TWO-HITTER … Jayden Seiler shutdown Evergreen, allowing just two hits and striking out seven in a complete game shutout. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
By: Joe Blystone
DEFIANCE (MAY 25, 2023) – For nearly six innings Archbold’s Jayden Seiler and Evergreen’s Brady Kanneman dueled each other throwing goose eggs on the board in a Division III district semi.
Both at times were dominating and both worked out of jams to keep the game scoreless until the bottom of the sixth.
That’s when Archbold took advantage of a muffed line drive to score four unearned runs and post a 4-0 win over the Vikings to advance to the district final against Ottawa Hills.
“Both pitchers were really battling out there,” Archbold coach Dick Selgo said of the duel between the two junior righthanders.
“Kanneman shut us down for six innings a couple of weeks ago and he was shutting us down again tonight.”
“Something eventually had to happen for one of the teams because there were runners on base early on. Finally, we broke through and added a few more to it.”
While Kanneman blew through the first three innings retiring nine straight, Seiler matched zeroes by leaving a Viking runner in scoring position in the first and third.
Colton Robertson led off the game with a single and stole second, and advanced to third on a one-out groundout.
Seiler got out of it, inducing Blade Walker to bounce to the mound to end the inning.
In the third, Connor Hewson reached on a throwing error, and went to third on a sacrifice and groundout.
After Seiler walked Layne Vance, he got Cory Kanneman to ground to second to finish the threat.
After the first 10 Streaks went down, Devon Morris singled to center and Krayton Kern followed with a one-out infield hit to give Archbold multiple runners in the fourth but Kanneman got a bounce out and struck out Mason Siegel to end the frame.
Seiler escaped a jam after hitting Isaac Overfield with a pitch and walking Robertson in the fifth by getting strikeouts on Vance and Cory Kanneman.
Archbold filled the sacks with two outs in the fifth on an error, Josiah Gomez single, and hit batter but Brady Kanneman got Morris to roll out to first to keep the game scoreless.
Kern walked and stole second to open the bottom of the sixth, but after the Kanneman on the mound got a first out pop to left, Siegel’s line drive to center was dropped for an error and Kern crossed for the first Archbold run.
A force play got the second out but after Seiler’s soft single to center, Cade Miller singled to score the second run on a contested play at the plate for a 2-0 lead. Gomez’s looper to center fell for a two-run single to cap the rally.
Seiler walked three and hit two batters while striking out seven Vikings.
‘Jayden Seiler pitched a masterpiece for us,” Selgo said of his starter. “He has been involved in a lot of big games, this being his third year now and I think he was sending a message.
”He was left off the first team all-NWOAL and I think he wanted to send a message and I think he did.”
Kanneman issued one base on balls and struck out six.
EVERGREEN 000 000 0 – 0 2 1
ARCHBOLD 000 004 x – 4 8 1
Records: Archbold 18-8, Evergreen 11-15
WINNING PITCHER: Seiler (7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: B. Kanneman (5.2 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 0 earned, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk)
LEADING HITTERS: (Evergreen) – 2 singles; (Archbold) Gomez – double, single, 2 RBIs
Joe can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com