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Minster players celebrate after the last out of the 2024 ACME Baseball Congress championship game on Monday in Coldwater. The Wildcats won the title with a 3-0 victory over Van Wert in eight innings after rallying to beat Defiance 3-2 in eight innings earlier in the day.
COLDWATER - Minster was not only happy to put in the work on Monday in the ACME state baseball tournament - the Wildcats were happy to work overtime.
Minster rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Defiance 3-2 in eight innings in the resumption of the state semifinal on Monday at Coldwater's Veterans Field.
In the championship game, Minster and Van Wert traded zeroes for seven innings before the Wildcats plated three runs in the top of the eighth and then James Niemeyer closed the door for a 3-0 win for the Wildcats' first ACME state championship and the first state title for a local ACME team since Coldwater won its eighth title in 1994. Minster ends its summer with a 18-6 record.
Van Wert, looking for its third title in program history and first since beating Coldwater in extra innings in the 2015 final in Coldwater, ends the summer at 16-6. The Cougars reached the final with a 2-1 win over defending champion Indian Lake in the second semifinal of the day.
"Very happy how everybody performed. Especially James," said Minster coach Jay Eilerman. "After the first (game), to come back, get in the mindset and go 7-8 innings and trust the defense behind them, I thought he did really well today."
The game was a pitchers' duel between Niemeyer and Van Wert starter Hayden Dowler.
Minster's Caleb Couse rounds third base in the eighth inning of the 2024 ACME State Championship game. Couse singled home the go-ahead run in the Wildcats' 3-0 victory over Van Wert.
Dowler allowed just a Louis Magoto single in the second before getting Ian Homan and Andrew Wiss to pop to shortstop Griffin McCracken. Niemeyer issued back-to-back two-out walks to Hayden Davis and Hayden Dowler in the bottom of the first, but then enticed Case Stegaman to fly out to Caleb Couse in center to end the inning.
Van Wert picked up its first hit in the third on a Finley Dickinson single. McCracken and Nathan Gearhart each bunted their teammate to second and third before Niemeyer struck out Davis to end the inning.
Niemeyer was moving along from there. The next threat came in the sixth, when he got two straight strikeouts before walking Stegaman. Briston Wise followed with a single to put two on, but Donovan Winkeljohn flied out to right to end the threat.
In the top of the seventh, Rylan Edwards reached first on an error to start the inning. Magoto flew out to left for the first out. Dowler then caught Edwards leaning too far off first and got the pickoff, then got Homan to fly to right to send the game to the bottom of the seventh.
Niemeyer started the bottom of the seventh by striking out Cam Werts before enticing Dickinson to ground to first for the second out and then striking out McCracken to send the game to extra innings.
Minster's James Niemeyer pitched a complete game with 12 strikeouts to earn Most Valuable Player honors of the ACME State Tournament.
"My curveball was pretty good tonight," said Niemeyer. "I kept them off-balance with the fastball. Defense played good behind me."
Wiss led off the top of the eighth by drawing a walk. Chase Dirksen came on to run for Wiss and went to second when Reese Beair bunted. Couse worked the count to 2-2 before hitting a shot to left-center, allowing Dirksen to score the first run of the game. Heitkamp drew a walk to bring up Schmiesing, who singled to left to score Couse to make it 2-0.
Minster designated hitter Reese Beair lays down a bunt in the eighth inning of the championship game against Van Wert.
Van Wert changed pitchers as Nathan Gearhart came on to try and limit the damage. After striking out Niemeyer, Edwards singled home Heitkamp to make it 3-0 before Gearhart got Magoto to fly to right to end the inning.
"He's essentially a second leadoff for us," said Eilerman of Couse, who was batting in the nine-spot. "We trust him in the bottom of the order. One through nine in our order, there's a lot of trust in those guys. He came through in that spot."
Niemeyer, who had thrown just 90 pitches going into the eighth, came back to try and sew up the title. Gearhart popped up to Homan in foul territory for the first out. Davis then lofted a deep fly to left, where Edwards made the snag for the second out. Dowler grounded to short, where a bobble allowed the batter to reach first.
Niemeyer, however, was in no mood for dramatics, striking out Stegaman for his 12th strikeout of the game.
"I felt really confident I wasn't going to give up any runs (in the bottom of the eighth)," said Niemeyer. "There was nothing to worry about there."
Niemeyer was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player with his 12-strikeout, two-hit performance on 99 pitches. Minster teammates Magoto, Edwards and Wiss joined Niemeyer on the All-Tournament Team along with Van Wert's Davis, Wise and Dowler. Defiance's Brady Borton and Indian Lake's Griffin Schaub rounded out the team.
"Can't say enough about these guys," said Eilerman. "They have a lot of heart and they grind it out."
Minster 3, Defiance 2
(8 innings)
The Wildcats were in search of their first baserunner when play resumed. Defiance starter Cody Shaw had retired the first nine batters he faced on Sunday, but was not able to continue pitching Monday due to the number of pitches thrown Sunday.
Sam Gerschutz took over for Defiance and gave up a one-out walk to Connor Schmiesing to break up the perfect game before getting two straight outs to end the inning.
Wiss took over on the mound for Magoto, who went the first four innings and was also unable to pitch Monday. Wiss scattered two hits over four innings with a walk and four strikeouts.
Dylan Heitkamp hit a one-out double to break up the no-hitter. Schmiesing followed with a walk. Defiance called on Isaac Bair out of the bullpen to try and stop the threat, but promptly walked Niemeyer to load the bases for Edwards, who singled to left to score Heitkamp and Schmiesing to tie the game.
Wiss got out of a jam in the top of the seventh when Defiance got runners to second and third before Brezlen Zipfel grounded to third to end the threat. Minster had a great chance to end the game in the bottom of the seventh as Wiss walked. Kahlil Ligon moved from first base to the mound and was greeted by Beair with a single. Couse grounded back to the mound, where Ligon threw to third for the force, but Heitkamp loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Schmiesing popped the ball behind the plate, where Shaw made the catch. Niemeyer then flew out to left to end the threat and send the game to extras.
After Wiss pitched a 1-2-3 top of the eighth, Ligon got the first two outs in the bottom of the eighth before Ian Homan and Wiss had back-to-back singles. A wild pitch moved the runners up 90 feet before another brought Homan home for the victory.
The home plate umpire signals Minster's Ian Homan safe with the winning run as Defiance pitcher Khalil Ligon looks for the call in the eighth inning of the semifinals earlier Monday.
"I think we're confident in the hitting, knowing it was going to come (along)," said Eilerman. "It felt like 'When are we going to get that guy on and get them over. It didn't happen until the eighth today."
