By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WICHITA -- Seaman's top-seeded baseball team got off to a dream start in Thursday's Class 5A state tournament opener, taking a commanding 8-0 lead over St. Thomas Aquinas through the first two innings at Eck Stadium.
But the end was a nightmare that the Vikings aren't soon to get over, with St. Thomas Aquinas rallying for a 10-9 victory to advance to Friday's 5A semifinals.
Seaman junior Bryson Vawter pitched two no-hit innings and also drove in a pair of runs in Thursday's 10-9 Class 5A state tournament loss to St. Thomas Aquinas. [Photo by Selena Favela/TSN]
Seaman senior Casen Stallbaumer is congratulated by Viking assistant coach Mark Simoneau after hitting a two-run single in the second inning of the Vikings' 10-9 Class 5A state tournament loss to St. Thoamas Aquinas Thursday at Eck Stadium. [Photo by Selena Favena/Special to TSN]
Seaman (20-3) was semingly in control after scoring five times in the first and adding three runs in the bottom of the second, but St. Thomas Aquinas (14-9) got back in the hunt with three runs in the top of the third, tied the game with five runs in the top of the sixth and scored the game-winning runs in the top of the seventh after the Vikings had gone in front 9-8 in the bottom of the sixth.
Seaman, which had its 10-game winning streak snapped, got a pair of shutout innings from junior pitching ace Bryson Vawter, including a pair of Viking double plays, but with an 8-0 advantage and the possibility of two more games on Friday Viking coach Trent Oliva made the decision to pull Vawter to give him the option of using him again.
For most of Thursday's contest that move looked like a very sound one before spotty pitching by Seaman's relievers combined with a back-to-back Viking errors on possible double play balls opened the door for the Saints.
"Bryson was doing everything we asked and everything was going right for us and I made some moves that obviously I wish I could change and it dictated what came out of the game,'' Oliva said. "Oviously that falls on my shoulders.
"That was my decision and tha's my fault.''
After Aquinas tied the game in the top of the sixth Vawter put Seaman back in front with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
Senior Maclane Finley, the fourth pitcher used by Seaman, got the first out of the seventh, but then Aquinas followed with a single by freshman Westin Boyle and a walk to senior Jax Marn to set up sophomore Blake O'Brien's game-winning two-run double.
After two outs in the bottom of the seventh senior Braden Colley singled and pinch-runner Scout Jellison stole second to gaive the Vikings life but Aquinas junior closer Jared Henchek ended the game with a strikeout.
"It's hard to accept because I think our guys did everything we asked of them and ultimately I feel like it comes down to a coach's decision and it was mine and I put our guys in a tough situation,'' Oliva said. "They battled back and took the lead and we weren't able to keep it in the seventh and obviously we're not going home with where we wanted to end up.''
Seaman senior Dagen Brewer had a pair of doubles and also walked twice for the Vikings, while senior Aidan Polter had a pair of singles, senior Casen Stallbaumer contributed a two-run single and junior Cameron Selbach had a two-run double.
With the victory Aquinas advanced to Friday's 11 a.m. semiffinal to face defending 5A champion Blue Valley Southwest, a 10-0 winner over De Soto.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 10, SEAMAN 9
St. Thomas Aquinas 003 005 2 -- 10 9 3
Seaman 530 000 1 -- 9 9 2
O'Brien, Andrews (2), Henchek (7) and Marn. Vawter, McConnaughey (3), Huston (3), M. Finley (6) and Brewer. W -- Andrews. L -- M. Finley. 2B -- St. Thomas Aquinas: O'Brien 2, Puetz. Seaman: Brewer 2, Selbach. 3B -- Aquinas: Boyle.
