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08/26/2021 12:00 AMSam Ametrano helped the Guilford 19-U AAU baseball team enjoy a season that it will never forget this summer. The Grizzlies won 14 games and reached the final of the East Shore Travel League Playoffs, and Sam’s performance proved pivotal in their success.
Sam made a big impact on the mound for Guilford throughout the summer season. Sam led the Grizzlies with 47.1 innings pitched while posting a 5-3 record with a 2.37 ERA for club that came close to winning it all with an exciting playoff run.
“I feel that our season went really well this summer,” says Sam. “But I would have loved to end it with a trophy.”
Sam toed the rubber when Guilford squared off against top-seeded Run & Gun Baseball in the semifinals of the East Shore Travel League Playoffs. Sam earned the win by pitching 6.1 innings and striking out seven to lead the Grizzlies to a 4-1 victory and a spot in the final. Sam says winning that game is a moment that will stay with him forever.
“My favorite baseball memory was pitching 6.1 innings of shutout baseball in the semifinals against the No. 1-seeded team in the playoffs,” says Sam. “We were a young team compared to all the others in our league, and they were definitely way older than us.”
On top of his contributions on the hill, Sam was also a force for the Grizzlies at the plate this year. Sam hit for a .323 batting average while leading the team in both runs scored (18) and stolen bases (13).
A junior at Guilford High School, Sam has been playing baseball since he was five years old. Sam put in a lot of work alongside teammate Michael Torre to ensure that he would have a solid summer with the Grizzlies.
“I’ve worked hard at improving my game every year, and one of the ways I do that is by going down to the field with Michael Torre before and after almost every game and practice,” Sam says. “We work on with whatever we struggled with, and it helps us out.”
This season marked Ryan Fraser’s first year as head coach of the Guilford AAU team. Coach Fraser was impressed with the leadership that Sam brought to both the diamond and the dugout.
“Sammy took on a leadership role and embodied the identity of the team in terms of his buy-in. Sammy is always the first one at practice and last one to leave, constantly working on his craft,” Fraser says. “Sammy’s coachability, positive attitude, and openness to feedback helps make Sam the great person and player he is.”
Coach Fraser also lauds Sam for his team-first approach to the game. Fraser says that he sees a lot of himself in Sam, specifically when it comes to their competitive spirit.
“Sammy is the ultimate team-first guy and will do anything to help his team win, whether that is make a huge play in the outfield, advance on a passed ball, get a game-winning hit, or throw a lights-out performance in a league semifinal,” says Fraser. “All those things Sammy did this summer to help the team.”
Even though Sam and Coach Fraser just met this summer, Sam says that Guilford’s skipper has quickly become a friend and confidant.
“This was my first season with my head coach, and it was a great one,” says Sam. “He was an amazing coach who definitely brought out the best in our entire team. He definitely played a big role in our team’s success.”
Sam will be looking to make the varsity baseball team at Guilford High School next spring. Sam contributed at a high level for Guilford’s JV team and also saw some varsity time during his sophomore season. Now, Sam wants to compete for Head Coach Nick Merullo’s club with the varsity squad as a junior.
“Sam primarily played JV this spring and did a great job for us. He got into a handful of games at the varsity level late in the year as a pinch runner, and he made a relief appearance on the mound, too,” Coach Merullo says. “Sam will be competing for a role in the outfield and on the mound next spring with the varsity team.”