The Dalles 13-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars went 4-0 to win the state tournament in West Linn Friday and Saturday. In the final game, TD came from behind to edge West Linn 10-9 in eight innings. The Dalles also beat Portland East Metro and Pendleton in the tournament.
The Dalles 13-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars went 4-0 to win the state tournament in West Linn Friday and Saturday. In the final game, TD came from behind to edge West Linn 10-9 in eight innings. The Dalles also beat Portland East Metro and Pendleton in the tournament.
Playing for a state championship, The Dalles 13-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars never quit Saturday in West Linn, and that resolve paid off as TD scored two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to come from behind and edge the host team 10-9.
“I’ve been coaching for a long time and that was one of the most exciting games I’ve been involved in, by far,” The Dalles manager Luis Jimenez said.
TD trailed 7-4 heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Caden Mathisen reached to lead off the inning and scored to get The Dalles a little closer.
After West Linn added a run of its own in the top of the sixth, TD answered with two in the bottom of the inning as Ben Nelson and Nolan Ryan both scored to get The Dalles within 8-7.
West Linn again scored one run in the top of the seventh to stretch its lead back to two and put TD just three outs away from finishing runner-up.
With one out and two runners on base, Dalles Seufalemua doubled to drive in Sam Thalhofer and Colton Baughn to tie the game 9-9.
In extra innings, Nelson, pitching for TD, held West Linn scoreless in the top of the eighth.
Mathisen then reached to lead off the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Zach Anderson singled and Mathisen raced home to score the winning run.
“We were down the whole time and they never quit,” Jimenez said. “They kept their heads up and they stayed in the game. They never got down on themselves. They had heart.”
The victory over West Linn was TD’s second of the state tournament. The Dalles won 11-5 Friday by scoring eight runs in the first two innings and leading the whole way.
Mathisen pitched all seven innings to earn the win.
“I think the big difference [in the second game] was they had already seen some of the plays that we have so they prepared for it and knew what to expect, like first and third situations,” Jimenez said. “They were playing good defense. We had quite a few strikeouts too so our bats might have been a little dead but when we did hit the ball hard, they were there and making plays. We started playing small ball, a bunt here and a bunt there, to stay close because their defense was solid.”
TD finished the tournament 4-0. The other two games were blowouts, including an ugly 21-1 win over Pendleton Friday that was similar to the District 5 tournament contests.
The Dalles defeated Portland East Metro 14-4 Saturday in five innings to advance to the state championship game.
Nelson and Mathisen each scored three runs in the rout, which began when TD put up eight runs in the bottom of the second to take an early 11-1 lead.
On the mound, Seufalemua and Nolan Ryan combined to shut down East Metro.
The Dalles will now prepare for the Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament in Meridian, Idaho, which feature teams from Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.
Games begin on Wednesday, July 22 and Jimenez believes his team can play even better.
“I’ve seen them play a whole lot better,” he said. “Overall, they played okay but it still wasn’t up to their potential. We’re still working on some things and preparing for Idaho and regionals. Everybody is excited and if we go down there and play to our full potential, we’ll be right up there with some of the better teams. It’s going to be fun. We’re looking forward to it.”
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