Paul Wilson’s two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning tied it, and Belton scored on an error in the second extra frame to pull out a 5-4, nine-inning victory over Odessa in the championship game of the Harley-Davidson Classic.
The win pushed the Tigers’ record to 6-0, their best start ever under 20-year coach David Tidwell, who has guided Belton to playoff appearances in 17 of the last 19 years.
“I’ve had a lot of good teams here, but I’ve never had one that started 6-0,” Tidwell said. “Our state championship team in 1994 lost its first game, and a few years ago we started 5-0 but lost our sixth game.”
The Bronchos (5-1) led 4-2 after the fourth before getting shut down by Belton reliever Nick Wright (2-0), who relieved Dillon Newman in the sixth and pitched four hitless innings with five strikeouts.
“I knew before the season that this team could be special, but what has really surprised me is our pitching,” Tidwell said. “To go deep in the playoffs you have to have good pitching, and this might be the best that we’ve had for this early in the year.”
Garrett Vail doubled before Wilson homered to knot it at 4 in the seventh, and Belton loaded the bases without scoring in the eighth.
In the ninth, Brett Hernandez and Shane Hoelscher singled, and Odessa walked Newman to load the bases for Seth Alcozer.
Alcozer hit a grounder to the shortstop, who threw to the plate to force out Hernandez. But the catcher’s throw to first base on the attempted double play sailed into right field, and Hoelscher scored from second to end it.
“We knew Odessa was a great team and that a few plays would determine the outcome,” said Tidwell, whose team was error-free. “Our guys just kept battling and making the plays to get the job done.”
Belton will be in action again at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Georgetown.
