PREP BASEBALL: Jameson Remole delivers offensive spark in Salt Fork's sectional championship

Yahoo

15-06-2025

ARCOLA — Salt Fork's Jameson Remole knew a change was needed.
The senior infielder/pitcher was just 2-of-12 at the plate with one RBI during the IHSA Class 1A postseason tournament.
'I've been in a slump, but I kept believing in myself,'' Remole said. 'I decided to switch some things up and put some glasses on.''
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Remole, sporting a pair of stylish sunglasses, drilled a 0-1 pitch into the right-centerfield gap, scoring Fletcher Clem and igniting a 4-run sixth inning for the Storm as they rallied to beat the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Falcons 8-7 in an IHSA Class 1A sectional championship game at Buxton Field in Arcola.
'(Brayden Elliott) threw it right there and I hit it the other way,'' Remole said. 'I can't say that I started it all, but it felt good to get things started in that inning.''
It was just the type situation that Remole has handled in his high school career, according to Salt Fork baseball coach Joe Hageman.
'Jameson hit the ball hard his first couple of times at the plate, he just didn't get rewarded,'' Hageman said. 'He kind of likes that situation. He is that kid, whether it be football, whether it be basketball, whether it be baseball. He likes to be that kid with pressure on him. He has a lot of experience and has been very successful and he was again today.''
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Senior Pedro Rangel IV, who was the winning pitcher for Salt Fork, followed with a sacrifice fly, next was freshman Pedro Rangel V with an RBI single to center and Brayden Norton capped the scoring with a single to left.
'My dad and I have always talked about hitting is contagious. One person finds a decent hit and the rest of team will follow,'' said Rangel V. 'I knew my last at-bat wasn't the greatest. I struck out on four straight off-speed pitches.
'I had a feeling, he was going to keep going to it. I just had to wait back, see it out of his hand and make decent contact with it.''
The Storm (23-7) had taken an 8-4 lead after trailing 2-1 and 4-3 earlier in the game. But, it was in the fifth inning when Rangel IV scored on a throwing error to tie the game at 4-4 that Salt Fork followed a run-producing inning with a scoreless inning for GCMS (16-12).
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'I'm sure in their dugout they felt like they had battled back and been able to take the lead all game, so that time, we held serve,'' Hageman said. 'We were able press, get the lead for the first time since the third inning in the sixth.
'I think it put some pressure on them and allowed our kids to relax.''
But, not completely.
The Falcons came back with 2 runs in the bottom of the six on a double by Graydon Leonard off Rangel V, who came on in relief for his older brother Rangel IV.
Things got really tight for the Storm in seventh as Rangel V walked two of the first three batters he faced.
'Obviously there was a lot of pressure in that kind of situation,'' said Rangel V, who has earned the save in both the regional championship game and the sectional championship game for Salt Fork. 'I had to stay composed and trust my defense.''
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But, the freshman admittedly showed some frustration with a couple calls by home plate umpire Jake Jurczak.
'I lost it a little bit. I tried to stay more composed and not let it get to me,'' he said. 'I know the umpire is making the right call and I just needed to make a better pitcher on the next one.''
After getting the second out in the frame, GCMS junior Trent Wetherall made it a 1-run game (8-7) on an infield single. Rangel V walked Leonard to load the bases for Connor Kinzinger, who had a single, a double and two RBIs, but this time he hit a chopper to Salt Fork freshman third baseman Eli Wear, who fielded the ball and stepped on third for the final out.
'It seemed it took forever for the ball to get to him,'' said Remole. 'I saw it was a high hopper and he was getting it on a short hop, I was like 'oh no.' That moment might have been the most nervous I have ever been on a field.
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'I had faith in him to make that play. He has been consistent this entire year, making plays as a freshman. It's hard being at third base as a freshman, starting on varsity.''
Wear is one of four freshmen that start for the Storm, who only have 11 players — six are freshmen.
'We have 11 kids. That's all we have,'' Remole said. 'When you look at us, we are not the biggest team, we're not the fastest team, but we have the most courage and we have a great team atmosphere.''