East 1 - District Finals
Cambridge (18-10) - 3
Indian Creek (13-14) - 1
Cambridge advances to Regionals for 3rd time in school history (2008, 2009, 2021)
https://whiznews.com/2021/05/27/scottie ... HAw3Qv4FF0
Cambridge baseball makes return to regionals
John Charlton
Special to Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian
The Cambridge Bobcat Baseball team defeated Indian Creek to claim the District title.
MAGNOLIA — The Cambridge High School baseball team hoisted the East District Championship Trophy for the first time in 12 years after defeating Indian Creek 3-1 in the Division II district title game match-up at Sandy Valley High School on Thursday night.
The Bobcats earned the school’s first regional birth since 2009 and only the third regional birth (that anyone can remember) in school history.
“That’s the first one in a long time and it feels pretty good,” a jubilant Cambridge coach Jamaal Lowry said.
It wasn’t pretty, but sixth seeded Cambridge scratched together two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning with a little bit of help from the Indian Creek defense to take a two-run lead that relief pitcher Blake Brumfield was able to hold.
Freshman Regan Rogers led off the fifth inning with a grounder to the shortstop who overthrew first base allowing Rogers to move into scoring position at second base. Drew Yanico followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Rogers to third. Yanico ended up safe at first when a low throw was bobbled by the covering Creek second baseman.
Caleb Bond drove in Rogers with a sacrifice fly to centerfield that also advanced Yanico to third. A batter later, Yanico hustled home on a passed ball and made the score 3-1 in favor of the Bobcats.
“That has kind of been our M.O. this year,” Indian Creek coach Mike Cottis said. “Our defensive will let us down every once in a while, but they battled all the way through, I am very proud of these guys.”
Cambridge scored the first run of the game as well taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Again, IC miscues helped the Cambridge offense.
Sean Perkins led off the second by reaching on a throwing error by the Indian Creek third baseman. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Logan Mobelini and scored on an RBI single down the left field line by Rogers.
“Once I got a guy on, I was trying to bunt them over so we can get a guy in,” Lowry said of his offensive strategy. “We scored on a passed ball that was huge and on a sacrifice fly.
“We preach to the guys that we have to be aggressive,” Lowry added. “We’re in tournament play and we know we are going to be in close games, so we worked on base running, we worked on bunting, and we worked on the small things that are going to win you games.”
Sean Perkins dives into third base, beating the tag.
Indian Creek answered in the top of the third as Nicky Maurer reached on a line drive single to right field. David Ferroni singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Maurer scored on a ground out by Corey Cottis.
With a runner on third and only one out, the Creek faithful were hoping for a big inning.
Isiah Van Dine hit a soft grounder to third which Cambridge’s Brumfield fielded and threw to home plate. Ferroni avoided the initial tag but also avoided the plate allowing Bobcat catcher Rogers to get a second chance at the out.
After making the tag, Rogers turned and threw a strike to second base to catch Van Dine attempting to advance. The 5-2-4 double play ended the inning and the threat. It was the second defensive gem of the game for the Bobcat defense.
In the first inning, with the bases loaded due to a single, a walk and a hit batter, Van Dine lined a shot back at CHS pitcher Jake Valentine. Valentine stabbed the liner at his knees and threw to brother Brock at first base to double off the runner and end the early Indian Creek threat.
The Cambridge Bobcat Baseball team defeated Indian Creek to claim the District title.
“We had them down, but we couldn’t put our foot on their throat and get the big hit,” Cottis said. “The one inning, we had the bases loaded and hit a line drive right back at the pitcher. He made a heck of a play. On the other one, it was just aggressive base running, and they made plays.”
“I preach to the guys all the time, that you got to trust the guys beside you,” Lowry said. “Tonight, Jake struggled to find it a little around the zone, but our defense stepped up.
Thanks to the pair of double plays, Valentine was able to battle through the fourth inning recording a three-up, three-down fourth inning before being lifted in the fifth for Brumfield.
Brumfield, who earned the win, shut down Indian Creek the rest of the way giving up no hits, no walks and only allowing one base runner – who reached on an error – while striking out six batters in three innings of relief.
“Blake’s one of those guys that gets hungry, he thrives in these moments,” Lowry said. “He wanted the ball there. Jake was struggling. I told Blake to go warm up. I handed him the ball and he came in and threw strikes. Six strikeouts in three innings is pretty good.”
Cambridge only had three hits in the game with Brumfield, Perkins and Rogers all getting singles. The Bobcats took advantage of four Indian Creek errors.
Cambridge is now 18-10 for the season and will take on Bloom Carroll who defeated Columbus St. Francis 4-3 on Thursday at a site to be determined.
The Cambridge victory over their future Buckeye 8 opponent came one night later than planned after rain postponed the game originally scheduled for Wednesday.
NEXT – Cambridge will play Bloom Carroll in a Division II regional semi-final match-up, on Thursday, June 3 at a location to be determined.