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Beachwood Baseball Falls to Independence 7-4 in Sectional Final

Bison strand 11 runners in season-ending loss

Down 6-0 early, the Bison found themselves with the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth innings yet could not break the game open with a big hit.

Beachwood scored only one run in that span en route to a 7-4 defeat against conference rival and defending regional champion Independence.

“We weren’t able to capitalize,” Beachwood head coach Ben Singer said. “Every one of their runs, save for the home run, was a shot up the middle with runners in scoring position. [When put in the same position] we didn’t do that.”

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Independence’s J.P. Sorma struck with a two-out solo home run in the first inning. The Blue Devils added two more in the second and three more in the third with Sorma tacking on another RBI.

After hitting Aaron Matthews and then allowing back-to-back hits in the third, Beachwood starter Zach Smith was relieved by Ryan Moss. Moss allowed the hit that gave Independence a 6-0 lead but then pitched his way out of the inning with two strikeouts and inducing a groundout. Moss only gave up one run and struck out a total of five batters in relief.

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Blue Devil ace Travis Teare was cruising through the game until the fourth inning. After sitting down the first two, Jared Moss sent a shot into left. Teare walked the next two Bison to load the bases, but Jeff Murtaugh popped out to end the inning.

Teare walked Max Siegel to start the fifth inning. Andrew Somogyi reached on a beautiful bunt. Ryan Moss hit into a fielder's choice that moved Siegel to third. After Smith struck out, Teare walked Josh Schwarz and Jared Moss drove in Siegel with a blooper over second base. Teare escaped the inning when Jake Weiss grounded back to the pitcher for a routine out.

“Travis is a veteran pitcher. He’s our ace,” Independence head coach Mark Echstenkamper said. “He knows how to work his way out of a jam.”

There was reason to believe Weiss’ groundout was actually a foul ball since it bounced straight back to the pitcher, seemingly off his leg. The umpire did not overturn the call despite an appeal from Singer.

“The ball went straight down and shot out toward the mound,” Singer said. “[The umpire] couldn’t tell me what it hit off of.”

Teare gave up seven hits, walked four and struck out seven. Cole Nelson closed out the game in the seventh, allowing one run off of back-to-back hits from Weiss and Goldberg.

The loss puts an end to a rain-filled baseball season.

“It was a tough season. With all the rain it was hard to get on any kind of roll,” Singer said. “We didn’t do as well in the league or the tournament as we’d like, but the kids always played hard.”

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