Noah Schamerloh simply could not be stopped Monday night as the Norwell Knights crushed the Bellmont Braves for their 20th sectional title in school history and their 12th in the last 20 seasons, beating their NE8 rivals 15-8 at the 3A New Haven sectional.
Schamerloh led the Norwell attack with a staggering 11 total bases in the first three innings, launching two homers and one triple.
The Knights chased three Bellmont pitchers from the mound and pounded out 16 hits, while also forcing the Braves into making eight different errors in the contest.
The game got off to a rough start for the Braves, with Schamerloh hitting the fifth pitch of the game over the right field wall and Drew Graft hitting another one out of the park three pitches later off Bellmont starter Beau Baker. The Knights led 5-0 before the Braves came to bat.
Gavin Krull drove in two runs with two outs with a single, providing a partial answer to Norwell’s first-inning barrage, but the Knights continued their onslaught despite the Braves switching pitchers and Layne LeMaster entering the game.
Schamerloh tripled against LeMaster, who did not make it out of the inning, and the Braves committed three errors defensively before Kaigan Lee was brought into the game with the score already at 9-2.
Lee got out of the second thanks to a nice throw by his catcher, Oliver Werling, to nail a runner, but Schamerloh made it three extra-base hits off three different pitchers by homering off Lee in the third.
Bellmont stayed away from the mercy rule with RBIs in four straight plate appearances, with Baker, Werling, Krull and Cam Friedt each driving in a run to cut the deficit to 11-6.
Lee got the first two outs in the fourth and the Braves looked to be back in the ballgame until two walks loaded the bases and the Braves’ defense faltered again, allowing another unearned run.
Schamerloh then went to the mound and delivered two solid innings in the fourth and the fifth, striking out two. The Braves had him briefly on the ropes, but courtesy runner Daniel Selking was gunned down at home to stunt the Bellmont rally.
The Knights will play Bishop Dwenger for a chance at a regional title, something Norwell have won as recently as 2021 and 2023. The Braves ended their season at 12-14, turning 2025 around by winning the final five games of the regular season and knocking off Mississinewa and Heritage to reach the championship game.
About the Author
