Seahawks’ bats come alive late as they rise to beat Northeast

Stephen Decatur centerfielder Lane Dillion bombed a bases-clearing three run double in the bottom of the sixth inning, to break the game open and push Stephen Decatur’s lead to 7-3, as the Seahawks went on to win over Northeast 8-4, Tuesday afternoon.

The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead off a sloppy defensive first inning by Decatur, which included two errors. Decatur would respond in the bottom of the second, when a Brooks Hollaway single rolled thru the right-fielder’s legs and all the way to the wall, scoring Ryan Bennett. Decatur would take a 2-1 lead when Brandon McKenzie laid down a perfectly placed bunt, scoring Lane Dillion.

After a suicide squeeze by Northeast’s Jack Leyland in the top of the fourth, the Eagles would knot the game up at two. After Decatur shortstop Justin Meekins was hit in the back by a pitch, catcher Zach Adams stepped up to the plate and belted a ball deep to right center field. With the Eagles’ right fielder in pursuit, the sun beaming down, and the ball missing, umpires ruled the ball a home-run. Northeast coaches came out to protest that the ball had in fact hopped over the fence, and Adams should be awarded a ground-rule double. After meeting for a few moments, umpires upheld the home-run call as Decatur took a 4-2 lead into the fifth.

After cutting the lead to 4-3, Northeast pitcher Ryan Zellers ran into more trouble, with the bases loaded. Lane Dillion ripped a shot deep into the same right center hole Adams struck, scoring Tristan McDonough, Bennett, and Austin Dundore. Decatur would add one more run on a following bases loaded walk.

With a 8-3 lead, Decatur would allow one last run in the top of the second due to errors, but starter Grant Donahue would close the game out with a strikeout. The Seahawks will host James M. Bennett in the 3A South Section I final.