MADISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio – A dream of a spot in the Division II district baseball finals ended in a nightmarish fifth inning for Lexington on Thursday.
Leading Bellevue 3-2 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Minutemen watched the Redmen use four walks, two hit batters and four hits to plate eight runs enroute to an 11-3 victory.
The loss ended Lexington’s season at 16-12 while Bellevue (22-4) advances to Saturday afternoon’s title game against Shelby, also at Madison.
Bellevue’s rally came against senior Evan Lee, who started the fifth after starter Hunter Biddle worked the first four innings. Biddle, who injured his leg during a recent game, aggravated the injury with a slide in the first inning.
“Hunter reinjured his leg a little sliding into second on the stolen base in the first inning,” Lexington coach Kevin Morrow said. “He said he was pitching fine, but our plan was to go to Evan in the fifth inning.”
Lee, who closed out two recent wins against Madison when the Minutemen were claiming a share of the Ohio Cardinal Conference title, struggled with his control. He faced seven batters, walking three, hitting two and allowing a hit as Bellevue finally broke through after stranding six runners in the first four innings.
It was a difficult end to a brilliant career for the All-Ohioan, headed to Kent State next season.
“He has struggled at times this season (with his control), but he has had success recently closing out games for us,” Morrow said. “It just wasn’t there tonight. But (Evan) has given so much to us over the years, I would never complain.
“It’s not just his playing ability. It’s the leadership Evan has given us the last two seasons. He has worked so hard and shown our younger players what it takes to play this game at an elite level,” Morrow said.
Lexington had struck first in the game when Biddle walked, stole second and scored on a single by Lee in the first inning.
Bellevue tied the game in the bottom of the first when Dyland Dewitt singled, stole second and scored on a single by Jake Strayer.
Lexington took a 3-1 lead in the third. Joey Vore reached on an error and Biddle singled. Austin Eifrid reached on an error, scoring Vore. The second run came when Josh Verspoor dropped a perfect suicide bunt, scoring Biddle.
That was all Bellevue pitcher Thomas Pressler would allow. He allowed just five hits in the game, striking out five and walking just two.
“The Pressler kid did a really nice job of shutting us down,” Morrow said.
Biddle allowed two runs on four hits in four innings, surrendering seven hits while striking out one and walking one. Lee allowed six runs in one-third of an inning. Brady Kunkle worked the final 2.2 innings, allowing three runs, striking out one and walking two.
It wasn’t the ending Morrow and his Minutemen wanted, but the season was successful.
“A lot of people, including me, thought we might be just a .500 team,” Morrow said. “But I am so proud of these seniors. They leave as league champions and a sectional champion. It was a great season.”