Johnson sparks Cubs past Advance

LEOPOLD — When the situation called for someone to provide momentum in a crucial situation, Melvin Johnson repeatedly delivered Monday.

Johnson knocked in six runs and pitched two innings to help Bell City knock off pesky Advance 11-5 in their Class 1 District 2 baseball opener.

"He's a pretty good hitter," Bell City coach Matt Asher said of Johnson. "He really hasn't hit until lately. The last four or five games, he's really started to come on. He was struggling earlier in the year a little bit."

Advance (4-17) jumped ahead with two runs in the first, but that was before Johnson got going. He gave the Cubs (11-5) their first lead when he singled home a run in the third.

The game stood tied at 4-4 when Johnson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth. He slammed a double to the left-field wall to clear the bases and hand his team a lead it would not relinquish.

"I've just got to keep my eye on the ball and not pull my shoulders and head," Johnson said. "I was just sitting on pitches. That's where I normally hit it, to left center field."

Johnson padded Bell City's lead when he again stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, this time in the sixth.

Different inning, same result.

Johnson creamed another double to left to score a pair.

"He hit .400 last year as a sophomore," Asher said. "He came in and tried to do a little too much in the four spot. Last year he was a little further down in the lineup. He's calmed down. If he can keep his weight back, he can hit most pitches. I like having him in the four spot for those situations."

Johnson pitched the sixth and seventh innings to close out the win. He walked two and struck out Preston Beal to end the game. By finishing the game on the mound, Johnson allowed the Cubs to save Nick Niemczyk for today's district semifinal against Bernie.

"I was feeling great," Johnson said. "My arm was a little tired, but that was it."

Advance came out ready, jumping on Bell City starter Chris Wright for two runs in the first inning. Hornets starter Jacob Bond was perfect through the first two innings, but Bell City scored in every inning after that.

"We just started to adjust to the offspeed," said Bell City's Ethan Watkins, who had two hits. "We kept our weight back. We were definitely impatient. One inning, he threw balls. I'd say we were definitely impatient."

Even after Bell City took a 3-2 lead in the third inning, Asher wasn't comfortable, and for good reason. The Hornets retook the lead in the fourth.

Wright ran into trouble after getting the first two outs. He walked two then an error loaded the bases. After Wright walked Darren VanGennip to even the score at 3-3, Asher went to his ace, Nick Niemczyk. But that doesn't mean Niemczyk is done for the district tournament.

"You don't want to play for the next day because in the district tournament, you get beat and you're done," Asher said. "I had to bring in Nick today because, to tell you the truth, I got a little worried. ... I'm sure Bernie will get Niemczyk."

Advance coach Allen Pearman took some pride in forcing the Cubs to use Niemczyk.

"It was nice that we made them go to their best in Niemczyk," Pearman said. "That lifts my boys' spirits a little bit. These guys weren't taking us for chumps. We had moments in the game. We're just a young ball team and it takes a little while to put everything together."

The Hornets weren't done putting a scare in the Cubs, when they loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings. But they only could manage one run.

Advance 200 201 0 — 5 4 4

Bell City 003 152 x — 11 8 4

@z_agate_no tab_no indnt_bld ld:WP — Nick Niemczyk. LP — Jacob Bond. 2B — Melvin Johnson 2 (BC). Multiple hits — Bell City: Ethan Watkins 2-3, Johnson 3-4. Records — Advance 4-17, Bell City 11-5.