In back-to-back seasons, the Columbia Gorge ‘AAA’ Hustlers were a play or two from advancing to state tournament action, falling short in Super Regionals.
The Hustlers wound up on the wrong side of a pair of losses to the Eugene Challengers, with a 9-8 loss in Game 1 and an 11-7 setback in Game 2.
First-year head coach Matt Eby said a few errors were the difference in the opening loss, but the team stepped up to the challenge in Game 2 with a rally from a 9-0 deficit.
“Game 2 was amazing to watch,” Eby said. “We were down 9-0 in the fifth inning. The maturity these guys displayed to rally was incredible. We ended up losing 11-7. They left it all on the field that day. I had a great time coaching this group. They really matured and came together as a team in the final games.”
Columbia Gorge finished league play with an 11-5 record and a third-place tie with West Linn. Due to head-to-head play, the Hustlers held the tiebreaker edge.
The Sunday afternoon before Super Regionals, Columbia Gorge swept Putnam in a doubleheader by scores of 8-2 and 10-5 in Milwaukie with homers from Payton Eaton, Colin Noonan and Dylan DesRochers, to preserve third-place league status.
“The guys competed well in both games,” Eby said of his group. “They played hard and competed from start to finish.”
Balancing player personalities with family vacations, jobs and other commitments were a challenge to the coach and team, but the work ethic never waned.
“I am real proud of the guys for working hard all season,” Eby said. “It is tough to come in during the summer time to get players to show up every day, but they showed up every day and competed well throughout the season.”
With the addition of Hood River’s Kam Walker and Patrick Harvey and Goldendale’s Jaymison Cline and Chris Trunkey, the Hustlers raised their level of play in a tough division.
Finishing their final game at the American Legion level were The Dalles’ Ross Kohl, Eli Holeman, Eaton, Steven Bartells, along with Trunkey and Walker.
“There was a lot of talent on this roster,” Eby said. “It was really tough at the end because a lot of kids who have been playing ball all of their lives are done. The last game of the season, I tried to get all of them out on the field one last time.”
With the loss of six pivotal leaders, the program is looking to reload the roster with TD returners Noonan, Harvey, DesRochers, Colton Walker, Bailey Ortega, Dawson Hoffman, Tyler Westin and Kellen Mathisen as the main figures.
The Hustlers will add a few more pieces and try to match or surpass this year’s numbers.
“We got a few guys that will be back next year for the varsity team (The Dalles),” Eby said. “My goal this year, we got some of the Hood River kids out here playing with us this year and Goldendale, and they taught them a little bit about more work ethic. They were able to see and compete with guys that had been in a state championship. That rubbed off on them a little bit, that competitive edge, that they will need in the next couple of years.”
Eby was happy to see more players from different areas of the gorge participating in legion play this summer, so the talent pool was deeper and the coach is hoping for more players to join in the future.
Babe Ruth 15U players Bradley Moe, Bailey Keever, Connor Uhalde, Kolbe Bales, Spencer Honald, Tylan Webster and others will be vying for those extra spots vacated by the graduating six.
That group showed well at the recently-completed Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament in The Dalles.
The Hustlers’ first-year coach encouraged his athletes to keep hitting, fielding and throwing to stay in optimum shape for the upcoming spring and summer seasons in 2016.
Eby believes that the Hustler program is trending forward in the right direction, so success is right around the corner.
“We have a lot of talent coming up from the JV (junior varsity) and the varsity from this year,” Eby said. “So, the next year or two, you might see a single state tournament.”
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