Bell City rallies past Red Devils 9-8

CHAFFEE — Nick Niemczyk earned a reputation for being one of the best basketball players in the area during his time at Bell City.

His baseball acumen isn't nearly as well-known in Southeast Missouri.

But Niemczyk delivered one of his signature clutch performances Tuesday, leading the Cubs on the mound and at the plate to a come-from-behind 9-8 victory over Chaffee.

Niemczyk finished 2-for-5, both doubles, drove in a run and scored twice. He also earned the win in relief on the mound.

"It felt really good because Chaffee's got a good ball team," Niemczyk said. "It felt good to beat someone good."

Niemczyk plans to play basketball at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff next year. But as much as he loves basketball, baseball ranks nearly as high.

"It's really close up there with basketball," he said. "But I think I'm a little bit better at basketball, so I'll go with that."

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Chaffee's Hunter Thomason scored as Bell City pitcher Melvin Johnson covered the plate during the third inning Tuesday at Harmon Field in Chaffee.

Chaffee (6-3) jumped out to a 7-1 lead after three innings and looked on its way to an easy victory. But that's when the Cubs (4-3) started chipping away at the lead. Alan Long singled to center to score a run, then Phillip Gross drove in a run on a fielder's choice to pull the Cubs to 7-3.

Bell City coach Matt Asher then went with left-hander Chris Wright on the mound, and he held the Red Devils scoreless in the fourth. Niemczyk led off the fifth with a double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Melvin Johnson's sacrifice fly.

The Cubs finally took the lead in the sixth when they scored four runs on one hit, two errors and two walks. As soon as Jeff Long delivered a two-run single to give Bell City the lead, Asher started yelling over to his dugout at Niemczyk to get ready to pitch.

"I don't know if there's anyone else that I've ever coached that I want on the mound at that point," Asher said.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Chaffee third baseman Aaron Horrell tagged out Bell City's Phil Gross on a steal attempt in the first inning Tuesday at Chaffee's Harmon Field.

Niemczyk came on in the sixth, and Chaffee's Trenton Horman greeted him rudely by popping a fly ball to right field. The Cubs' right fielder started back on the ball first and it fell in safely. Horman was running the whole time and made it into second for a double. He went to third on a wild pitch, then scored when Andy Hendrix struck out, but Johnson, playing catcher at the time, had to throw to first after dropping the third strike.

Chaffee coach Brian Horrell made a pitching change for the seventh with the game tied, going to senior Jerrod Steger. The move didn't work out for the Red Devils as Steger walked the bases loaded. Horrell called on Horman to pitch. The first batter he faced was Ethan Watkins, who lifted a 2-2 pitch to left field, deep enough to score Clay Maddox from third.

"Coach just told me to hit it somewhere hard," Watkins said. "I guess I came up with it."

Watkins delivered the clutch fly ball despite a recent slump. He is hitless in his late 18 at-bats.

"Ethan's been struggling a little bit," Asher said. "He started off the year hitting the ball pretty good. He hasn't played baseball since junior high."

Niemczyk stayed in the game and sandwiched a strikeout between two routine ground balls to complete the comeback win. He went with his slider and curveball to quiet the Chaffee hitters.

"Niemczyk has a pretty good fastball and he's got real good control of his curveball," Horrell said. "Nick comes in, everyone knows he's going to do everything he can to single-handedly keep them in it."

Horman led the Red Devils at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

"We gave away some at-bats," Horrell said. "We cost ourselves some runs on the base paths. When you've got a team that's chipping away, you've got to put them away."

Bell City 001 214 1 — 9 9 2

Chaffee 223 001 0 — 8 9 4

WP — Nick Niemczyk. LP — Jerrod Steger. 2B — Niemczyk (BC), Trenton Horman (C). 3B — Steger (C). Multiple hits — Bell City: Niemczyk 2-5, Phillip Gross 2-4, Chris Wright 2-4, Jeff Long 2-4; Chaffee: Trenton Horman 4-4, Josh Steger 2-4, Jerrod Steger 2-3. Records — Bell City 4-3, Chaffee 6-3.