Four No. 1 teams, including two reigning state champions, won semifinals on Tuesday and will be among 10 teams in five classifications vying for state titles on Saturday. Here's how the game were won:
6A
No. 1 West Linn 6, No. 4 Lake Oswego 4 – Jake Holmes made a great defensive play at first to save a run, then launched a two-run shot in the bottom of the first as part of a three-run frame that helped the defending champions to the home win. West Linn added three more runs in the bottom of the second, two on a hit from Baron Naone, and the Lions would have all the runs they needed, as Gabe Howard and Drake Gabel combined to keep the Lakers from getting more than two in the third and two in the fourth. Declan Francis and Brodie Heher had good moments at the plate for Lake Oswego in the loss.
No. 2 Jesuit 4, No. 6 North Medford 2 – A two-run home run from Levi Jones broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning and propelled the Crusaders to their first championship game since 2019. Jeremiah Robbins’ two-run home run for the Black Tornado had even the score in the fourth inning. Noble Meyer went the final three innings on the hill for the Crusaders, allowing zero runs while fanning four. The senior got the win and also drove home a first-inning run with a sacrifice fly.
5A
No. 4 West Albany 5, No. 9 Ashland 4 – Ashland led 4-1 after 2.5 innings, but West Albany scored two in the bottom of the third and single runs in the fourth and fifth to take the lead. Evan Bliss went 6.2 innings for the win. Drew Rice got the final out for West Albany, which got big offensive days from Camden Johnson and Aiden Metzker. West Albany has never won a state title and will be playing for the championship for the first time in almost 20 years.
No. 2 Thurston 14, No. 3 Wilsonville 8 – Sophomore Connor Molony had four hits and five RBIs to lead the Colts, who were up by just two after four innings, but scored the game’s final four runs in the home win. Thurston will vie for its first title since 2009.
4A
No. 1 Scappoose 6, No. 5 La Grande 4 – The defending champs led 4-1 on the road, thanks to two hits and three RBIs from Sam Tsiatsos; before top-seeded Scappoose rallied with five unanswered to make the final for the first time since 2015. Trey Fuller and Wyatt Anicker each had two hits and two driven in for the victors. Anicker's go-ahead single scored Nolan Lennox in the bottom of the sixth. Grayson Grover closed the game on the mound for Scappoose to earn the victory.
No. 6 Pendleton 9, No. 2 Gladstone 0 – The Bucks scored their second consecutive impressive road win to advance to the finals for the sixth time in program history. Jack Lieuallen pitched into the fifth inning and was dominant, striking out 10 while allowing just three hits. He also was 2-for-3 at the plate with two ribbies. Andrew Demianew added three hits in four trips with three runs scored and Dylan Gomez went 2-for-3 with a double and two driven home. All are seniors. Pendleton has never won a state title.
3A
No. 1 Cascade Christian 11, No. 4 Brookings-Harbor 1 (6 innings) – The Challengers scored three runs in the third, four runs in the fourth, and three more runs in the fifth to put away the Bruins of Brookings Harbor. Owen Thompson was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. CJ Bonner was 3-for-3 with a double, Noah Letendre was 3-for-4, Keith Reed was 2-for-3 with a double and Jack Knips homered for Cascade Christian. Thompson started on the mound and went 4-plus innings before giving way to Cole Stofflet at the 85-pitch mark. Stofflet pitched the 5th and 6th innings. They combined to strike out nine. The Challengers will look for their first baseball state title since 2012 on Saturday.
No. 2 Banks 5, No. 3 South Umpqua 1 -- Logan Kind allowed four runners in the first, then shut down the Lancers the rest of the way on just one hit while fanning 14 as the Braves made the title tilt for the first time since winning 4A in 2019. Wyatt Hesselman’s second hit of the game, a two-out, two-strike grounder through the hole, drove home two in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie.
2A/1A
No. 1 Kennedy 7, No. 4 St. Paul 0 – Ethan Kleinschmit pitched a gem for the defending champion and undefeated Trojans, who knocked off St. Paul for the fourth time this season. Kleinschmit and Andrew Cuff combined for 14 Ks in the shutout win. Charlie Beyer had three hits and two RBIs to spark the offense. Owen Bruner added a triple and RBI. Bruner combined on a relay from the wall with 1st baseman Matt Hopkins to the catcher to stifle a St. Paul rally when the game was 1-0. Warren Rose and Clay Smith pitched well for St. Paul and each had a hit as well.
No. 3 Blanchet Catholic 9, No. 2 Umpqua Valley Christian 1 -- For the first time ever, the Blanchet baseball team will head to the state finals. Mitch Wort led the offensive onslaught for the Cavaliers with two hits and three RBIs. Tyson Smith and Drew Bartels also had two hits in the win.
johnt@osaa.org
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