Ramblers Survive Late Rally to Win Semifinal, Advance to Championship Game

(KWMN)- The Cotter Ramblers (23-3) defeated the Lake City Tigers (15-9) to advance to the Section 1AA championship game since at least 2008.

The Ramblers broke open the scoring after loading the bases in the bottom of the second. Lewi Shira knocked home KJ Kreidermacher on an RBI sacrifice fly, to take the lead at 1-0.

After allowing the tying run to score in the top of the third, the Ramblers had another chance to score. Twof of the first three baserunners reached, Rawson Sullivan drew the leadoff walk and Dan Guzzo wore one on the elbow to put runner’s at first and second base. In his second plate appearance, with one hit already in the game, KJ Kreidermacher launched a home run off of the scoreboard in right-center field to retake the lead, 4-1.

You can watch the homerun in the video below:

Video courtesy of Andy Kreidermacher.

The Ramblers would hang on through the next two innings with Vince Frisch on the Mound, allowing just one more run to enter the top of the sixth inning ahead of Lake City, 4-2. Dane Guzzo would allow one run in the top of the sixth but struck out one to send the Ramblers to the bottom of the sixth still in the lead. Cotter would get two runners on for Rawson Sullivan at the plate, who hit an opposite field single to score a needed insurance run to head to the top of the seventh up 5-3.

Dane Guzzo would get the final inning, but a couple of costly errors and a walk allowed one run to score from Lake City. With the Tigers threatening to score again and tie the game, Dane Guzzo induced a groundout to Rawson Sullivan over to first for Moses O’Brien for the final out of the game. The groundout sends Cotter back to the section championship game in almost 20 years.

They will play the winner of Rochester-Lourdes vs. Lake City (winner will be updated here when available) next Tuesday, June 2nd at 5:00PM. The game will be broadcasted live on KWMN 99.3 FM.