BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s varsity baseball team battle back twice from big early deficits against old rival Bennett in the 3A-East sectional final on Tuesday but ultimately fell to the Clippers, 8-6.
The Seahawks were the top seed in the 3A-East Section II bracket and faced four-seed Northeast last Friday in the playoff opener. The game was tied at 3-3 late until Hayden Snelsire drove in two runs in the seventh to break the deadlock and secure the 5-3 win for the Seahawks. Snelsire was also outstanding on the mound, striking out 10 over six innings.
The win set up a rematch with Bayside South rival Bennett in the sectional final at home on Tuesday. The Seahawks had beaten the Clippers twice in the regular season, both on the same day because of a make-up game that was postponed because of darkness earlier in the season.
Against Bennett at home on Tuesday, the Seahawks fell behind early, 5-2, but battle back with two runs in the third inning to cut the lead to 5-4. Again, Bennett extended its lead to three runs, but Decatur battled back again and took the lead in the sixth inning. However, it’s always hard to beat a team three times in the same season and the Clippers snatched the victory in the seventh to end what was otherwise a remarkable season for the Seahawks.
