12U Stars show a flair for the dramatic

Braden Schwartz broke a 2-all tie with the eventual game-winning two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning, Nathan Hedges added a fifth-inning homer and Kade Wilson tossed a complete-game masterpiece on 72 pitches with seven strikeouts to vault The Dalles’ 12U All Stars to the District 5 baseball championship rounds in comeback fashion, 5-2, over Redmond Thursday at the Umatilla Sports Complex.

“We really wanted it,” Schwartz said. “We had Kade pitching a really great game and we just knew we had to get the bats going to back him up and we got the job done. We knew what it would take, we just needed to focus and play our game.”

Redmond seized momentum in the top of the first inning with a pair of unearned runs on one hit and two errors.

From the first inning through the fourth, Wilson retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced, only allowing a leadoff single in the fourth.

He then got a strikeout and two groundouts to get out of the inning, opening the door for TD’s rally.

Down by two runs, TD had its first two batters retired on a strikeout and a groundout, but the next six batters reached safety.

Mason Caldwell reached on an error, Manatu Crichton-Tunai received a walk, and Andy Maney put The Dalles on the scoreboard with an RBI single.

Following a walk to Wilson, Styles DeLeon had an RBI infield single that plated Crichton-Tunai to tie the score at 2-apiece.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Schwartz faced a 2-1 count and smacked a two-run double, scoring Maney and Wilson, giving TD its first lead of the game, 4-2.

“Andy Maney came off the bench and really got us going with his clutch hit,” said coach Ken Brock. “That’s the guts these kids have. They want to be there. If we have kids who want to be in that spot and want to be at the plate, we are tough. We are really tough. That’s something we talk to them about is, just go out there and compete. That is all we got to do. If we could find a way to go out there and compete, we knew the rest would take of itself.”

Staked to a two-run cushion, Redmond had a runner at third base and one out, but Wilson wiggled out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout to keep his team ahead.

Out in front by two runs, Nathan Hedges hammered a 1-1 pitch over the fence for a solo home run to give TD a three-run advantage at 5-2.

Wilson needed only 10 pitches to shut down Redmond in the top of the sixth inning on a flyout, a lineout and a groundout.

Over his six innings of work, Wilson allowed two singles and did not walk a batter, as eight of the 18 outs were on groundballs and seven were strikeouts.

“I have been saying it all along. Kade is our guy,” coach Brock said. “He is a stud and is a true competitor. I mean that kid is fearless. He wants to throw the ball against the best teams. He wants the bump. I don’t have enough good things to say about how well he threw the ball today against a very good hitting Redmond team. It was impressive.”

In all, TD posted six hits, received three walks and had a batter hit by a pitch.

Wilson was 2 for 2 with a walk and a run scored, Schwartz went 1 for 2 with a walk and two RBIs, and Maney had a hit, scored a run and drove in another.

DeLeon ended up 1 for 3 with an RBI, Hedges had his solo home run in three at-bats, Caldwell scored a run and Tunai walked and scored.

In the first three innings, The Dalles posted two hits, a walk and a hit batter, and also had a runner reach on an error, but left four runners on base, all in scoring position.

As frustrating as things were, Brock knew it was only a matter of time before his group would get that big hit or play to change the momentum.

“It was an uphill challenge, but they just fought,” Brock said. “They want to battle. They didn’t care how far behind they were. There was never any doubt in the leader of this teams’ heads that we were going to come out there and put up some runs. I believed it as well. If you believe, you are so much greater in what you can accomplish.”

The title game is slated for either 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. on Saturday against the winner of the Bend North versus Redmond consolation contest (game to be played at 5 p.m. today).

The double elimination matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m. in a winner-take-all contest (if necessary).

“This win showed that we can come back and that we never give up and that we are the best team in the district,” Schwartz said. “We are probably going to face this team again in the championship, so we got to be prepared to throw our best at the them.”