Miscues doom Ramblers in Bellevue championship game

The Ramblers were left to wonder what could have been after a narrow 2-1 loss in the championship game of the Bellevue Tournament on Saturday. Two costly Key West miscues led to both Bellevue runs as the host held serve on its home field to claim the tournament title.

The Braves pushed across the deciding run in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs. Third baseman Chet Knake scurried home all the way from second base on a wild pitch as Key West struggled to locate the baseball. Grant Stewart, who started the play at first base, also advanced two bases on the play. Rambler starting pitcher Ben Cottrell then struck out Cooper Stewart to end the threat.

But Key West (14-2) was unable to recover from the defensive gaffe. Bellevue left-hander Justin Eissens had the Ramblers off balance all night as he went the distance, recording 12 strikeouts in the complete game victory. His biggest punch out came in the top of the seventh when Dan Spain strolled to the plate with men on first and second. Spain was sent down on strikes on three pitches.

Key West got its only run in the first inning when Spencer Kuehn knocked in Spain with an RBI single. However, the Ramblers could have easily scored twice in the frame, but Cory Davidson was called out on appeal at third base for missing the bag after he appeared to score the game's first run on a single by Spain.

After going scoreless in the first, Bellevue knotted the game in the second with the help of a Key West error. Grant Stewart led off with a double to deep center field and then advanced to third on the play after Kuehn misfired on his throw to the cutoff. Chad Coakley followed with an RBI ground out, preceding a pop out to short and a strikeout to end the inning.

Cottrell pitched plenty well enough to win, going seven innings while allowing only five hits, two walks and two runs (one earned). He finished with 106 pitches and struck out eight. Kuehn pitched a perfect eighth in relief of Cottrell to keep the Ramblers within striking distance.

But the bottom of Key West's lineup failed to mount a ninth-inning rally, going down in order against the dominant Eissens. Once again, a tournament title had eluded the Ramblers, who also lost in the championship of the Preseason EIHL Tournament to Dubuque on May 19.

Key West will look to continue its unbeaten play in 2012 league games when it hosts Rickardsville on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Peosta.