POSTED: Friday May 15, 2009
Mike Hubel searched for the right words to describe Cimarron-Memorial pitcher Sam Lindsey’s effort on Friday, but the Spartans baseball coach kept coming up blank.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Hubel said. “To do what he did is an amazing feat.”
Lindsey, a senior right-hander, limited Bishop Gorman to five hits and the Spartans routed the three-time defending 4A state champions 10-2 in the Sunset Region championship game at Sierra Vista.
With the win, Cimarron (31-5) advances to the state tournament while the Gaels (36-4), who saw their 35-game winning streak snapped, take on Las Vegas in the play-in game at noon today at Green Valley.
“They came with a lot of intensity and played a very good game, and we didn’t,” Gorman coach Chris Sheff said. “Now we have to dig ourselves out and try to win a game (today).”
Lindsey allowed three straight hits to begin the bottom of the first inning, including a run-scoring single by Gaels first baseman Jeff Malm. But after that, Lindsey retired 12 straight batters and 15 of 16 overall against a Gorman lineup that scored 10 or more runs in nine consecutive games.
Lindsey struck out four and threw exactly 100 pitches, 64 for strikes.
“All I was trying to do was locate,” Lindsey said. “I knew if I pitched instead of just throwing the ball we’d have a pretty decent chance to beat them. We can swing it, too, and we proved that.”
Gorman started lefty Joey Rickard against a Spartans lineup that featured six left-handed hitters, but Rickard struggled to find the strike zone. The senior walked seven and hit three more batters in 3 1/3 innings.
“That’s not typical of the way he throws,” Sheff said. “You’re not going to win games against quality teams when you put people on base.”
Cimarron senior shortstop Brad Oswald, one of those lefties, hit a three-run, opposite-field homer in the second inning to give the Spartans the lead.
Cimarron went ahead 5-1 in the third as Kaz Smith scored on a wild pitch and Oswald drew a bases-loaded walk. Another bases-loaded walk to John King and a run-scoring single by James Carraway gave Cimarron a 7-1 lead in the fourth.
Had Cimarron not left the bases loaded in the first, third and fourth innings, the margin of victoy might have been even bigger.
“Once we got ahead we kept chipping away and buried them,” Oswald said.
“We played them earlier in the season and we were a little hyped up. This time around we were more relaxed. Instead of playing our opponent we played Spartan baseball.”
Tune in to News 88.9 KNPR's "State of Nevada" tomorrow, 5/20 around 10:30 for a segment discussing athletic recruitment at private schools which compete against public schools, featuring the Prep Sports editors of the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Las Vegas Sun. That's News 88.9, KNPR's "State of Nevada" with Dave Berns. Broadcasting live and taking your calls between 9-11am, with a rebroadcast at 8pm.
Well done Spartans!
haha here i am again. this is pathetic. like seriously gorman. how do you recruit the best players around and lose to a team this bad. your lucky they left the bases loaded to end three different innings. if it were up to me i would make sure your school doesnt have a sports program. its just like wow that this has happened.
Great job Spartans Now win state I like coming to your games your awesome
Beating Gorman with only 4 strikeouts says a lot about the Cimarron coaches. It says they're teaching the game and have forged a TEAM, not just a collection of studs. That's baseball. They're already champs, IMO.
It's nice to see a team that doesn't give "incentives" to bring players to their school beat a team that does.
cant wait to play cimarron again
told ya. fight on Gaels!!!!!!!!
Told you. Nice job by the battery and the defense. Strikeouts and Dingers are fun to watch, but pitching to contact with a team who can field is the way to win. Ground ball outs and fly ball outs beat Gorman in this game and will on any day. Field cleanly Mick.
woo woo! good jobs boys(: your all amazing and everybody is counting on you to win state, but dont trip you got this! remember (your beasts) haha(: we love you see you at school!
Way to go cimmarron - keep up the intensity and beat them again
congrats Spartans -- you executed well. c u at State! Gaels will prevail today and the fight will be on!!!!
Congrats Cimarron on doing the unthinkable!
watch the final out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9eo0Eo7Lbo
Sam threw a hell of a game!!!
The Gaels were just flabergasted.
Go Spartans!!!
GO CIMARRON! THE WHOLE STATE IS CHEERING YOU ON IN BEATING THE GAELS!
Sam u r amazing!!!
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. NevadaPreps.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.
Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.