AHSTW rallies past CAM 6-5, clinches first winning regular season since 2017

AVOCA — For the first time in nearly a decade, AHSTW baseball will finish the regular season with a winning record.
The Vikings overcame an early two-run deficit Tuesday night, using timely hitting, aggressive baserunning and a pair of scoreless relief innings from sophomore Andrew Lund to defeat CAM 6-5 and finish the regular season at 13-11, marking the program’s first winning regular season since 2017.
Head coach Trey Brix knew the milestone before the first pitch.“I looked it up before the game because I knew it had been a long time,” Brix said. 
“For me, it’s a little emotional. We put a lot of time and effort into these guys, and they’ve worked at it. They’re a great group. I’m really pleased they’re seeing some success and that we’ve got this program turned around.
“We’re on the up and up, and we’re relatively young. I hope there are even better days ahead. I’m just super proud of these guys.”
The night didn’t start the way the Vikings had hoped, however, as CAM jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Despite the early hole, senior Chase Wheatley said there was never any panic in the Vikings’ dugout.
“We know we can put the ball in play, and we’ve been really hot recently,” Wheatley said. 
“We have big confidence in our pitchers. Sage Blotzer threw a great game, and we have big confidence in our bats. They’re hot right now.”
AHSTW answered immediately. Wheatley led off the bottom of the first with a single before eventually scor-ing on Cash Freeman’s RBI single to right field to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Vikings tied the game an inning later after eighth-grader Taylen Hansen doubled into the gap and advanced to third on an errant throw. 
Two batters later, Wheatley beat out an infield single to score Hansen and make it 2-2.
CAM reclaimed the lead with a run in the top of the third, but AHSTW delivered its biggest offensive inning of the night in the bottom half.
Ty Nelson and Freeman opened the inning with consecutive singles before Sage Blotzer drew a walk to load the bases. 
Sophomore Donnovin Behrens then lined a two-run double into the gap, giving the Vikings a 4-3 advantage.
Brix expected his team to need production throughout the lineup.
“We knew we were going to have to battle all night long, and it was going to be a grind,” Brix said.
“Being a little short-handed on pitchers, we knew Sage and Andy were going to have to take the load tonight. We knew we were going to have to swing it with them. I honestly expected it to be a higher-scoring game than it was.”
The Vikings created more breathing room in the fourth inning without needing a big hit. 
Wheatley drew a walk and later scored on a passed ball before Nelson came home on another passed ball to extend the lead to 6-3.
Brix said those extra 90 feet can make all the difference.
“We have to use our speed when we can,” Brix said. “I know I got Donnie Behrens out at third base trying to be a little too aggressive, so that’s on me. But certain situations call for it, and it’s a good thing when we’ve got some of those speedy guys on base to help us run.”
The Cougars scored once on a groundout in the fifth before loading the bases with two hit batters and a walk. Another walk forced home a run to trim the deficit to 6-5, but Blotzer escaped the jam with an infield pop up to preserve the lead.
Lund then took over on the mound and delivered two clutch innings, allowing just one hit while striking out one to keep the Cougars off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh.
Brix said the key for both of his pitchers was simply getting ahead in the count.
“I’ve told Sage and Andy all year long that if you throw strikes, good things happen,” Brix said. 
“When those two throw strikes, most people don’t hit them overly well. We struggle when we fall behind in the count and give free passes to guys. Our biggest stress was just making everybody earn it. I think you saw tonight every time we got in trouble when Sage was on the hill, it was when he hit a guy or walked a guy. They get a free bag and then they’re off and running. If we make guys earn it, good things normally happen for us.”The defense closed out the victory in the seventh. 
Hansen made a strong play at shortstop for the first out before Wheatley fielded consecutive ground balls to record the final two outs and secure the milestone win.
Nelson paced the Vikings offensively, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. 
Freeman finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Behrens went 2-for-3 with a double and a game-high two RBIs. Wheatley scored twice, drove in a run and reached base three times, while Hansen added a double and a run scored.
As a team, AHSTW totaled nine hits, drew five walks and took advantage of multiple passed balls to manufacture runs.
Blotzer earned the victory after allowing five runs on five hits over five innings while striking out three. 
Lund surrendered just one hit across two scoreless innings of relief.
Wheatley, who has been swinging a hot bat entering the postseason, credited a simple approach at the plate. “I’m seeing the ball really, really good,” he said. “I’m sitting first-pitch fastball all the time.”
For the senior, Tuesday’s victory meant much more than just another mark in the win column. “It means a lot to be a part of this program,” Wheatley said. 
“We haven’t been very good the last few years, and our coach just told us we haven’t finished over .500 since 2017. I’m really emotional, and it feels really good to be over .500. For it being my last regular-season game here, it feels really good to win.”
The Vikings now turn their attention to postseason play with confidence after defeating a team they could see again. “They whooped us last year, and we thought we were going to lose, to be honest with you, but we ended up getting the win,” Wheatley said.
“It’s hard to beat a team three times in a season, but I think we can go get Audubon and go get CAM.”
The Vikings will travel to CAM on Friday to take on Audubon in the first round of district action at 5. 
A team in which the Vikings have beaten twice so far this season with wins of 7-0 and 8-3. 
The winner will face either CAM or Riverside on July 7 at 7.