Amaismeier leads Madonna to force second Section 1 title game
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CAMERON -- Matt Amaismeier and the Madonna baseball team were not ready to turn in their uniforms on Saturday.
The senior pitcher did his part to make sure that didn't happen as he struck out 14 from the mound and at the plate he delivered two singles, a double, a grand slam and eight RBIs as visiting Madonna rolled past Cameron 20-9 in a six-inning mercy rule contest to force a decisive Class A Section 1 Championship on today at 5:30 p.m. at Cameron.
"He's been locked in all year," Madonna coach Jeff Baire said of Amaismeier. "Over the past two weeks these seniors are realizing their careers might be over within minutes and he's pulling the rest of the guys along with him. That's the sign of a leader. He's incredible right now."
Even Cameron coach Adam Angel III was impressed by Amaismeier's performance.
"Matt pitched a helluva game," Coach Angel said. "He got us to chase a lot of pitches out of the zone and that kept his pitch count down. Plus, their offense hit the baseball."
Baire thought briefly about pulling Amaismeier to save him for Monday's elimination game but he decided to let his star shine.
"Matty threw phenomenally," Baire said. "He was dealing. We did talk about it when he was at about 65 pitches whether we were going to pull him or let him go but we are deep pitching-wise. We have a few guys who could probably be a No. 1 or No. 2 on a couple of teams and we haven't even pulled them out yet. I'm comfortable with where we're at."
Amaismeier, of course, got things started with some two-out lightning in the first, which set up an RBI double from Chase Littleton and an RBI infield single by Brock Reinacher that created a 2-0 Blue Dons' edge.
Cameron came right back as Isaac Ball provided a two-run single in the bottom of the frame to even the score.
It wouldn't be that close again as the Blue Dons plated three in the second on a bases-clearing, three-run double by none other than Amaismeier.
Friday night's hero Lucas McAllister tallied an RBI groundout in the third and a four-run fourth gave the Dons a 10-2 advantage.
An error gave two runs back to Cameron but the Dragons also suffered a miscue in the field in the fifth to allow Madonna to secure an 11-4 upper hand, before an Amaismeier RBI sac-fly made it 12-4.
Mason Debolt gave Cameron a spark in the fifth with a two-run double to cut the deficit to 12-6 but Amaismeier's grand slam sparked an eight-run sixth to put the game out of reach.
"We got punched in the face," Coach Angel said. "We got beat. It wasn't in the cards (Saturday). Hats off to them. They played late Friday night in a very competitive ballgame and won in the seventh inning. They dominated this game from start to finish."
Cole Burkett put a charge into a pitch in the bottom of the frame, sending it over the left-center field fence for a three-run dinger but it was too little, too late for the Dragons.
However, Cameron will come back Monday with a full arsenal of pitchers ready to go, as well.
"Lance (Hartley) wasn't feeling the greatest (Saturday)," Coach Angel said. "We talked about pitch count so we gave him some time off and we can bring him back. We have everyone except for Isaac Ball ready to go for Monday, so we'll see what happens."
Cameron used five pitchers in the loss as Hartley, Ball, Adam Angel IV, Debolt and Colton Winters combined for five strikeouts and nine walks.
This is now four straight elimination games the Blue Dons have won.
"We're believing and trusting our approaches and we're doing a lot better at not settling for strikeouts with guys on base," Baire said. "We're putting the ball in play and we're doing what you have to do to survive and advance."
Class A Section 1
Madonna 20, Cameron 9
M 2-3-1 4-2-8 – 20 16 4
C 2-0-0 2-2-0 – 9 9 3
MADONNA: Amaismeier wp (14K, 1BB), Parker (6) (1K, 0BB) and McAllister. Amaismeier 2S, D, GS, 8rbi; Littleton S, D, rbi; Reinacher 3S, 2rbi; McAllister 3S, 3rbi; Hair 2D; Connors rbi; Haney S, 2rbi.
CAMERON: Hartley lp (2K, 1BB), Ball (2) (2K, 2BB), Angel IV (5) (1K, 4BB), Debolt (6) (0K, 2BB), Winters (6) (0K, 0BB) and Angel IV and Burkett (3). Burkett S, HR, 3rbi; Ball 2S, 2rbi; McCauley 2S; Debolt D, 2rbi.