By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Tuesday was the continuation of a longstanding baseball rivalry between perennial Class 5A contenders Seaman and Shawnee Heights ... with a new twist.
After several seasons in different leagues, the Vikings and T-Birds are both in the United Kansas Conference this spring, with Tuesday's game at the Bettis Family Sports Complex was the first of two league games this season.
And although the defending UKC-champion T-Birds will get another shot at the Vikings late in the season, Seaman, which earned a share of the Centennial League title a year ago, drew first blood with a decisive 13-3 victory.
Sophomore Max Huston watches the flight of his three-run home run in Seaman's 13-3 UKC win over Shawnee Heights Tuesday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman sophomore Max Huston is congratulated by his teammates after his third-inning home run in the Vikings' 13-3 win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"It's our crosstowns rivals and we're always excited to come play them,'' said Seaman sophomore standout Max Huston, who had three hits, including a home run, and four runs batted in. "We were looking forward to the game.''
Seaman, which improved to 3-0 overall and in the UKC, never trailed after scoring three runs in the top of the first.
Senior Cameron Selbach opened the game with a triple and Huston singled in Selbach and came around to score while senior Bryson Vawter walked and scored the Vikings' final run of the inning.
The Vikings went up 4-0 in the bottom of the second when junior Holden Finley reached on a fielder's choice and scored later in the inning but Shawnee Heights (3-1, 2-1) got back in the hunt with three runs in the bottom of the second.
The big blow in the inning with a two-run double from senior Jayden Berry while the T-Birds also took advantage of a Viking error and a balk called on Seaman starting and winning pitcher Vawter.
Seaman quickly regained control in the top of the third, however, erupting for four runs to take an 8-3 advantage.
Senior Justin Phillips tripled in a run for the Vikings before Huston hit a three-run home run.
"Bryson battled through a tough second inning there and we didn't help ourselves when the ball was put into play and they took avantage of it,'' Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "But it was good for us to see, this early part of the season, to be able to answer with our bats and get that big two-out hit from Huston.''
"We weren't worried about the 4-3 score,'' Huston said. "We can always count on our bats to come through. Fortunately I got a big hit and helped us out but we always trust our bats.''
Seaman took advantage of three walks to score two more runs in the fourth and added a run in the fifth on a run-scoring single from Bryer Finley and tacked on two more runs in the seventh, with junior Kaiden Griffin doubling and scoring and senior Kiernan Meredith singling and scoring.
"Once we kind of put together scoring every inning, that was goal to keep getting a mark up every inning,'' Oliva said.
Seaman senior Bryson Vawter picked up the pitching win in Tuesday's 13-3 win over Shawnee Heights, striking out seven in four innings of work. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Vawter overcame the shaky second inning to pick up the pitching win, working four innings while allowing three hits and striking out seven.
Huston came on to pitch the fifth for the Vikings while senior Scout Jellison pitched the sixth and Meredith the seventh.
Junior Carter Ulrich had two of Shawnee Heights' four hits in the game.
Ulrich was the first of four pitchers used by the T-Birds, with juniors Johann Villa, Joe Reynolds and Jayden Holly also turning in relief stints. Ulrich took the pitching loss.
SEAMAN 13, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 3
Seaman 314 210 2 -- 13 11 2
Shawnee Heights 030 000 0 -- 3 4 3
Vawter, Huston (5), Jellison (6), Meredith (7) and Dobbs. Ulrich, Villa (4), Reynolds (5), Holly (6) and Pomeroy. W -- Vawter. L -- Ulrich. 2B -- Seaman: Griffin. Shawnee Heights: Berry. 3B -- Seaman: Selbach, Phillips. HR -- Seaman: Huston.
