Mehlville Falls in Dramatic Suburban West Opener

Marquette left fielder Matt Seevers found himself in a do-or-die situation as a slicing line drive was hit in his direction by Mehlville's Kurt McGuire with runners on second and third and two outs in the seventh inning of a 1-0 game.

A catch would end the game, which was the Suburban West Conference opener for each team. If the ball got by him, Mehlville would have a 2-1 lead with momentum and a hot pitcher, Austin Simokaitis, on the mound.

Seevers made the play to preserve the shutout by Andy Bartlett and the Mustangs' 1-0 victory at home.

"I felt I had to help my buddy finish out a great game," Seevers said of Bartlett, who allowed only three hits in the game. "I knew the game was on the line. I got a good jump on it and knew I was going to have to dive for it. I got it right in the pocket of my glove."

Seevers maintained possession as he hit the ground and then was surrounded by congratulatory teammates, including Bartlett.

"I saw him running over and I just jumped in the air when he snagged it," Bartlett said. "It is great to pitch when you have a good defense behind you."

Mehlville coach Tim Ode was getting ready to send the lead run home when Seevers made the play of the game.

"It was a circus catch," Ode said.

The play ended a brilliant pitching duel between Bartlett and Simokaitis.

Bartlett retired 15 batters in a row after a single by Simokaitis in the first inning.

Simokaitis matched those zeroes as he gave up just two hits through five scoreless innings.

Marquette, which had lost four of its five runners on the bases, finally broke the ice with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Pinch hitter Danny Mannion led off by drawing a walk on a borderline 3-2 pitch. Mannion moved to second on a wild pickoff attempt by Simokaitis and then to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a single through a drawn in infield by Sean Johnston, the ninth-place hitter in the Mustangs lineup.

Bartlett retired the first two Mehlville batters in the seventh inning, but Mark O'Moran reached on an infield hit. He moved to third on a double by Austin Kretzler.

That would set up the drama of the final out as Seevers saved the day on the hard hit ball by McGuire.

"They made the play at the end but you have to score to win," Ode said. "We have been stressing the little things all season. And we did not do the little things that are needed to win a game like this. We had a runner picked off in the first and didn't get a bunt down later in the game."

The two teams were scheduled to play each other again Wednesday at Mehlville as the Suburban West has gone to a home-and-home league schedule.

"I think it is awesome," Marquette coach John Meyer said of the conference schedule.

And awesome is the word he could have used for both the efforts of Bartlett and Seevers.

"Andy has pitched well all season although he doesn't have the wins to show for it," Meyer said. "He pitched a great game today and Matt made the super play. I thought he had a good read on it but I was worried that the wind would carry it. It was the case of a good player making a great play."

Marquette improved to 4-4 overall while Mehlville fell to 4-3.