Pepsi wraps up banner season with BR crown

Thankfully for coach Chad Smith, his squad chose the latter.

Off the heels of a semifinals win Wednesday to vault into the title contest, Pepsi starter Brock LaFaver tossed a four-hit, 12-strikeout gem in the squad’s 7-1 victory over Spooky’s Pizza Thursday in a Babe Ruth baseball championship contest played at Kramer field.

“When we lost that game, we all just listened to what coach told us and took it to heart,” Pepsi’s Spencer Guscette said. “We didn’t want to quit. We love the game and love each other like a family, so we played the rest of the tournament with something to prove.”

An RBI single by Isaac Anthony that scored Taylor Beeks, who reached on a leadoff single, gave Spooky’s a 1-0 lead through one frame.

Pepsi had two third-inning runs on a single by Keon Kiser that scored Manatu Crichton-Tunai and Kade Wilson.

In the fifth, LaFaver helped his own cause with a two-run single to score Wilson and Kiser.

Carson Smith then drove in Elijah Roden with an RBI bloop single, extending the Pepsi lead to 5-1.

Roden had an RBI single and Kiser scored on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth for the final runs.

LaFaver got one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, but exited due to his high pitch count.

Roden came on in relief and needed just seven pitches to get a strikeout and a game-ending groundout to secure Pepsi’s title.

“We always find a way to win. We can beat teams with our pitchers and our hitting,” Pepsi infielder Carson Smith said. “Brock was amazing with his pitching and we had the hits when it counted.”

Roden went 3 for 4 with a run scored and Wilson added three walks, four stolen bases and three runs scored, as Pepsi totaled eight hits and 11 walks.

Kiser had a hit, three walks and two runs, LaFaver, Jack Morgan and Guscette each notched a hit and a walk and Crichton-Tunai finished 1 for 2 with two walks and a run scored.

Anthony, Spooky’s starting pitcher, tossed four innings of five-hit ball with four walks and nine strikeouts for the losing decision.

The southpaw allowed two earned runs.

Offensively for Spooky’s, Taylor Beeks had a hit and a run scored and both Hoover and Maney reached on a walk apiece.

Anthony, Peyton Beeks and Evans went 1 for 3 each.

“We had a good season. A lot of the guys were playing Babe Ruth for the first time and they got better through the year,” Peyton Beeks said. “I am proud of them. I think we have the talent to get back here again next year, but it will take a lot of hard work to do it.”

Coach Smith and his staff of Erle Hinkley, Mike Wilbur and Larry Pray were the braintrust that helped give the Pepsi players a chance to have success on the diamond.

The team only lost three games all season and hit double figures in wins.

To see that growth and the players learning how to win games is something that stands out the most to coach Smith.

“We have a special group of young men here that never quit,” coach Smith said. “Whatever we threw at them, wherever we put them on the field or in the lineup, they never questioned us. They just went out and did their job. They showed a lot of themselves in this playoff series. They also showed that they were the best team in this league.”

Spooky’s ended the regular season at 11-2.

Coach Allen Beeks liked what he saw from his group of players and from the local players across the Babe Ruth level.

“I think the future is very bright for baseball,” coach Beeks said. “I am excited about what these kids can do. The level of talent here has me excited. We have good kids and players that want to win. The potential is there. As long as the coaches keep pushing them to be their best and we have players that are willing to keep working, there are going to be great things ahead for baseball at The Dalles High School.”