PETALUMA, CA – It was anything but a masterpiece, but Casa Grande senior Nik Kamages specializes in non stunning, grind it out works of art when he’s on the mound.
On Wednesday at home against Concord the senior right-hander may have thrown the ugliest one-hitter a pitcher can toss, but the result was a 3-2 victory that advances the CIF North Coast Section Division II third-seeded Gauchos on to the quarterfinals.
In a performance that resembled a Harry Houdini escape artist act, Kamages struck out seven but walked seven, and two somewhat controversial double plays bailed him out, including one that ended the game.
“He’s been doing that all year,” said Casa Grande first-year Coach Chad Fillinger of Kamages. “He puts us in situations and then gets himself out of them. He grinds.”
Casa Grande (20-7) scored all its runs and all the runs they would need in the second inning but none were earned.
Dylan Moore got a one out single and then stole second. He went to third on a ground out and scored when the Concord third baseman booted a grounder by Cole Santander. Ibai Guadron followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Concord starting pitcher Jonathan Miller then walked Jake McCoy to load the bases. With Aaron Van Tighem at the plate Miller uncorked a wild pitch allowing Santander to score. Van Tighem then walked to re-load the bases and Joe Lampe followed with an RBI single.
Kamages retired the first six batters but that’s when the fun began. With one out in the top of the third he walked James Cabral, Joel Tejeda and Benjamin Ziebur to load the bases. Jason Shultze followed with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Cabral. Kamages would get a grounder to short by Josh Anders to end the inning, but during the at-bat a ball got past Casa Grande catcher Cameron Downing and Tejeda came home from third.
There would be no scoring in the last four innings but Kamages had runners on base in every inning.
Angel Valderrama got the only hit for No. 14 seed Concord (12-13) with a one out single in the fourth. He then went to second on a walk to Gabe Valencia. Ryan Murphy followed with a sharp grounder to Gauchos shortstop Lampe who went to second baseman Moore for one but the relay to first appeared to draw Oregon-bound first baseman A.J. Miller off the bag. The umpire signaled out and Concord dugout and fans went crazy. The three umpires then huddled but there was no reversal.
Ziebur walked with two out in the fifth and stole second but Kamages got a strikeout to end the inning.
Kamages walked leadoff batter Josh Anders to open the sixth, and Anders stole second, but the gritty Gauchos pitcher got a strikeout, a fly ball to right and another strikeout to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh Kamages made an excellent play coming off the mound and bare-handing a nubber to throw out Murphy. He promptly walked pinch hitter Jacob Delong but got Tejeda to hit a double play ball to Lampe at short, and the relay by Moore to Miller was close, but the umpire signaled out much to the dismay of the Concord faithful.
“Yea it was,” said a smiling Kamages when it was suggested the outing was one of the ugliest one-hitters anyone could imagine. “I guess you could say I like to pitch out of jams but it felt good to get a complete game.”
The Cochise College-bound Kamages upped his record to 6-2 this season and got his second complete game.
The victory was a nail-biter for Fillinger. He was in his first playoff game and is having to follow in the footsteps of longtime and very successful former Casa Grande Coach Paul Maytorena.
“Concord had a great scouting report on us and they almost beat us,” said Fillinger, a 2000 graduate of Casa Grande. “But it felt very nice to get my first playoff victory.
To get a second playoff win Casa Grande will have to beat No. 11 seed El Cerrito on Saturday afternoon at home. While the Gauchos were beating the Minutemen on the east side of town, No. 6 seed Petaluma last a heart-breaker on the west side of town by an identical 3-2 score to El Cerrito.
