The CAM Cougars worked out of a 7th inning jam with some great defensive play and earned their way to the Substate Final with a 3-2 win over Lenox on Saturday night in Anita.

It wasn’t an easy finish for the Cougars with Lenox getting two runners on with nobody out to start the top of the 7th. Drew Venteicher had a base hit to lead off then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Colton Gordon then sent a beautiful bunt down the third base line that came to rest in the dirt just before the chalk to stay fair and put runners at the corners for the Tigers. Nick Holste ran out of pitches and Marcus Daugherty had to come in to try to get out of the jam. Then came the play of the night as Jared Hensley hit a fly ball to shallow center field. DeShawn Carr who had just moved over to center from right was able to get underneath the ball and make the catch. He then rifled a throw to home plate as the runners took off for the Tigers. Austin Chester snagged the ball just in front of home plate and secured a standing tag on Zach Schmitz, who was running for Venteicher, and not allow the tying run to score. Daugherty was then able to get Kaleb Anderson to pop out back to him to end the game.

Carr talked about the big play:

Holste picked up the win on the mound allowing 2 runs on 7 hits with 2 strikeouts, no walks, and 1 hit batter.  Holste was impressed by the big play of his teammates to secure the win:

Daugherty got the save getting out of the 7th inning jam. He talked after the game about that big moment in the 7th as well:

Jared Hensley took the loss for Lenox going the distance allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 strikeouts, and 2 walks.

CAM opened up the game with 3 hits in the first to score two runs and get the early lead. Marcus Daugherty started the game with a base hit and was driven home on a single by Austin Chester three batters later. Mitchell Williamson got a base hit and eventually reached home on a fielders choice.  Carr talked about the importance of getting off to that great start:

Lenox came back to score a run in the 2nd and 3rd innings to tie it up at 2. Drew Venteicher had an RBI single that brought Colton Hogan home in the 2nd. Jared Hensley came home on an error in the third when Dawson Tullberg reached first on a pop up that Kolby Nelson and DeShawn Carr let drop between them.

The Cougars got the deciding run of the game in the 4th inning thanks to two Lenox errors. Nick Holste led off the inning with a base hit and went to second as the ball was misplayed in the outfield. Ben Tibken then reached on a throwing error to first base and came around to second as Holste came home to score. The Cougars would load the bases up after that with a walk and a hit batter but Thomas Hensley flied out to center to end the inning.

Lenox ends their season at 20-6. CAM improved to 21-7 on the season and will move on to face 26-12 St. Albert in the Substate 7 Final on Tuesday night in Harlan at 7:00pm.  The Falcons were winners on their home field in the District 14 Final over Stanton 4-1. We’ll have that Substate 7 Final on KJAN Tuesday night with Pregame at 6:45pm and First Pitch at 7:00pm.