With temps reaching onto the mid 90s Tuesday, the stifling evening heat at Collins Field matched the intensity of a U13 Junior Baseball of Oregon match-up between Hood River and Reedville.
Tied 5-5 after six innings, the Hood River lineup took to the field to defend their turf one final time. Reedville batters singled and struck out, setting the stage for an outstanding double play between second basemen Michael Hasegawa, who made a diving backhanded snag, and shortstop Grayson Loseee, who caught Hasegawa’s flip on the run, tagged second and turned the double-play with a bullet of a throw to first.
In the bottom of the inning, Hasegawa singled, then stole second to get into scoring position. Ryan Gray stepped up to bat and found an opening with a line drive up the middle for the walk-off RBI.
The Hood River boys have been playing all spring through the Junior Baseball of Oregon program. The team started the season in the American league of their age group -- the middle level of JBO’s three options. After going undefeated in their first seven games, the team was bumped-up to the higher and more competitive Federal League, where they closed-out the season.
The team, led by head coach Rob Leiblein, finished the spring/summer season this week with Tuesday’s home game, then two games on the road in the Portland area. The boys will practice for another couple of weeks to prepare for the JBO state tournament July 18-20 in Gresham, where they’ll enter as the Tri-County League’s No. 1 seed.
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