BUCYRUS — When South Central’s Sam Seidel hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning, it appeared to be icing on the cake.
The bomb gave the Trojans a 7-1 lead at the time and victory seemed all but certain.
The young Bucyrus Redmen had other thoughts.
The Redmen rallied for four runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth to cut their deficit to two runs, but Seidel came on to pitch for South Central in the bottom of the seventh to save a 7-5 non-league win at Veterans’ Memorial Field.
“Sam’s just one of those kids who will do whatever you ask him to do,” South Central coach Michael Perry said. “He plays outstanding shortstop. He’s got it together on the mound this year. He throws a really good two-seam (fastball), a really good four-seam. And his bat’s one of the best in the area.”
After absorbing a 10-0 loss in the season opener at Northmor, Bucyrus coach Sean Maudsley was encouraged by his team’s performance despite coming up short of a win.
“In three of our scrimmages, we were down and saw that the game was out of hand and we kind of went through the motions,” Maudsley said. “We talked about that. We sort of did that (Tuesday) against Northmor. They’ve really grown up in a 24-hour period.
“They really did a good job of adjusting,” he continued. “They became baseball players today.”
Sophomore Cody Pennington started on the mound for Bucyrus (0-2). The right-hander struggled with his control early, walking four Trojan batters in the first three innings.
South Central (2-0) took modest advantage, mixing in five hits to score once in the first inning and twice in the second to take a 3-0 lead after two.
“He’s really grown up in the last year,” Maudsley said of Pennington. “We didn’t ask him to pitch much last year. He did a little bit here and there, got some innings in. We’ve asked him to step up and take Kael Scott’s spot catching wise.
“We’ve asked him to assist him to assist us more at the plate this year and assist more on the mound, kind of like Kael did,” Maudsley added about Pennington, who bats cleanup. “He’s taken that on the horns, he’s had a nice off-season. He’s gotten stronger, definitely more mature.”
Pennington gutted through five innings. While he struggled with control early, he retired six of the seven batters he faced in the fourth and fifth innings. He walked four with no strikeouts, surrendering five hits and four runs, three of which were earned.
Brandon Mitchell breezed through the first three innings for the Trojans. After walking Malachi Bayless to lead off the bottom of the first, Mitchell mowed down the next 11 Bucyrus batters into the fourth inning.
Pennington broke the streak for the Redmen with a two-out infield single. He moved to second on a wild pitch and came home on a double by Kam Lewis down the right field line to plate the first Bucyrus run.
“The thing about Brandon is he hasn’t played baseball since the eighth grade and we talked him into coming out,” Perry said. “He’s the quarterback on the football team. He has a really nice arm, and he works in the zone.
“He did get gassed a little bit,” Perry said. “We haven’t been able to stretch him out very much, but I thought he did a fantastic job.”
South Central appeared to put the game on ice in the sixth. Bayless relieved Pennington on the mound for the Redmen and walked the first batter, Kayden Hauler, who stole second.
Bayless got the next batter, but pinch hitter Isaiah White was safe on an outfield error, which brought home Hauler. White rode home on Seidel’s blast to make it 7-1.
“What an amazing top two or three players they have at the top of their order,” Maudsley said of the Trojans. “I know that (Seidel) is going to play baseball at a Division I school (Bowling Green). He’s a special talent. I like the challenge for our guys. They went after him and he hurt us, but I love that our guys went after him.”
The young Redmen showed resilience by putting together a four-run bottom of the sixth. The first three batters reached base, on a walk to Bayless and singles by Weston Delaney and Riley Parker — which drove home Bayless and Delaney scored on a wild pitch — all off Mitchell.
Aaron Hauler relieved and was the victim of a dropped fly ball, which brought home another run, and the final run scored when pinch hitter Gabe Higginbotham was safe on a throwing error, to get the Redmen within two.
But Seidel came on in the seventh and gave up a lead-off single to designated hitter Shelton Lewis before retiring the next three batters on strikes to record the save.
“None of that bothers Sam. Sam doesn’t care,” Perry said of the lead-off hit. “He has the ultimate confidence that he can get everyone out.”
Mitchell struck out four and walked two, got touched for four runs — three earned — to get the win. Seidel led the offense with three hits, three runs scored and two batted in, courtesy of the homer. Gunner Ray doubled, while Karl Ferber, Eric Sanders, Cole Wolfrum, and Aaron Hauler singled.
Delaney, Parker, Pennington, and Kam Lewis singled for Bucyrus and Shelton Lewis doubled. Pennington scored twice and he along with Parker and Kam Lewis drove in runs.
“We’re experienced but we’re inexperienced,” Maudsley said. “We do have 11 returning lettermen. But seven of those returning lettermen were freshmen last year. They had to get their feet wet last year. They’re still somewhat getting their feet wet, but they’re learning the game of baseball.”
“(Coach Maudsley) has been here a long time,” Perry said. “They’re a very well-coached team. They’re going to put the bat on the ball. They were very uncharacteristically sloppy on defense (Tuesday). I thought they were very good on defense today.
“They’re a better team than people understand right now and I’m excited for them to see what they can do this year.”
Box score
South Central 120 013 0 7 8 2
Bucyrus 000 104 0 5 5 2
WP: Brandon Mitchell (4 SO, 2 W)
HR: (SC) Sam Seidel (2-run, sixth inning).
Triples: None.
Doubles: (SC) Sam Seidel, Gunner Ray; (B) Kam Lewis.
Multiple hits: (SC) Sam Seidel 3.
Records: South Central 2-0; Bucyrus 0-2.
Next: Seneca East at South Central, Thursday; Mohawk at Bucyrus, Monday.