Rangers pick up dramatic win for state berth

“We knew we had to give it everything we had just to get a chance to get to state,” said Dufur senior Jake Kortge. “We didn’t want our season to end today. We finally got our bats going and played good defense to give ourselves a chance.”

Irrigon pitcher Austin Rice had seen plenty of innings in seven calendar days, with appearances last Saturday, Tuesday versus Sherman and in his team’s 16-6 opening district win over Heppner Saturday.

The sophomore tossed the first four innings against Dufur, but was pulled for reliever Nate Verley.

With two outs and runners on the corners, Dufur’s Kolbe Bales drove in Trever Tibbets with an RBI single to left field to inch the Rangers to an 8-3 deficit.

Nick Little then reached on a throwing error and both Kortge and Bales scored to make it, 8-5.

Bailey Keever slapped a double to right centerfield to score Little and Brent Sumner added an RBI single to left to make it 8-7, Irrigon.

Bales shut down Irrigon in the top of the sixth inning, and the Rangers were still within reach in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Rice re-entered to face two batters.

With one out, Bryson Caldwell singled off Rice, and with a 1-0 count on Tibbets, Rice was taken out of the game for right-handed reliever Johnny Phillips.

With two outs, Kortge slugged an RBI single to center to score Caldwell and tie the score at 8-apiece.

Bales then stroked a run-scoring double to left field to plate Kortge and give Dufur its first lead of the game at 9-8.

Bales retired Irrigon in order in the top of the seventh inning, with the final out on a strikeout to AJ Timpey to give Dufur (22-6 overall) a comeback win and a state play-in berth at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at home versus Toledo (15-8).

Bales, a left-handed sophomore, was especially determined to try and get his six senior teammates back to the postseason.

“The seniors deserve to be in the playoffs. They worked hard and led us this far,” Bales said. “We want to get them further than they got last year, so to get this win is huge for all of us. I am so happy we were able to win this game. It was definitely memorable.”

Irrigon took advantage of three Dufur errors to score four runs in the top of the first inning, as Alan Blackman capped the inning with a two-run home run to left to make it 4-0.

Dufur scored twice in the home half of the first inning, on a single by Kortge and an error.

Up 4-2, the Knights (16-11) plated three runs in the second inning off Caldwell, the Dufur starter to jump ahead 7-2.

Irrigon added an unearned run in the fourth to swell its lead to 8-2.

In the final three innings, the Knights managed a walk, with Dufur pitching retiring the final seven batters in a row.

“We just settled down. We fielded the ball and played better defense and were able to string some hits together,” Caldwell said. “We showed that when we play our game, we can play good ball. It was a great comeback.”

Kortge went 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs and two RBIs, Bales had two hits, a run scored and two RBIs, and Sumner had two hits in three at-bats with an RBI.

Keever went 1 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI, and both Uhalde and Caldwell scored a run.

Bales tossed three innings of no-hit ball with a walk and five strikeouts to earn the win.

“It’s a game that will not be forgotten any time soon,” said Dufur coach C.S. Little.

“We have had a rough two weeks with our losing streak of five games, but that is part of baseball. We responded well when our backs were against the wall there. Hopefully, now we can carry this win with us into the postseason.”

Earlier Saturday, Pilot Rock broke open a 4-all tie with two runs in the top of the seventh inning to hold on for a 6-4 win over Dufur in the district championship game.

Tibbets, the Ranger starter allowed six runs, four earned, on 10 hits with two strikeouts and two walks for the loss.

The Rangers posted five hits, but left five runners on base.