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Week 6 Game Recap: #1 Hamilton vs. #5 Basha

April 5, 2024
Cam Black-Araujo
Arizona Operations

#1 Hamilton 10 vs. #5 Highland 4

This was the second matchup this week between the two powerhouse programs who could likely see eachother again down the stretch in 6A play as Basha handed Hamilton their third loss with a 3-1 win on their home field. This time around, Hamilton's offense propelled the team to a 10-4 win as they evened up the season series with their big bats flashing their muscle.

Boston Kellner and Drew Rogers, both in their first season with the Huskies, did the most damage on the night as they both went deep, along with a double. Jaylen Payne was another standout for the Huskies as he came through with runners in scoring position on multiple occassions with a pair of RBI singles. For the Bears, Lincoln Demmons came through with the big swing as the freshman went yard for a two-run shot to LF. 

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'25 SS Boston Kellner (Louisville) has done nothing but drive the ball for extra-bases since transferring from Colorado and that was the case once again on Thursday night. The right-handed hitter and third-ranked junior in Arizona started with a leadoff double down the LF line and followed it up later on with a no-doubt two-run shot to LF. Kellner continues to impress and will be a key player for the Huskies as they look to make a deep run in the 6A postsesason.

Another Huskies talent that continues to drive the ball this spring is '24 C/INF Drew Rogers (Georgia Tech) and he put together a similarly impactful performance last night as Kellner. The Minnesota HS tranfer picked up a solo HR to the pullside and he came up to the plate later with the bases loaded and came through with a line-drive down the RF line to score two. Rogers' and Kellner's ability to impact a game with one swing makes them an incredibly dangerous team.

While it was the upperclassmen that carried Hamilton on the night, it was a freshman that did the most damage for Basha as '27 INF/C Lincoln Demmons caught a fastball outfront and drove it over the LF fence for a two-run HR. Demmons is a top-ten prospect in Arizona's 2027 class and should be a force in the Basha lineup for years to come and also provides defensively versatility.

'25 OF Jaylen Payne (Utah) was another standout for the Huskies and continues to provide value to the lineup with his bat-to-ball skills and ability to move around the bases. The Utah commit came to the dish with runners in scoring position twice and came through on both occassions with a pair of RBI singles. With Payne and Kellner returning next season, the Hamilton offense will be in good hands along with several up-and-coming underclassmen ready to contribute.

'24 OF Max Madrid (uncommitted) is one of the top uncommitted seniors in the State and looked the part on Thursday night. The strong left-handed hitter put together some good swings and came through with one of the hardest hit balls by a Bears player with a hard, barrelled line-drive back up the middle. Madrid should be on the radar of any college coaches still looking for an impact player in the outfield.

Another bright spot on the day and throughout the year for Hamilton has been catcher and former Future Gamer '24 C Liam Wilson (Harvard) as he's come up with some big swings in big moments. Wilson, like several others in the lineup, has shown the ability to drive the ball for extra-bases this year and did it again last night as he drove a fly ball deep to the opposite field for a double. One of the leaders on the Huskies squad who's provided production on both sides of the ball this year.

The win helped extend Hamilton's record to 15-3 and helped them avenge the loss from just two days prior. With the loss, Basha moved to 13-6-2 on the season (1-2-1) and have been a roll since starting the season 3-3. The two teams both find themselves within the Top 5 teams in the State and both will be fun watches down the stretch in Arizona's 6A division.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE STATE DATE LOCATION
Arizona Rising Stars ID AZ 04/13 Grand Canyon University - Phoenix, AZ
Arizona Rising Stars ID - Session 2 AZ 04/27 Grand Canyon University - Phoenix, AZ
Mesa Summer ID AZ 05/29 Desert Ridge High School - Mesa, AZ
2024 ProCase - West AZ 06/02 Pepperdine University
Top Prospect Games: Upperclass (Invite-Only) AZ 06/03 Grand Canyon University - Phoenix, AZ
Top Prospect Games: Underclass (Invite-Only) AZ 06/10 American Family Fields of Phoenix
West Side Summer ID AZ 06/18 Canyon View High School - Waddell, AZ
Glendale Summer ID AZ 07/16 Apollo High School - Glendale, AZ
Future Games (Class of 2026/27) NATIONAL 07/24 LakePoint Sports
Junior Future Games (Class of 2028/29) NATIONAL 07/24 LakePoint Sports
Senior Future Games (Class of 2025) NATIONAL 07/24 LakePoint Sports

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