By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
May 16, 2001
HAMILTON n Lake first-year head baseball coach Brian Goodman was willing to give Hamilton plenty of credit following the Lions' 6-0 win over his Hornets in the third game of the best-of-three series for the Class 1A state championship Tuesday night.
And why not? Any team that can shut out the Hornets in back-to-back games deserves to be held in high esteem.
After Lake won the series opener 7-3 last Thursday, Hamilton wouldn't let Lake cross the plate again, putting a 12-0 win Monday with Tuesday's series clincher.
Sophomore right-hander Jeff Schafer (8-1) tossed a four-hitter and did not issue a walk. Factor in just one Lion error and you can see how Lake had trouble scoring.
Lance Reed (5-0) struck out 11 Hornets in tossing a three-hitter in Monday's win.
Some of the credit should go to Hamilton assistant Wyatt Tullos who was head coach at Lake last year and had a pretty good knowledge of what to expect from his former players at the plate.
Lake threatened in the top of the second inning as Eric Watkins and Eric Gunn reached on consecutive two-out infield hits. However, Schafer got out of the inning without allowing a run.
Hamilton got its first run in the bottom of the second as Schafer singled up the middle, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Caleb Springfield, and scored on an apparent one-out double to the fence in left-center by Brandon Angle. Angle, however, lost his hit when it was ruled that he failed to touch first base.
The Hornets had two runners aboard in the third as Jason Massey reached on a throwing error and Jake Nester was hit by a pitch with one out. Schafer again got out of the inning without allowing a run.
The Lions scored three times in the bottom of the third with two coming home on a single by Schafer. Nathan Self made it 4-0 when he scored on the back end of a double steal after the Hornets miscalculated on an intentional pickoff play by Schafer at first base.
Hamilton, 27-4, added another run in the fourth as Shea Slade doubled, went to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on another intentional pickoff that Lake was unable to execute.
The final run came in the fifth as Schafer singled and went to second on a single by Springfield. Schafer scored when Watkins' pickoff throw to second base sailed into the left-center gap.
Watkins (9-3) got the loss, allowing 11 hits and one walk while striking out four.
Lake, 28-9, got a double from Craig Martin in the top of the sixth. The Hornets had only three other hits for the game n singles by Watkins, Gunn, and Nester.
Schafer and catcher Kristopher Holman both went 3-for-3 to lead Hamilton.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.