PLYMOUTH — Make something happen. That’s what Plymouth coach Terry Perry told Ronnell Blount as he was standing on third base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning against Southside in the first round of the NCHSAA 1-A playoffs with the game tied at 2-2.

With No. 8 hitter Brandon Gibson up at the plate, Blount waited one Terrill Moore pitch to calculate his timing. On the second Moore pitch Blount danced halfway down the line, and once Southside’s catcher threw the ball back to Moore, the race was on. Blount dashed towards home plate and made a full extension dive safely across it to send No. 1 Plymouth to the second round of the playoffs with a 3-2 victory. The swipe of home stunned the scrappy Seahawks who entered the playoffs as a wild card with hopes of an upset, but quickly had their dreams stolen like a scene from Inception.

“Coach just told me ‘make something happen,” Blount said. “I was just reading the ball, seeing how quick (Moore) went to the plate and how quick the ball was released back to the pitcher. On the second pitch Brandon was blocking the catcher’s view and he couldn’t see me so …”

Though Blount is known for his speed, Perry said the game-winning play wasn’t only about being fast.

“We put the steal on and Ronnell couldn’t have timed it any better,” Perry said. “It wasn’t just about speed, he has great instincts.”

Before Blount’s successful theft of home he was almost involved in another dramatic play at the play but those instincts prevented that from happening. With one out Blount, who reached base when he smashed a grounder past the Southside third baseman, was perched at third when Hunter Cook popped out to shallow right field tempting the speed demon to tag up.

“I did send him,” Perry said. “But he was just smart enough to get back.”

The dramatic victory was a tough pill to swallow for the Seahawks (9-13 Four Rivers) who grinded out the later part of the their schedule just to make the postseason and came within one run of topping Plymouth (20-4), the fifth-ranked team in the state according to the Impact baseball.com poll.

“Our guys finally put it all together tonight. We knew we could play with any team in the state, we play probably in the toughest conference in the state,” Southside coach Jeff Carrow said. “We made the plays when we needed to. (Plymouth) made a heck-of-a play there at the end by stealing on the throw back. That’s a level of baseball we’re just getting to. They have been there and won close games. We’ve learned how to win games at the end of the year but we just lost a tough one tonight on a tough play.”

Southside got a fantastic effort from starting pitcher Terrill Moore as the junior didn’t allow the Vikings to get a hit until midway through the fifth inning. Overall, Moore allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four while walking four.

“He was spotting his pitches. His fastball was there and he got guys to miss on the curveball when he needed to,” Carrow said. ‘The changeup got lost during the season but he found it tonight and it helped out on some of their big hitters.”

Plymouth starter D.J. Cook was equally as effective as he routinely was able to induce fly outs from the Seahawks’ hitters.

“He located well and changed his speeds,” Perry said of Cook. “He had maybe one mistake … but his changeup and curveball were working really good.”

Cook pitched all eight innings for Plymouth and scattered six hits while striking six and walking only one batter.

Plymouth took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Mister Davis’ hit a sac fly that scored D.J. Cook.

The Seahawks answered in their next at-bat when Treyshon Blount blasted a two-run single that scored Hayden Bogart and Daniel Woolard to go up 2-1.

The Vikings tied it up in the sixth when Hunter Cook drew a bases loaded walk.

Plymouth almost won the game in the seventh but left fielder Billy Harding was able to haul in a Chris Rogerson fly as he fell to the ground to keep a Vikings’ runner stranded at second base.

Southside 000 020 0 0 č 2 6 1

Plymouth 000 101 0 1 č 3 5 0

WP: D.J. Cook; LP: Terrill Moore

Hitting: S č Blake Jones 1-4, Julian Brown 1-4, Hayden Bogart 2-3 (2B), Daniel Woolard 1-3 (2B), Treyshon Blount 1-4 (2 RBI); P č D.J. Cook 1-3 (2B), Zach Sawyer 1-4 (R), Mister Davis 1-4 (RBI), Kevin Becker 1-2, No. 19 1-3 (2B).