(Anita) Four runs in the bottom of the 7th earned CAM a 12-11 home win in baseball over Audubon on Tuesday. Their seventh straight victory moves them to 22-2 on the season.
The 8th rated Cougars recovered after coughing up a three run lead in the top of the 7th. Jack Follmann was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the game winning run. It was part of a wild final frame which started with Audubon turning an 8-5 deficit into an 11-8 lead in the top of the inning.
Audubon sent ten batters to the plate in the 7th. They scored six runs on three hits. Braden Wessel’s three run double tied the contest at 8-8. Gavin Smith and Carson Meaike also had hits in the rally.
CAM set aside their defensive miscues with a big response in the bottom of the inning. Chase Spieker and Seth Hensley drew back-to-back one out walks and Lane Spieker reached on an infield single to load the bases. 8th grade reliever Brody Schultes had fired a scoreless sixth inning and, after striking out CAM cleanup hitter Colby Rich, was one out away from locking down a big road upset for the Wheelers. Instead, CAM had four straight batters reach safely on one error and three free passes. Joe Kauffman’s bases loaded walk brought in Chase Spieker to make it an 11-9 game. Cade Ticknor grounded a ball to first base that looked like it would end the game, but Audubon couldn’t handle a tough hop. This allowed Ticknor to reach safely and Seth Hensley to score, cinching CAM within 11-10. Ethan Follmann was hit by a pitch, pushing home Lane Spieker for a tie game. Kauffman scored the winning run when Jack Follmann was hit by a pitch.
Lane Spieker hit a solo home run in the 1st inning to tie the game at 1-1. It was his third homer in the last two days, 10th of the season, and 30th of his career. He would go 4/5 with a homer, a double, and four RBI. Brody Paulsen doubled twice.
Brody Paulsen gets the win on the mound. He got the final two outs of the 7th with two strikeouts, no hits, no walks, two unearned runs, and two hit batters. Colby Rich lasted five innings on the mound and struck out eight. Rich surrendered two earned runs on six hits, three walks, and one hit batter. Chase Spieker recorded four outs in relief with three hits, four earned runs, one walk, and two hit batters allowed. He struck out two.
Wessel finished 2/4 for Audubon with four RBI. Aaron Olsen and Carson Meaike each had two hits and one RBI. Smith pitched three innings with four hits, three earned runs, two walks, one hit batter, and four strikeouts. Wessel tossed two frames with four hits, four earned runs, three walks, and two K’s. Schultes went the final 1 2/3 with no hits, four unearned runs, three walks, two hit batters, and two strikeouts.
Audubon is 11-11 and will begin the postseason on Saturday against Stanton. We’ll have the game on KSOM with pregame at around 4:50 p.m.
CAM closes the regular season on Wednesday against Logan-Magnolia before hosting Bedford on Saturday in postseason play.
