A winning start to May.

That is what Bryce Gehlert’s Belle Tiger baseball team was after following three straight losses to end the month of April.

Welcoming Steelville’s Cardinals to Tiger Field Monday night, a leg up in seeding for the upcoming Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3, District 8 Baseball Tournament in Conway and pole position for a Gasconade Valley Conference (GVC) title hung in the balance.

Trailing 3-2 entering a do-or-die bottom of the seventh inning, Belle had finally gotten into Steelville’s bullpen after Cardinal ace Carson Mullen had to leave the game due to pitch-count limits.

Two walks and two subsequent base hits helped the Tigers claim a 4-3 walk-off victory over the visiting Cardinals.

“This was a big win for us to get not only from a conference perspective but from a district seeding point of view,” Tiger head coach Bryce Gehlert said.

After a scoreless first inning, Steelville struck first with a run in the top of the second inning on a hit and two errors leaving Belle in an early 1-0 hole.

Belle quickly answered in the bottom of the second inning.

Carter Kinkead led off the frame being hit by a pitch before stealing second base and advancing to third on a strikeout.

Later in the inning, an error allowed Kinkead to score helping the Tigers tie the Cardinals at 1-1 after two innings

Two hits and an error later in the top of the third inning, Steelville retook a 2-1 lead after three innings.

Belle could not turn a Garrett Gehlert leadoff single into a run in the bottom of the third.

Playing through a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, Steelville added another run to their lead in the top of the sixth inning on four walks.

A quick answer was in store by the Tigers in the bottom half of the sixth.

Clayton Shockley singled with one out before moving to second base on a Kinkead ground out.

Kaiden Robertson then delivered the first pitch of his next at bat for a two-out RBI double scoring Shockley cutting Steelville’s lead to 3-2 after six innings.

Pitching in relief of Newton who threw the first five innings, Shockley was entrusted with the task of keeping Steelville’s lead at 3-2.

Allowing a leadoff walk to Landon Mabe and a one-out walk to Mullen, Shockley was able to get out of the inning with a ground out and a strikeout sending the game to the bottom of the seventh inning with Belle needing at least one run to force extra innings or two to win the game in walk-off fashion.

Newton and Gehlert drew consecutive walks to start the inning before a Luke Rohrer fly out put one out on the scoreboard.

Blake Henry then sent the first pitch of his ensuing at bat through the left side of the infield for a RBI single scoring Newton to tie the game at 3-3.

With runners at the corners and only one out, Hank Stratman now had the chance to play hero.

Working the count to three balls and one strike, Stratman got a pitch to his liking sending it between the shortstop and third baseman allowing Gehlert to score and set off a celebration in Belle’s dugout which spilled out onto the field.

After their 4-3 victory, Belle should likely secure a high seed for the upcoming MSHSAA Class 3, District 8 Baseball Tournament scheduled to begin Friday, May 12 in Conway.

This victory also put Belle in the driver’s seat for an outright GVC title if they can secure victories over Bourbon over the weekend and on the road in Vienna on Monday, May 8.