A bad day at the baseball concession stand can mean a couple of things, including: 1. A poor menu; 2. Lack of attention to the re-stock list; or 3. Opposing pitchers are dealing, and the game is sailing along at breakneck speed.
The May 2 Hood River Valley at La Salle Prep contest was a good example of No. 3.
La Salle’s Finbar OBrien and HRV’s Jake Von Lubken dueled for seven innings in a pitching showdown in which the latter received just enough run support to help earn his team a 3-0 win. The victory, coupled with a, 4-1, Eagle win over the Falcons on May 3 allowed HRV some breathing room in the Northwest Oregon Conference.
The Eagles (11-9 overall, 6-6 NWOC) lost a little air when Wilsonville delivered a gut-punching, 11-0, five-inning drubbing to end the week on May 5.
Hood River entered this week in fourth place in the NWOC standings with five games left. Four teams automatically qualify for the Class 5A state playoffs. A fifth team likely could earn a berth afforded through the OSAA’s wild card scenario. Either a 5-for-5 sweep, or even four wins in a 10-day span would secure HRV a playoff spot.
“For us, we’d like to run out,” Coach Max Reitz said.
“Tuesday at La Salle was just a classic pitcher’s duel. Finbar O’Brien is probably one of the top three or four baseball players we’ll play against this year. He was electric,” Reitz said. “But we had Jake’s best outing of the year, I think, it’s safe to say. It was just awesome.”
As an example, O’Brien retired Hood River in order in the top half of the first inning on six pitches. Von Lubken responded in the bottom half of the frame with a five-pitch inning. Off they went, the starters were sailing along until HRV finally got to O’Brien in the top of the sixth for all three of its runs.
“We were into the fourth inning in about 30 minutes,” Reitz said of the perfect games from both aces through that point. “It was just buzzsaw through the batting order for both of ‘em.”
Jordan Webber and Hunter Duckwall each doubled. Reitz also called for a few sacrifice bunts — which were successful. The first moved Webber to third base and he scored on a La Salle throwing error. Duckwall later scored on a one-out passed ball after he had advanced to third base on the second sacrifice.
Von Lubken finished with 13 strikeouts, walked two and allowed three hits. O’Brien, who had one of those hits, struck out 11, walked four and allowed five hits.
HRV’s No. 2 pitcher, lefty Jordan Webber, controlled La Salle in the May 3 rematch. His nine-strikeout, one-walk, three-hit performance got the Eagles through six innings.
“It sounds like a broken record. (Webber was) on the attack, pitching with tempo and using the natural movement on his fastball and they just couldn’t find the barrels against him,” Reitz said.
Offensively, Hood River was led by Von Lubken and Grady Williams, who rebounded from the previous contest to provide some punch at the plate. Batting 1-2 in the order, they combined for four hits and three runs.
The third game of the week at Wilsonville was a forgettable event for HRV. The Wildcats’ starter Justin Schramm no-hit the Eagles.
Hood River was scheduled to host Wilsonville on Tuesday of this week and then is to play a two-game set against Hillsboro on Wednesday and at home on Friday. The Eagles finish the regular season with two games against third-place Canby, May 17 away and May 19 at home. A 5-for-5 finish would likely leave HRV as the NWOC No. 3 seed to the playoffs.
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