(Anita, IA) — Somewhere, Dolly Parton is singing and it might be in Avoca — AHSTW beat CAM 9-5 last night and advance to the District Finals for the first time in about 10 years.
CAM got at least one hit in every inning against the Vikings but the Cougars could not get the big inning and they could not prevent AHSTW from scoring.
The Vikings took the lead in the top of the first when CAM’s starter Carson McKee walked Chase Wheatley to start the game. He stole 2nd and scored on Cash Freeman’s RBI double. The Cougars answered in the bottom of the first off AHSTW starter Camdyn Dresen — McKee got a leadoff double and scored on a 2 out RBI single from Kason Calhoun.
After a scoreless 2nd inning, the Vikings got two runs in the top of the 3rd — Kip Lamp got a leadoff walk and moved all the way to third on two grounders. He would score on Freeman’s 2 out RBI single. Dresen kept the inning going with a walk and Sage Blotzer blooped in a single to right to score Freeman and the Vikings had a 3-1 lead.
CAM got one run back in the bottom of the third — Collin Bower reached on an error and went to 2nd on another error and scored on another RBI single from Calhoun.
AHSTW got the run back in the top of the 4th — Kooper Krummel got a leadoff walk — McKee would walk 6 in the game and three of those would score runs — Calvin Parker doubled to left and Lamp walked to load the bases. Wheatley hit into a fielders choice to score Krummel but McKee got a caught stealing and a grounder to end the inning — AHSTW led 4-2.
The Vikings added to it in the top of the 5th — Dresen singled and Blotzer doubled to start the inning knocking McKee from the mound. In came Bower who struck out the first two batters he faced but Parker dropped a base hit into left to plate two runs and AHSTW led 6-2.
CAM scratch across a run in the bottom of the 5th on a sac fly by Bower scoring McKee but the Vikings answered back in the top of the 6th when Wheatley singled and two CAM errors brought him home eventually — AHSTW led 7-3.
The Cougars got closer in the bottom of the 6th — Aiden Winther got a two out single, McKee walked and Zach Kauffman tripled down the line in right. That was the last batter of the game for Dresen who had passed 110 pitches — Kip Lamp came in and threw one pitch to get out of the inning and the lead was 7-5.
However, AHSTW wasted no more time getting those runs back — Taylen Hansen got a leadoff single, Krummel hit a bunt and it was misplayed for an error. Parker then singled and two more CAM errors brought home two runs and the Vikings had some key insurance, leading 9-5.
CAM got back to back one out singles from Braxton Dennis and Erik Almelien but Lamp struck out the final two batters to end the game.
AHSTW got three big outs on the basepaths — with runners on 1st and 3rd and two outs in the first inning, Dennis tried to get in a rundown but the Vikings threw out Calhoun at third. In the third, Calhoun was thrown out trying to stretch his RBI single into a double. Finally, in the 5th, Dennis singled to left and Kauffman tried to score but a perfect relay from LF Krummel to SS Hansen to C Freeman and Kauffman was tagged out.
AHSTW
Cash Freeman 2-4, double, 2 RBI, run
Calvin Parker 3-4, double, 3 RBI
Sage Blotzer 2-4, double, run, RBI
Camdyn Dresen 5 2/3 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 114 pitches
CAM
Zach Kauffman 2-4, triple, 2 RBI
Kason Calhoun 2-3, 2 RBI
Braxton Dennis 3-4
Calen Anstey 2-4, double
Carson McKee 1-2, double, 3 runs; 4+ IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 6 BB, 3 K
Line Score
AHSTW (15-11) 9 Runs, 10 Hits, 2 Errors, 6 LOB
CAM (15-10) 5 Runs, 11 Hits, 5 Errors, 8 LOB
W: Dresen (7-2)
L: McKee (5-3)
Sv: Lamp (2)
Time: 2:17
