Big-game Bob: Clear Creek Amana starter Bob Meade throws gem in 3-0 win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy

CEDAR RAPIDS – Clear Creek Amana’s Robert Meade said friends call him “Bob.”

He might adopt a new nickname that matches how he welcomes tests and trials. “Big-Game Bob” likes tough competition.

“I love big games,” Meade said. “You just have to sit in them. It makes everything feel so much better when it’s a big game.

“You’ve got to love a good challenge.”

Meade was up for it in his first pitching appearance of the season. He threw 6 2/3 innings and helped Class 3A No. 7 CCA to a 3-0 victory over 4A No. 9 Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Saturday at Herkelman Field. The Cougars rebounded for an 11-1 win in five innings, earning the prep baseball doubleheader split.

“He’s a guy that can beat anybody in the state of Iowa,” Clippers Coach Bryan McCray said. “Games like these are what he lives for. “He likes to play against the best.”

McCray said that Meade can hit a maximum velocity of 88 miles per hour and a big 12-to-6 curveball. Keeping the ball low and in the strike zone is crucial.

Meade almost went the distance and Reece Cochran recorded the final out in relief.

“I was just able to throw strikes,” Meade said. “I didn’t have a lot of strikeouts. The infield and outfield did a lot of work.”

Cochran and Kaden Phan drove in runs with sacrifice flies and Maclane Morgan added an RBI single for CCA (2-2), according to McCray. The run support helped but Meade was a big fan of his fielders, including Cochran, who recorded all three outs in one inning.

“Confidence is key in baseball,” Meade said. “You know if a person puts it in play that they’re going to field the ball. They do it and I love it.”

Meade, a 6-foot-3 right-handed senior, has been part of the pitching staff since his freshman season. He tied for the team lead with seven starts last season. He was third with 44 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched and tied for third with three wins.

“He’s a grinder,” McCray said. “He’s got grit. He’s also a great kid to coach. I really enjoying working with him.”

McCray said Meade can cause batters fits with his over-the-top arm angle and throwing strikes. He has made improvements of finer points, like holding runners on and control the pace of the game. Meade was satisfied with his efficiency and durability.

“I like what I did going late in the game,” Meade said. “Not throwing as many pitches. If I can do that a lot more this season, I’ll definitely do well.”

Kennedy (5-4) responded in Game 2. The Cougars broke things open with a seven-run third inning, including RBI singles from Max Leno, Ty Donels and Danny Doyle, a run-scoring double by Brady Dill and a couple run-producing errors. Doyle ended the game with a two-run double in the fifth and finished with three RBIs. Colton Duerling scored twice and drove in two runs for Kennedy.

“I was very proud of how our seniors corralled them and got them to refocus after a tough first game,” Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer said. “Their pitcher (Meade) pitched exceptionally well. You just have to tip your cap to him. The seniors rallied the troops (in Game 2). They moved the ball better and did the things that Kennedy teams do on the bases. It paid off.”

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