Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
North Coos captures league title
By Scott J. Adams, Sports Writer
Saturday, July 28, 2007 | No comments posted.
NORTH BEND - Playoff seeding, a regular-season ending sweep, an outright division title - North Coos was leaving none of those to chance Friday.
Especially the last one.
The Waterfront, led by five scoreless innings from Kale Forrester and a pair of RBIs from Gatlon Giorgis and Adam Opoien, clinched the program's first American Legion division title this decade with a two-game sweep over Sheldon at Clyde Allen Field.
North Coos won the first game 10-3 and the second game 7-2.
It was the crowning finish to a 14-6 league season for North Coos, and exactly where coach Brad Horning hoped his team would be before the season.
“Going into this season, we knew we had a lot of potential with our pitching and our hitting, and this has just been a great season for both,” said Horning. “This team has lived up to its expectations.”
The league championship is Horning's first in five years of coaching North Coos - the team he once took the field for under current manager Bud Grant.
“This title is as much Bud's - it's a great accomplishment for him,” Horning added.
North Coos needed a win in game two to clinch the outright title over Roseburg Pepsi and had enough runs to do so after the first inning. The Waterfront's first four batters all crossed home in the bottom half, including lead-off man Tyler Lancaster, who had two runs in the game.
“It's a great feeling for us,” said Lancaster, who celebrated his 18th birthday Friday. “I never won a league title at North Bend (High School), so it's definitely special.
“Today was going to be a big challenge for us at he plate, and we rose to it.”
Meanwhile, Forrester shut the door on Sheldon with six solid innings. The right-hander struck out five and gave up just four hits as the winning pitcher.
Sheldon starter Zach Manley got the loss, allowing six runs in five innings.
Forrester surrendered two runs, the first coming on a home run by Brad Coffee in the second.
North Coos posted runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings and had 10 hits in the game. Opoien finished 3-for-3 and Giorgis 2-for-3.
Jesse McClintock went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI, also for the Waterfront.
“It was a real team effort today,” McClintock said. “Everyone did their part.”
North Coos has one full day to celebrate before hitting the road to play North Medford on Sunday in a non-elimination game to determine seeding for regionals. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at North Medford High School.
“We just need to stay focused and keep playing smart baseball,” Lancaster said. “We're playing well right now.”
North Coos' title hopes were kept alive with the win in game one, but it didn't come as easily as the score suggests.
Sheldon held a 3-0 lead and was in control through the first four innings until North Coos got two across in the bottom of the fifth.
The wheels that were shaking completely fell off in the sixth for Sheldon and starting pitcher Kaleb Carter. The Waterfront took a seven-run lead with eight runs off four hits and six walks.
Bryce Weidman got the merry-go-round started with a lead-off single to right. He stole second two at-bats later, then scored the tying run from third after Sheldon's right fielder, Eric Favfrau tripped while handling a base hit by Alex Clark. From there, Giorgis, Lancaster and Skyler Walton all drew run-scoring walks.
Forrester added an RBI single as did Weidman, who batted twice in the inning.
“We knew if we just hung with them, things were going to start going our way,” Horning said. “Their pitcher was getting high in the pitch count and starting to lose his control. We just had to be patient.
“We were getting nervous though for a while.”
That was crystal clear in the fourth when Horning tried to rally his troops by waving home Stevens on a shallow single hit by Opoien. Stevens was cut down on a rope thrown by Coffee in left.
“Looking back, I probably shouldn't have done that with (Lancaster) coming up to bat next, but we had to start something,” Horning said.
Through the first four innings, North Coos was held to two hits and stranded five base runners, including three in scoring position.
McClintock, who went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in the second game, finally broke the seal in the fifth with his single to right that brought in Weidman. Walton made it a 3-2 game on the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly to right that was just deep enough to score Giorgis, who squeezed under the tag of catcher Wyatt Davis.
Sheldon never recovered.
“We were in control from there - we finally got some momentum,” Horning added. “These guys can hit the ball. They just needed to start finding the gaps.”
Carter pitched beautifully early in the game but succumbed to fatigue midway through the fifth. He threw 155 pitches total while giving up six hits, 13 walks and 10 runs - all earned - in 5 2-3 innings.
The afternoon was the complete opposite for Neal Vaught, who bounced back from two losses Wednesday to pick up the win. He closed with two perfect innings after scattering eight hits through the first five.
The lefty yielded one earned run in seven full innings and had nine strikeouts - the final three to end the game.
“He pitched great for us,” Horning said. “We just needed him to keep it close, and he did it. He really came through.”
Weidman led the Waterfront at the plate with a 2-for-3 effort and matched Lancaster and Giorgis with two runs. Lancaster singled, drew three walks and was hit by a pitch.
“Everyone has been hitting the ball well this season just like we hoped we would,” McClintock said. “Neal gave us a great start too.
“Everything's coming together.”
First game
North Coos 10, Sheldon 3
Sheldon 030 000 0 - 3 8 2
North Coos 000 028 X - 10 7 3
Kaleb Carter, Zach Manley (6) and Wyatt Davis; Neal Vaught and Gatlon Giorgis.
Second game
NorthCoos 7, Sheldon 2
Sheldon 010 001 0 - 2 4 2
North Coos 401 011 X - 7 10 4
Zach Manley, Wyatt Davis (1) and Brad Coffee; Kale Forrester, Bryce Weidman (7) and Gatlon Giorgis. 2B-She: Coffee; NC: Adam Opoien. HR-She: Coffee.
