Strong pitching leads Dragons to Emerald Championship
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A Harrisburg player avoids a wild pitch during the Eagles’ 4-2 defeat at the hands of PacWest rival Creswell. |
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SPRINGFIELD — It took three games over three days, but Monroe’s summer league squad capped an improbable run with a 12-3 victory over Creswell to win the Oregon Junior Baseball Emerald League title. McKenzie, Oakridge, Harrisburg, Monroe, North Douglas and Creswell made up what Harrisburg coach Steve Luby called “The Small Schools League.”
The title game against Creswell was tight until the fourth-seeded Dragons busted the game open in the fifth inning. With the score 3-2 in favor of Creswell, the Dragons scored six runs to make the margin 8-3. The Dragons added four more insurance runs in the seventh and final inning. Hika Saito led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs.
Head coach Bill Crowson sights great pitching performances from senior-to-be Colton Hartshorn and Tyler Arvin, who is heading into his third season at Monroe. Arvin pitched brilliantly against Oakridge on Thursday June 26, giving up only two hits and one run while striking out 14 batters. Arvin’s performance was the driving force behind the Dragons’ 5-1 win. Jason Eaton was 3-for-4 in the game with two doubles, and Carlos Vasquez went 3-for-3.
“We had great pitching all three days,” Crowson said. Arvin pitched a total of 12 innings in the tournament striking out 19 batters and walking just one.
The next day, Monroe followed up its impressive victory with a 19-6 rout over #1 seed North Douglas in the semifinals. Colton Hartshorn pitched the game without giving up an earned run. He allowed five hits while striking out seven. The team recorded a total of 15 hits, and ten players recorded a hit in the game.
“It was just one of those days for them,” Crowson said. “They had some defensive struggles, and then everything just snowballed from there.”
North Douglas’ defeat left the door open for second-seeded Harrisburg. The Eagles tied North Douglas with an 8-2 regular season record. Harrisburg received a bye in the first round because of its regular season record.
In their semifinal match up, the Eagles faced conference rival Creswell. Despite sweeping the Bulldogs this past spring, the Eagles were not able to advance to the finals of the tournament. Creswell beat the Eagles 4-2 on what Luby called, “an outstanding defensive performance.”
Harrisburg got its two runs on fielders’ choice plays. The Eagles jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Steven Luther led off with a single. Tyler Luby was next up, and he singled to right field to move Luther over to third base. Brian Richardson hit into a fielder’s choice, which allowed Luther to cross home plate.
In the third inning Luther hit a double, and after a Luby groundout that moved him to third, Luther scored on another fielder’s choice hit by Richardson.
The game was tied heading into the final inning. After 6 1/3 innings, Luby took out pitcher Kyle Smith. Luther came in with one out and two men on. He walked a batter, and then Creswell was able to score two runs.
“He was in a tough spot,” Luby said, “but he kept his poise on the mound.”
Luby and Crowson both value the experience their players get in tournaments of this sort. It is a chance for players to grow up during the off-season, they said.
“We’re all learning how to compete in these big moments,” Luby said. “We just got another season under our belt.”