(Anita, IA) — Zach Kauffman broke out of a small slump and drilled two two-run doubles to lead CAM past Riverside 7-4 in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs on Friday night.
Riverside took the early lead as CAM starter Carson McKee ran into some control issues. In the top of the 2nd, Hunter Shady reached on an infield single; Caleb Meyer was hit by a pitch; Cody Hofeldt reached on an error to load the bases. McKee then hit the #9 hitter Kasper Rieken to score the first run. After Cole Jeppesen popped out, Dane Martens brought home the 2nd run with a RBI fielders choice to make it 2-0 Bulldogs.
Victor Alfonso shut down CAM in the first two innings but Tyler Ticknor ignited the Cougar offense with a leadoff double in the bottom of the third. Cohen McCann then hit a grounder but the Bulldogs tried to get Ticknor at third but he beat the throw; McKee then walked to load the bases. Kauffman then drilled a pitch down the left field line for a 2 run double to tie the game at 2-2. CAM was not done — Collin Bower reached on an error to score another run and after Kason Calhoun was hit by a pitch, Braxton Dennis got a RBI fielders choice to make it 4-2.
The Bulldogs got one run back in the top of the 4th against McKee — Jeppesen was hit by a pitch, went to 2nd on an error, went to third on a bloop hit by Dane Martens and scored on a balk to cut CAM’s lead to 4-3.
That’s as close as Riverside would get. The Cougars got insurance runs off Alfonso in the bottom of the 4th — Ticknor once again started it with a leadoff double. McCann reached on an infield single. McKee reached on an error to load the bases. Kauffman came through again with a double to left scoring two more runs. That knocked Alfonso from the game. Kauffman was caught stealing to empty the bases but Bower singled against reliever Jeppesen, he stole 2nd, stole 3rd and scored on a wild throw to make it 7-3.
Riverside scored once in the top of the 6th off of Bower who came in for McKee — Cody Hofeldt got an infield single. His runner Connor Nillan moved to 2nd on an error and scored on a RBI infield single from Jeppesen.
With one out in the top of the 7th, Bower gave up a walk and a hit by pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. However, the Senior got a strike out and Kaufman got the final out on a grounder after three errors to finish the game.
CAM got seven stolen bases in the game — Bower had 4 of them — and now has 203 for the season.
CAM advances to the District Semifinals in Substate 8; they will play AHSTW on Tuesday, July 7; coverage on KSOM.
CAM
Zach Kauffman 2-4, 2 doubles, 4 RBI, 2 runs
Tyler Ticknor 2-3, 2 doubles, 2 runs
Collin Bower 1-2, 4 SB, run; 3 IP, 1 Run, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 5 K, Save
Carson McKee 4 IP, 3 Runs, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 4 K
Riverside
Cole Jeppesen 2-3, RBI, run, 2 SB
Dane Martens 2-4, RBI
Peyton Amdor 1-3, double
Victor Alfonso 3 1/3 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Line Score
Riverside (3-17) 4 Runs, 7 Hits, 3 Errors, 10 LOB
CAM (15-9) 7 Runs, 6 Hits, 5 Errors, 4 LOB
W: McKee (5-2)
L: Alfonso (2-5)
Sv: Bower (1)
Time: 2:06
