Bernie beats Bell City 2-0 to claim third straight SCAA baseball championship

Note: A photo gallery of the tournament is available here: Tournament Photos

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Bernie second baseman Jayce Burk makes a toss to first base.

Editor's Note: This story will also be available in the next print editor of Dexter Daily Statesman Friday morning.

BERNIE, Mo. - Devin Trammell prevailed in a pitcher's duel against Bobby Wright as the top-seeded Bernie Mules edged the second-seeded Bell City Cubs 2-0 in the championship of the SCAA baseball tournament Wednesday afternoon.

Both pitchers went the distance in the 75 minute title game at Bernie.

"Both pitchers threw the heck out of the ball," Bernie coach Darrin Shipman said. "Their pitcher was outstanding. Luckily, Devin was just a little bit better. We were able to scratch out a couple of runs. I'm proud of my kids and hats off to Bell City. They played a great game."

Bernie generated its first run in the top of the second inning when Gavin Brown drew a one-out walk, advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Guzman and scored without a play at the plate on a two-out RBI single by No. 9 hitter Jayce Burk.

"The hit by Jayce Burk was huge to get us our first run," Shipman said. "Alex got the bunt down to move Brown up and then Burk battled to get a big hit for us."

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Bernie shortstop Matt Vernon makes a play on the infield.

The Mules calculated an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Austin Beck scored Bernie's second run after he collected a leadoff single, advanced to second base on a walk by Brock Beacham, moved to third base when Owen Foster grounded out on the infield and advanced home when Trey Kirkpatrick hit a ground ball back to the pitcher. The ball Kirkpatrick hit was fielded by Wright and thrown to first base for the second out of the sixth inning. Beck broke home after the pitcher released the ball to first base and scored before the first baseman delivered the ball to the catcher.

"The way Austin ran the bases and scored on a comebacker to the mound was huge," Shipman said.

Bell City squandered a golden scoring opportunity in the top of the first inning when it stranded the bases load. The Cubs loaded the bases with nobody out after Cole Nichols collected a leadoff single, Austin Hicks was hit by a pitch and Nate Finney drew a walk.

Trammell followed by striking out Peyton Maddox, Bobby Wright and Tyler Evans to end the scoring threat.

"It just came down to they put the ball in play when they got a runner on base," Bell City coach Justin Simpher said. "Putting the ball in play somewhere can make something happen. Their pitcher did a good job of preventing us from putting the ball in play. We took too many pitches and didn't put the ball in play when we got runners on base.

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Bell City starting pitcher Bobby Wright attempts a pickoff at Bernie Wednesday.

"Trammell no-hit us the last time we played them," Simpher added. "He's a good pitcher that mixes it up well. We got a leadoff hit, he had control problems for a couple batters and we loaded the bases. Those are situations where you have to get a run in and we didn't. He did a good job as an upperclassmen on the mound of getting out of that, but we've got to capitalize on opportunities like that."

Trammell retired 16 hitters in a row after Bell City's first three hitters reached base in the top of the first inning. The streak ended when Hicks reached base with one out in the top of the sixth inning when Bernie made an infield error. Trammell retired the next two hitters he faced after the error to end the top of the sixth and all three hitters he faced in the top of the seventh inning to secure a complete-game victory.

"He has pitched really well all season," Shipman said of Trammell, who struck out 10 and walked one. "He's a senior that loves the ball. He thinks he ought to be pitching every game. He's a competitor that is pitching with confidence right now. The main thing is he is throwing all of his pitches for strikes and not walking very many for the most part. He wants to do well and please the coaches and I'm proud of him."

Wright struck out six and walked three in six innings pitched.

Bernie out hit Bell City 3-1. All five hits were singles and no batter recorded multiple hits.

It is the third straight season Bernie (13-3) has won the SCAA baseball tournament.

Bell City currently supports a record of 13-2. The Cubs' only other loss was a 3-0 decision to Bernie on April 7.

"We've just got to keep working," Simpher said. "I talk to the kids a lot about the process. The wins and losses will take care of themself. You work on the process of what it takes to win in practice. Hopefully, they understand what has happened against this team twice, see what they have to work on and practice it. Whatever happens will happen."

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com The Bernie baseball team with its first-place plaque after beat Bell City 2-0 in the SCAA baseball tournament title game Wednesday at Bernie.

No. 1 Bernie 2, No. 2 Bell City 0

BELL 000 000 0 - 0 1 1

BERN 010 001 x - 2 3 1

WP - Devin Trammell. LP - Bobby Wright.

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SCAA SEMIFINAL

Photo by Dustin Ward - dward@dailystatesman.com Bell City's Cole Nichols attempts to tag Bloomfield's Tyler Battles Wednesday in a semifinal of the SCAA baseball tournament at Bernie. Battles was called safe on the play. Bell City beat Bloomfield 1-0.

BERNIE, Mo. - Hicks pitched a complete-game shutout to propel Bell City to a 1-0 win against third-seeded Bloomfield in a semifinal of the SCAA Tournament Wednesday afternoon.

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Bloomfield second baseman Dalton Phillips makes a throw to first base.

The first two and one-half innings of the semifinal were played Tuesday at Bell City. Play was suspended because of rain with no score entering the bottom of the third inning. The remainder of the contest was played Wednesday at Bernie.

Hicks retired all nine hitters he faced Tuesday and allowed only two hits in four innings of work Wednesday.

"He only threw 20 pitches in three innings yesterday," Simpher said of Hicks. "We just kind of took it like he threw a light bullpen yesterday. He's kind of got a rubber arm anyway and he said he was good to go so we went with it."

Bell City generated the only run in the bottom of the third inning when Nolan Schaefer collected a leadoff double and later scored without a play at the plate on a one-out single by Nichols.

"We got the leadoff runner on second, but didn't get the bunt down with the next hitter," Simpher said. "But we were able to come up with a big two-out hit. We talk about trying to be a team and picking each other up and were able to do so in that inning."

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Bell City's Nolan Schaefer measures a pitch Wednesday in Bernie.

Jacob Hector pitched the first 3 1/3 innings for Bloomfield and Tim Hector pitched the rest of the game.

The closest a Bloomfield baserunner came to touching home plate was in the top of the sixth inning when Matt Gibbs reached first base with nobody out on a Bell City infield error and later advanced to second when Tyler Battles grounded out on the infield for the second out. Gibbs was stranded at second base after Hicks struck out Dalton Phillips.

The only hits Hicks allowed were a one-out single by Phillips in the fourth inning and a one-out single by Caleb Pulley in the fifth frame. Hicks struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Finney had two of Bell City's six hits.

"We've got guys that can play defense," Simpher said. "When we pitch, play defense and hit a little bit we are always in games. Hopefully, we can continue doing that going forward."

No. 2 Bell City 1, No. 3 Bloomfield 0

BLOM 000 000 0 - 0 2 0

BELL 001 000 0 - 1 6 1

WP - Austin Hicks. LP - Jacob Hector. 2B - Nate Finney (BC), Peyton Maddox (BC), Nate Schaefer (B). Multiple hits - Bell City: Finney 2-3.

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Bloomfield middle infielder Jacob Hector tags Bell City's Peyton Maddox.

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