Especially the last one.
The Waterfront, led by five scoreless innings from Kale Forrester and a pair of RBIs from Gatlon Giorgis and Adam Opoien, clinched the program's first American Legion division title this decade with a two-game sweep over Sheldon at Clyde Allen Field.
North Coos won the first game 10-3 and the second game 7-2.
It was the crowning finish to a 14-6 league season for North Coos, and exactly where coach Brad Horning hoped his team would be before the season.
“Going into this season, we knew we had a lot of potential with our pitching and our hitting, and this has just been a great season for both,” said Horning. “This team has lived up to its expectations.”
The league championship is Horning's first in five years of coaching North Coos - the team he once took the field for under current manager Bud Grant.
“This title is as much Bud's - it's a great accomplishment for him,” Horning added.
North Coos needed a win in game two to clinch the outright title over Roseburg Pepsi and had enough runs to do so after the first inning. The Waterfront's first four batters all crossed home in the bottom half, including lead-off man Tyler Lancaster, who had two runs in the game.
“It's a great feeling for us,” said Lancaster, who celebrated his 18th birthday Friday. “I never won a league title at North Bend (High School), so it's definitely special.
“Today was going to be a big challenge for us at he plate, and we rose to it.”
Meanwhile, Forrester shut the door on Sheldon with six solid innings. The right-hander struck out five and gave up just four hits as the winning pitcher.
Sheldon starter Zach Manley got the loss, allowing six runs in five innings.
Forrester surrendered two runs, the first coming on a home run by Brad Coffee in the second.
North Coos posted runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings and had 10 hits in the game. Opoien finished 3-for-3 and Giorgis 2-for-3.
Jesse McClintock went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI, also for the Waterfront.
“It was a real team effort today,” McClintock said. “Everyone did their part.”
North Coos has one full day to celebrate before hitting the road to play North Medford on Sunday in a non-elimination game to determine seeding for regionals. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at North Medford High School.
“We just need to stay focused and keep playing smart baseball,” Lancaster said. “We're playing well right now.”
North Coos' title hopes were kept alive with the win in game one, but it didn't come as easily as the score suggests.
Sheldon held a 3-0 lead and was in control through the first four innings until North Coos got two across in the bottom of the fifth.
The wheels that were shaking completely fell off in the sixth for Sheldon and starting pitcher Kaleb Carter. The Waterfront took a seven-run lead with eight runs off four hits and six walks.
Bryce Weidman got the merry-go-round started with a lead-off single to right. He stole second two at-bats later, then scored the tying run from third after Sheldon's right fielder, Eric Favfrau tripped while handling a base hit by Alex Clark. From there, Giorgis, Lancaster and Skyler Walton all drew run-scoring walks.
Forrester added an RBI single as did Weidman, who batted twice in the inning.
“We knew if we just hung with them, things were going to start going our way,” Horning said. “Their pitcher was getting high in the pitch count and starting to lose his control. We just had to be patient.
“We were getting nervous though for a while.”
That was crystal clear in the fourth when Horning tried to rally his troops by waving home Stevens on a shallow single hit by Opoien. Stevens was cut down on a rope thrown by Coffee in left.
“Looking back, I probably shouldn't have done that with (Lancaster) coming up to bat next, but we had to start something,” Horning said.
Through the first four innings, North Coos was held to two hits and stranded five base runners, including three in scoring position.
McClintock, who went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in the second game, finally broke the seal in the fifth with his single to right that brought in Weidman. Walton made it a 3-2 game on the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly to right that was just deep enough to score Giorgis, who squeezed under the tag of catcher Wyatt Davis.
Sheldon never recovered.
“We were in control from there - we finally got some momentum,” Horning added. “These guys can hit the ball. They just needed to start finding the gaps.”
Carter pitched beautifully early in the game but succumbed to fatigue midway through the fifth. He threw 155 pitches total while giving up six hits, 13 walks and 10 runs - all earned - in 5 2-3 innings.
The afternoon was the complete opposite for Neal Vaught, who bounced back from two losses Wednesday to pick up the win. He closed with two perfect innings after scattering eight hits through the first five.
The lefty yielded one earned run in seven full innings and had nine strikeouts - the final three to end the game.
“He pitched great for us,” Horning said. “We just needed him to keep it close, and he did it. He really came through.”
Weidman led the Waterfront at the plate with a 2-for-3 effort and matched Lancaster and Giorgis with two runs. Lancaster singled, drew three walks and was hit by a pitch.
“Everyone has been hitting the ball well this season just like we hoped we would,” McClintock said. “Neal gave us a great start too.
“Everything's coming together.”
First game
North Coos 10, Sheldon 3
Sheldon 030 000 0 - 3 8 2
North Coos 000 028 X - 10 7 3
Kaleb Carter, Zach Manley (6) and Wyatt Davis; Neal Vaught and Gatlon Giorgis.
Second game
NorthCoos 7, Sheldon 2
Sheldon 010 001 0 - 2 4 2
North Coos 401 011 X - 7 10 4
Zach Manley, Wyatt Davis (1) and Brad Coffee; Kale Forrester, Bryce Weidman (7) and Gatlon Giorgis. 2B-She: Coffee; NC: Adam Opoien. HR-She: Coffee.
The comments below are from users of theworldlink.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Not already registered?
The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines