When the Bellingham and Nooksack Valley baseball teams hit the field Thursday, both were looking for their first wins of the season.
It was the Pioneers who finally put one in the win column as junior Bennett DeLange pitched a gem in a 2-1 victory over the Bayhawks.
Most of the game was a pitcher’s duel between DeLange and Bellingham junior Ethan Brimble. Neither pitcher had surrendered a run through four innings, but after having to pitch himself out of more trouble than DeLange, Brimble’s night on the mound was done after four.
“I’m amazed by the way [DeLange] stepped up tonight,” Nooksack Valley head coach Joel DeWispelaere said. “He had a little bit of control issues in his first outing this year, but he was very efficient tonight. Six and two-thirds innings in a high school baseball game is hard to get through.”
Nooksack Valley broke the stalemate in the top of the sixth when Jacob Tresselt was able to score on an error at third base. Kasey Newton delivered an insurance run for the Pioneers later in the inning on an RBI infield single.
DeLange shut the door on the Bayhawks again in the bottom of the sixth and jogged back out for the bottom of the seventh, but his pitch count caught up to him there.
He recorded two outs in the bottom half of the final inning, but walked three batters, leaving the bases loaded for Newton who came in looking for one more out.
A walk to Bellingham’s Logan Steves brought the Bayhawks within one. Bellingham head coach Grady Tweit brought in Tyler Frost to pinch hit, but the game suddenly ended when Bellingham’s Jake Troost was caught trying to steal home.
Getting the first win out of the way felt good, DeWispelaere said.
“The boys played hard, it was a team win, everyone contributed,” he said. “Lots of really good defense which we’ve struggled with here in the early part of the season, but the guys stepped up tonight.”
DeLange earned the win on the mound, his first as a varsity player.
“I was confident and more confident than prior games,” DeLange said. “I warmed up well and at some point I felt like I was throwing the hardest I’ve ever thrown before.”
DeLange’s final line on the mound was six and two-thirds innings pitched, one run on one hit, three walks and eight strikeouts.
Troost picked up Bellingham’s only hit of the night.
Nooksack Valley sits at 1-4 now this season with its next game at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at home against Oak Harbor.
Bellingham is still searching for its first win at 0-5. The Bayhawks’ next game is at 4 p.m. Monday against Sedro-Woolley at Janicki Playfields.
