By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
One of the main purposes of season-openers in all sports is to give coaches and teams a starting point and an indication of were they need to go from there.
And while traditional state baseball powerhouse Seaman wasn't in midseason form in Saturday's 2020 debut, the host Vikings were good enough to get the year off to a promising start with a 3-2, 3-1 non-league doubleheader sweep over Basehor-Linwood
"Obviously we played two games today and the goal was to get two wins and we were able to do that,'' Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "It may not have been the way that we would have liked to have done it, but two wins is two wins and that's all that matters at the end of the day.''
Seaman junior Hunter Spencer reacts to his game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Vikings' 3-2 first-game win over Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman celebrates Hunter Spencer's game-winning hit in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman, which has advanced to the Class 5A state tournament 17 straight seasons with nine state titles, combined solid pitching by five diffferent hurlers with enough offense to get the job done Saturday, winning the opener on a run-scoring single from junior Hunter Spencer in the bottom of the seventh inning and jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second game and holding off the Bobcats the rest of the way.
Seaman junior Bryson Vawter delivers a pitch in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Basehor-Linwood. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The first game was a pitcher's duel between Seaman junior Bryson Vawter and Basehor-Linwood senior Blake Miller, with Seaman not picking up its first hit until the fifth on a double from senior Dagen Brewer and Basehor-Linwood not getting its first hit off Vawter until the sixth.
Basehor-Linwood, which was also opening its season, scored the game's first run in the top of the sixth on three straight singles, but Seaman answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, on RBI singles from seniors Maclane Finley and Aidan Finley.
The Bobcats reached Seaman senior reliever Mason McConnaughey for the game-tying run in the top of the seventh, but senior Casen Stallbaumer singled and came around to score the game-winning run on Spencer's hit.
"We had a tough time finding hits, but we persevered and had some guys step up and do their part and help us get a win there in the seventh inning,'' Oliva said.
McConnaughey picked up the pitching win for the Vikings.
Seaman took advantage of a couple of Bobcat fielding miscues to jump out to a 2-0 first-inning lead in the second game, with Brewer walking and scoring on a wild pitch and Vawter singling and scoring on Stallbaumer's double.
Basehor-Linwood got on the board in the top of the second on a Viking throwing error but Finley held the Bobcats in check in his five innings on the mound and Seaman added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Finley singled and scored on Brewer's single.
Finley gave up just two hits and struck out four batters before senior Ben Laird and junior Scout Jellison finished out the Seaman win.
Brewer reached base six times on the day with three hits.
Pitching seemed to be a bit ahead of the hitting Saturday, but Oliva is confident the offense will come around.
"It usually takes a little longer for the bats to get going, especially when its cool weather, but if you can pitch and play defense it's always going to give you a chance and that's what we were able to do today,'' Oliva said.
Seaman will be back at home next Friday to face Centennial League rival Manhattan.
First game
SEAMAN 3, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 2
Basehor-Linwood 000 001 1 -- 2 7 1
Seaman 000 002 1 -- 3 7 0
Miller, Viethaler (6), Sharp (7) and Bergman. Vawter, McConnaughey (7) and Brewer, Spencer. W -- McConnaughey (1-0). L -- Viethaler (0-1). 2B -- Seaman: Brewer.
Second game
SEAMAN 3, BASEHOR-LINWOOD 1
Basehor-Linwood 010 000 0 -- 1 3 3
Seaman 200 010 x -- 3 7 1
Herbal and Bergman. Finley, Laird (6), Jellison (7) and Spencer. W -- Finley (1-0). L -- Herbal (0-1). 2B -- Seaman: Stallbaumer.
