left the "ducks on the pond."
A leadoff double by Jack Santi in the bottom of the fourth, plus him stealing third doubled the Stars lead when Tristen Thornton followed with a sac fly.
Cleveland was finally able to get on the scoreboard when Tennessee Wesleyan signee Nolan Copeland reached on an error to open the sixth frame.
Tusculum signee Cutter Womack and fellow senior Jack McBrayer followed with back-to-back one-base knocks, the latter of which brought home Copeland.
After a fly out and a walk to River Briggs jammed the sacks, sophomore Caden Tippens singled to drive in his team-leading 32nd RBI.
After Siegel got a pair of two-out hits in the bottom of the sixth to no avail, neither team threatened until the game-winning rally.
Ryan Russell opened the bottom of the with a single and was moved to second on a one-out sac bunt. After an intentional walk to leadoff hitter Hostetler took a full-count pitch that was called a ball, loading the bases.
The scenerio played out again a moment later when T. Baker (no first name available) took a 3-1 pitch that was judged out of the strike zone, sending in the game-winning run.
Cam Liner had two of Cleveland's seven hits, while Womack, McBrayer, Stuart, Tippens and senior Andrew Wenger added the other one-base knocks.
McBrayer started on the mound, tossing seven innings, with a half dozen strikeouts, four walks and five hits allowed.
Siegel starter Santi also tossed seven frames, with six Ks, a walk and allowed all seven Raider hits and just one earned run.
Gabriel Hamrick came on to toss two no-hit innings, with a trio of strikeouts and so freebies, to pick up the win.
Game Summary
TSSAA Sectionals Game 1
Best-of-3
Cleveland 000 002 000 --- 2 7 1
Siegel 100 100 001 — 3 6 1
Santi, Hamrick (7) and Thornton; McBrayer, Stuart (7) and Tippens.
WP: Gabriel Hamrick. LP: Collin Stuart. Records: Cleveland 24-13; Siegel 30-12.
(Contact Joe Cannon at joe.cannon@clevelandbanner.com)