Brewer, Gottman Combine to Edge Out District Rival
The Canton Tigers were able to hold off the Scotland County Tigers on Monday night, picking up a hard-fought win over a district opponent. Canton sent senior Preston Brewer to the mound, while Scotland County countered with senior Logan Buford.
Canton’s offense broke through in the bottom of the third. A stretch of three walks and three hit batters brought sophomore Cameron O’Brien, junior Kaden Oliver, and courtesy runner Colton Baker across the plate. A misplayed pickoff attempt allowed Baker to score, giving the Tigers an early 3-0 lead.
A scoreless fourth brought the Canton bats back to life in the fifth. Oliver started things off with a base hit. Brewer was hit by a pitch, and junior Drew Gottman followed with a single to load the bases. Junior Ian Burbridge stepped up with a single that scored Oliver and pushed the lead to 4-0 heading to the sixth.
Both teams were held scoreless in the sixth inning. Brewer returned to the mound in the seventh but hit his pitch count limit after recording the first out with a runner on first. He moved to first base, and Gottman came out from behind the plate to pitch in relief.
Scotland County quickly found momentum. A single from junior Carter Clatt put two on, and a double by junior Tayte Richmond brought in sophomore courtesy runner Levi Stott to put Scotland on the board. A passed ball scored Clatt, but Gottman answered with a strikeout for the second out. Buford followed with a single to score Richmond, trimming the lead to 4-3. Two walks loaded the bases, but Gottman got a clutch strikeout to end the threat and seal the win for Canton.
After the game, Canton head coach Andy Anderson praised his team’s approach in a tight contest.
“Every time we play Scotland County, it comes down to the final at-bat no matter what the lead or score is going into the seventh inning,” Anderson said. “Scotland made some key defensive plays to keep themselves in the game, give themselves a chance at the end. But I thought our guys hit the ball well. We had some big hits. We did not chase anything. We got a little bit wild and helped the pitcher out, which was a key.”
On the mound, Brewer delivered a strong start, going 6.1 innings, striking out nine, giving up two hits, and allowing just one earned run.
Anderson noted that Brewer’s pitch count forced the late change, but praised both his senior starter and the closer.
“He was out of pitches, and he did a really good job and went after them. I thought defensively we made the plays. Gottman came in and did a really good job. We walked a guy and they hit a ball off the fence. Then they had an infield single which hurt. But he did a good job of bases loaded, two outs, to close it out.”
For Brewer, the win was more than just a regular season victory—it was an important moment against a fellow district team.
“It felt great, knowing they’re a district opponent. This will probably put us in the top 3 of districts,” Brewer said. “So it felt good to get that win. We knew that going into this game. We knew that it was going to be a tough battle. It was earlier in the year, and I’m glad we were able to pull it off.”
Looking ahead to the postseason, Brewer believes the performance can provide a spark.
“I feel if we can keep building off this game, keep doing the small things and making plays, put the ball in play—it will give a big swing going into district play.”
Stat Highlights:
- Canton:
- Preston Brewer: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 9 K (Win)
- Kaden Oliver: 1-2, single, 2 R, 1 RBI
- Ian Burbridge: 1-2, 1 RBI
- Drew Gottman: 1-2, 1 RBI, 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K (Save)
- Scotland County:
- Tayte Richmond: 2-4, 2 doubles, 1 R, 1 RBI
- Logan Buford (P): 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 3 K
- Buford (Bat): 1-3, 1 RBI
Scotland County drops to 6-7 on the season and will return home to face Knox County on Tuesday, May 6, with a 5:00 P.M. first pitch.
Canton improves to 10-4 on the season. The Tigers will stay home and play Camp Point Central out of Illinois for Senior Night on Tuesday, May 6, with first pitch slated for 5:00 P.M.
