The Bellefontaine Chieftains 14U baseball team opened the Chieftain Classic with a pair of victories Friday night, earning a sweep of pool play and securing a bye into Sunday’s bracket play.
Bellefontaine defeated the Cable Tomahawks 14-8 in its opener before knocking off Hilliard Colts White 10-4 in the nightcap. Tournament schedules remain subject to change due to weather conditions.
The full replay of both games is now available on PeakofOhioTV HERE.
Chieftains 14, Tomahawks 8
Bellefontaine overcame an early deficit and used a huge fourth inning to pull away from the Cable Tomahawks in the tournament opener.
The Tomahawks struck first against Bellefontaine starter Ean Fultz, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.
The Chieftains wasted little time responding. The first three batters reached base in the bottom half of the inning, and back-to-back fielder’s choice plays from Sammy Strayer and Sennett Stolly brought home runs to tie the game. Colson Garver then added an RBI groundout to give Bellefontaine a 3-2 lead after one inning.
Fultz settled down after the opening frame and kept the Tomahawks off balance over the next two innings. He allowed only one baserunner in each frame and picked off a runner at first base during the third inning.
Bellefontaine extended its lead in the second when Bennett Lang drew a two-out walk, stole second base, and scored on a double by Will Jenkins. The Chieftains added another run in the third after Hudson Banta reached on an error and later stole home, pushing the lead to 5-2.
The game turned dramatically in the fourth inning.
Cable capitalized on several Bellefontaine miscues to erase the deficit. An error and a walk helped put pressure on the Chieftains’ defense, and the Tomahawks eventually tied the game at 5-5. One of the biggest defensive plays of the game came during the rally when center fielder Rowan Daring fired a relay throw home to catcher Sammy Strayer, cutting down a runner attempting to score and temporarily limiting the damage.
With momentum suddenly shifting toward Cable, Bellefontaine delivered its biggest offensive inning of the night.
The Chieftains erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the fourth. Dean Buffkin scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch before Daring drew a walk to reload the bases. Banta followed with a two-run single through the middle of the infield to extend the lead.
Bellefontaine continued to apply pressure, scoring runs on passed balls, errors, walks, and timely hits. Keaton Dinovo contributed an RBI single during the rally, while Lang later drew a bases-loaded walk. By the time the inning ended, the Chieftains had transformed a tie game into a commanding 14-5 advantage.
The Tomahawks plated three runs in the fifth inning, but Bellefontaine closed out the victory to improve to 1-0 in tournament play.
Banta led the offensive attack with two hits, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Jenkins, Dinovo, Fultz, and several others contributed hits as the Chieftains received production throughout the lineup. Every Bellefontaine player scored at least one run in the victory.
Chiefs 10, Colts 4
The second game of the evening followed a similar script, with Bellefontaine responding after falling behind early before gradually pulling away.
The Colts took advantage of an error and a pair of wild pitches to score the game’s first run in the opening inning.
Once again, however, the Chieftains answered immediately.
Rowan Daring reached on an error to start the bottom of the first and Ean Fultz was hit by a pitch to put two runners aboard. With two outs, Stolly delivered an RBI single to left field to tie the game before Garver’s high infield fly dropped safely, allowing Fultz to score and giving Bellefontaine a 2-1 lead.
Stolly was outstanding on the mound. After the first inning, he worked around baserunners in the second and cruised through the third while recording two strikeouts. He finished with one hit allowed, one unearned run, one walk, and two strikeouts over three innings.
The Chieftains added to their lead in the third inning.
Fultz singled and both Strayer and Stolly worked walks to load the bases. Although Bellefontaine lost a runner attempting to steal home, Garver delivered the biggest hit of the game, driving a ball deep into the right-center field gap for a two-run triple. Later in the inning, Garver scored when Dean Buffkin reached on an error, extending the lead to 5-1.
The Colts made things interesting in the fourth inning after Rowan Daring entered in relief. A single and a walk set the table for Byron Blanke, who launched a three-run home run over the fence in left-center field to pull Hilliard within one run.
Daring responded by striking out the side to prevent further damage and preserve Bellefontaine’s lead.
The Chieftains quickly regained control in the bottom of the fourth.
Karter Keller and Bennett Lang opened the inning with back-to-back singles before Daring drew a walk to load the bases. Banta reached on an error to score a run, Fultz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home another, and Strayer added an RBI single. Additional runs scored on a failed pickoff attempt and a sacrifice fly from Stolly as Bellefontaine pushed its lead to 10-4.
Daring returned to the mound in the fifth and closed the game in dominant fashion. After issuing a leadoff walk, he struck out the next two batters before inducing a game-ending groundout.
Garver led the offensive effort with two hits, including a two-run triple, and three RBIs. Stolly drove in two runs, Lang recorded two hits, and Daring, Banta, and Fultz each crossed the plate twice.
With the two victories, Bellefontaine completed pool play unbeaten and now awaits Sunday’s bracket draw as it looks to continue its run through the Chieftain Classic.
