Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – Sam Young produced another typical Sam Young outing on Friday in Clear Creek Amana’s postseason opener.

The senior improved to 6-0 on the season allowing two runs on four hits over six innings in a 12-2 win over Charles City in a Class 3A, Substate 3 quarterfinal in Tiffin.

It is the type of performance that has come to be expected from the steady senior right-hander this season.

The only surprise statistic in another outstanding outing for Young on Friday was a single walk he allowed in the sixth inning – just the third base on balls issued by Young in 47 innings this season.

“That’s what Sam does, he fills up the zone,” Clear Creek Amana coach Nick Zumsande said. “He’s a really good pitcher. Maybe his stuff isn’t high level stuff but there is something to getting in good counts and letting their defense play and making the other team have three hits to score a run against you and that’s really been his success.”

A varsity contributor since his eighth-grade season Young has filled a role atop the Clear Creek Amana pitching rotation this season.

He dropped his season ERA to 2.38 with his six strong innings on Friday as Clear Creek Amana (22-10) advanced to the Substate 3 semifinal where it will face Waverly-Shell Rock (25-10) at Hertel Field in Waverly on Monday at 7 p.m.

“This year I tried to step up and fill a role and just having coach (Zumsande) around has been a huge confidence boost,” Young said. “Knowing the situations, knowledge I didn’t have before. I’ve never had great stuff so just going in and competing we have really emphasized that before.”

Young helped make sure the Clippers kept their season alive on Friday.

The senior retired the first 11 batters he faced on Friday and didn’t allow a baserunner until a two-out single up the middle by Jaxon Daniels in the fourth.

By the time Charles City had a baserunner against Young the Clippers had a comfortable lead.

Clear Creek Amana sent 11 batters to plate, had six hits and scored seven runs in the bottom of the second inning to give Young all the cushion he would need.

“These games you never know, everyone is fighting to the very end so you have to keep the pedal down,” Young said. “Big early innings, it’s good to have that. It takes a weight off your shoulders.”

Josh Loren had a two-run double and David Williams a two-run single in the seven-run Clipper second that also featured singles by Young, Stirlen Roberson, Parker Smith and Ben Swails.

“We knew coming in that we could be a good hitting team but in some of our losses we just can’t get the bats going,” Swails said. “That is baseball sometimes you can’t get it going and sometimes you are raking but we know we are a team that can hit the ball well.”

The early explosion was more than enough for Young.

Young doesn’t throw hard but his control and change of speeds has been especially effective this season.

He fanned six on Friday and has struck out 37 on the season while allowing just 14 earned runs and three walks.

“Coach emphasizes a lot that it isn’t going to help to walk people especially since I’m not going to overpower anyone,” Young said. “I’m going to put it in the zone and I trust my defense like no other. I’ve had success this year doing that so I’m going to keep pounding the zone.”

Clear Creek Amana closed out the game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Young had the game-ending RBI single on a ground ball up in the middle that plated Williams from second.

“A lot of guys are stepping up this year,” Young said. “I have a lot of confidence in all those guys. Ben and Parker have done a great job for five years so having those guys is a big confidence boost.”

Charles City                            000  002  –  2    4   2

Clear Creek Amana              072  003  – 12  10  0

W – Sam Young                     L – Tino Tamayo

2B – CCA: Josh Loren

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