Jack Bell (TCU) delivered his fourth multihit game of the playoffs during Y-D’s 5-3 loss in the opening game of the Cape League Championship Series against Bourne on Monday, as he went 3-for-4 at the plate to improve his postseason batting average to an eye-popping .407 mark.
Bell’s summer has peaked at the exact right time, with 11 hits in 27 at-bats throughout the playoffs after having just 10 hits in 63 at-bats during the entire regular season. Bell’s four multihit games so far this postseason also surpass his total of three in the regular season.
“I think one thing I’m good at is being aggressive, and I have a good eye, so I’m just trusting my ability,” Bell said. “Just [have to] get a good pitch to hit, and I’m trying to hit the ball hard to all parts of the field.”
Y-D was up against a tough left-handed starter on Monday, as Matthew Shorey (Vanderbilt) toed the rubber for Bourne, who had the second-lowest ERA among qualified lefty pitchers on the Cape this season. Despite Bell being a left-handed hitter, Y-D manager Scott Pickler made the decision to keep him in the lineup in the nine hole. That decision quickly paid dividends when Bell won a six-pitch battle to begin the third inning by grounding a 3-2 pitch up the middle for a base hit.
“I think I’m a complete hitter; it doesn't matter who’s on the mound, lefty or righty,” Bell said. “I know I can stick to my approach, and when I see a good pitch to hit, I’m going to hit it.”
With Y-D trailing 5-1 after Bourne scored four runs in the fourth inning, Bell led off the fifth by wearing Shorey down once again, capping off a seven-pitch at-bat by looping a breaking ball into left field for another single. Long at-bats have become a regular occurrence with Bell at the plate throughout this summer, as he consistently finds himself in 3-2 counts and was second on the team with 14 walks during the regular season.
“It’s something that we preach at TCU; I was the leadoff hitter, so to see a lot of pitches and relay it to the guys is something that I work hard at,” Bell said. “You have to know when to take and when to swing, so I think finding that balance of taking pitches and also being aggressive is key.”
Following Bell’s single to begin the fifth inning, Y-D started to chip away at Bourne’s four-run lead when Will Baker (Georgia Tech) hit an RBI single into left field with two outs to cut Y-D's deficit to 5-2.
Bell didn’t only shine offensively on Monday, but he also made a crucial play at second base in the eighth inning to keep Y-D within striking distance. With two outs and the bases loaded, Bell dove to snag a ground ball from Kade Lewis (Wake Forest) and fired a strike to first base to end the inning, saving a couple of runs and keeping the game at 5-3.
As Y-D was down to its final breath with two outs and no runners on base in the ninth inning, Bell kept the game alive by jumping on a first-pitch fastball from Nate Whysong (Wake Forest) for his third hit of the night to bring the tying run to the plate. The base knock from Bell also brought his postseason hits total to 11, which is tied for the league lead with Jon LeGrande (St. John’s) of Bourne.
Although Y-D was unable to complete the comeback in Game 1 after Whysong slammed the door on a 5-3 win, Bell remains confident that the team will be able to quickly respond and extend the series in Game 2.
“I think honestly we’re a better team overall,” Bell said. “I think that tomorrow’s going to be a really good game, but I think we’re going to come out on top.”
Bell and the rest of Y-D will look to keep their season alive at Red Wilson Field in Game 2 of the Championship Series against Bourne at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
