By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Seaman's baseball team dug itself an early hole in Thursday's Class 5A quarterfinal and couldn't escape it, dropping a 6-2 decision to Hays at Eck Stadium.
The nine-time state-champion Vikings spotted the Indians five runs over the first two innings en route to a 5-1 deficit and struggled to solve Hays ace Dylan Dreiling.
“We weren’t very clean at the very beginning and obviously spotted them too many runs there," Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "We gave ourselves opportunities but just couldn’t come through with that clutch hit that we needed.’’
eaman senior pitcher Brady Stuewe (left) turned in a solid relief performance in Thursday's Class 5A state quarterfinal, but Hays scored five runs in the first two innings en route to a 6-2 win. [File photo/TSN]
The Indians got two runs off a throwing error in top of the first. Then, after Seaman answered with a run off a Kolden Howerton single, Hays put up three more runs in the second.
Hays (18-3) loaded the bases after reaching on a strikeout, a single and a walk in the second. Things got worse when ball four to Dreiling got away from the catcher and a resulting error allowed the Indians to score a pair of runs. Garrett Wellbrock followed with an RBI hit to make it 5-1 and the Indians would add another run in the fifth on a single from Dreiling.
Seaman rallied for a run in the bottom of the sixth, with Howerton, a senior, singling and scoring on a wild pitch, but Dreiling got out of the inning with a foulout, a strikeout and a groundout back to the mound.
“It was one of those things where we weren’t trying to get it all back at once, but we just needed to get it back a little bit here and there," Oliva said. "I thought we did a good job responding in the bottom of the first getting one back, but then we felt like we kind of gave away two or three in the second inning and that was enough for them to capitalize and them to win the ballgame.’’
Dreiling, who is headed to Tennessee, went 61/3 innings before reaching his pitch count limit, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out six batters and walking five.
Dalton Dale relieved Dreiling and issued a one-out walk before a diving catch in right field by Ben Krannawitter and a fielder's choice groundout to second ended the game.
“The Dreiling kid is a competitor, we knew that coming in," Oliva said. "That’s in his makeup, that’s in his DNA and we knew we were getting their best and we got his best and tip our caps to him.’’
Seaman senior starter Kevin Mannell went 11/3 innings on the mound before senior Brady Steuwe went 32/3 innings, allowing one run, and sophomore Bryson Vawter tossed two scoreless innings to close out the game.
Seaman junior Dagen Brewer had two of the Vikings' five hits in a 6-2 state tournament loss to Hays. [File photo/TSN]
Howerton and junior Dagen Brewer both had two hits for Seaman.
Hays (18-3) advanced to meet top-seeded top-seeded Andover Central in the semifinals,
The Vikings, who had won the previous two 5A titles in 2018 and 2019, finished with a 19-4 record in Oliva's first season as head coach. Seaman was making its 17th straight appearance at state.
“Getting to state is always a goal and giving ourselves a chance and we did that by getting here, but this will keep us hungry going into next year," Oliva said.
