Against all odds: TD captures district title

Needing to win two games in order to keep its season alive, TD’s 10U All Star team scored mercy-ruled wins of 16-3 and 12-2 Saturday over Bend North to capture a District 5 Championship in games played at Parr Lumber Field in Prineville.

“Because they beat us so badly in our first game, I was proud we didn’t give up,” said Styles DeLeon. “We didn’t come out scared on championship Saturday, knew we could get the job done and everyone did their part to accomplish this.”

In those two games, The Dalles pounded out 20 hits, received 15 walks and had 10 different players score runs.

The pitching staff allowed five runs and scattered just five hits in nine innings with 12 strikeouts and the defense committed one error.

DeLeon and Nolan Donivan were the main arms in Saturday’s clincher, as The Dalles held leads of 1-0, 6-0 and 9-0 through the first four frames.

With the score 9-2 in the bottom of the fifth, TD pushed three runs across to put Bend North away.

Cooper Klindt started the rally with a one-out double, and Cooper Cummings followed with an RBI triple to plate Klindt to increase the lead to 10-2.

DeLeon then singled home Cummings to make it 11-2.

Donivan walked to put runners on first and second with one out.

One out later, Braden Schwartz hit a high popup to the Bend North pitcher, but the ball squirted out of his glove into foul territory.

DeLeon rounded third and headed home standing up, slamming his foot down on home plate for the final run and the win.

Players and coached stormed the field in celebration, as The Dalles overcame the odds to pick up two lopsided wins over their nemesis.

“We were very excited since we 10-runned them twice in a row to get to state,” Cummings said. “I didn’t see any emotional tears, we were just super excited when we scored the last run.”

For the game, TD had 11 hits, as DeLeon finished 5 for 5 with a triple, four runs scored and an RBI.

Schwartz was 3 for 4 with two doubles, a run and four RBIs, Klindt and Donivan added a hit and a run scored apiece, and Cummings went 1 for 2 with a triple, a walk, two runs and an RBI.

DeLeon tossed 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts and three walks to earn the winning decision.

Donivan pitched the final 1 2/3 and used 26 pitches to shut down Bend North.

“It felt great to overcome the odds and finally win districts,” Donivan said. “It felt so good and it made it even better that we beat Bend North.”

Earlier Saturday, The Dalles erased a 2-0 first-inning deficit with an eight-run third inning and added eight more runs in the top of the fourth in a 16-3 blowout triumph.

DeLeon, William Booth, Schwartz and Nolan Cates had two hits apiece, Riley Brock received three walks and scored twice, and Cummings had a hit, a walk, scored two runs and added an RBI to lead TD’s nine-hit attack.

In the fourth, TD sent 14 batters to the plate and had six players score runs, and Booth scored twice.

Booth and Cates also had two RBIs, VanSickle, Schwartz, Donivan and Cummings added an RBI apiece.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Brock allowed one run and departed with runners on second and third with two outs.

Booth retired the final batter on a groundout to shortstop to end the game.

In his 3 2/3 innings, Brock struck out seven Bend North batters and walked five. He allowed two hits and all three runs were earned.

After losing by 12 runs against this same Bend North team on Thursday, TD coach Ken Brock inspired his team to come back even stronger over the final two days to possibly get the opportunity to exact revenge in the championship.

“The coaches said go out and play your game, TD baseball, relaxed, focused, and confident,” Donivan said.

Friday in an elimination semifinal against Bend South, the Stars led 10-0 through two innings and then added 10 more runs in the third to go out in front by a 20-1 margin.

Schwartz was in complete control on the mound, allowing TD a chance to use Riley Brock and DeLeon in Saturday’s games.

Coach Brock felt as though his team put too much pressure on themselves to beat Bend North on Thursday, so the focus was on the players playing free and easy.

“We prepared for the games by practicing like we were going to play, keeping our heads in the game, staying positive and getting rid of all that nervousness,” Schwartz said.

Now, The Dalles is headed to Medford this week for state tournament baseball action in an eight-team, double-elimination format, against teams hailing from Hermiston, Klamath Falls, Del Norte, Lake Oswego and South Salem, to name a few.

TD’s first matchup is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 9 versus Del Norte.

Getting a district title is a nice feeling, but VanSickle and his teammates want more hardware.

“I feel relieved, happy, and proud that we were able to come together as a team and win district, but I won’t be satisfied until we win state,” VanSickle said.