KEIZER - In a marathon match-up between two West Valley League teams, Willamina exploded for 8 runs in the 11^th inning and held off WVL rival Westside Christian, 14-9, to claim the 2009 3A baseball championship at Keizer's Volcanoes Stadium. Entering the game, few gave Willamina (22-6) any chance against the Westside Christian juggernaut (23-5) that looked all but invincible entering the game. But nine Eagle errors and several base-running mistakes ensured back-to-back title game losses for Westside Christian.

On paper, the 3A championship game between Westside Christian and Willamina should not have been close. The Eagles from Lake Oswego entered the title game riding a 23-game winning streak, going undefeated against 3A opponents while routing the Bulldogs three times in the process. In fact, Willamina only managed to take WSC to seven innings once this season, losing 9-1, followed by 16-2 and 13-3 losses shortened by the 10-run mercy rule. Though the 10-run rule is not in effect in OSAA championship play, some still wondered if this 1:30 pm game would last until 3 O'clock. Instead, the game ended after the 5:00 pm start time for the 2A/1A game.

The Eagles boasted eight returning starters from last year's 3A title game, including four 1^st-team all state players this season. On paper, this was a mismatch. But Willamina wasted no time showing the Eagles that this game would not be played on paper. After knocking off top-ranked Grant Union, 4-3, in the semifinals, the #9 Bulldogs were growling to get at the #2 Eagles.

After Adrian Wilson struck out against Eagles' starter Zack Renicker to open the game, B.J. Wilson stroked the first of his six hits, lining a single to left field. Bulldog catcher J.J. Flynn tripled to left center, scoring Wilson. Derek Littlejohn followed with a RBI single to left, giving Willamina an early 2-0 after one inning.

Willamina added another run in the second inning when Adrian Wilson reached on the first of nine WSC errors. Wilson advanced on a wild pitch and scored on B.J. Wilson's double to left. Meanwhile, Willamina starter Chris Orozco shut out the potent Eagle offense for three innings as the Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning.

In the top of the 4^th, Willamina took a 4-0 lead when Flynn drove in leadoff hitter Brent Buckner. With the game half over, the Bulldog faithful began to sense this game may be more than just a cruel joke waiting to happen. Indeed, Westside Christian had seen enough and the second time through with Orozco changed the game from a potential upset to nail biter.

After Chris Mueller grounded out, cleanup hitter Spencer Ross crushed an Orozco pitch to deep left center for a double. But Ross had more in mind and never stopped at second base, looking to spark the Eagles with a triple. But a perfect throw and relay to third cut down Ross 10 feet from the bag. The putout proved costly to WSC as the Eagles would rally for three runs with two outs. All-state catcher Nate Mays followed Ross with his own deep double to left, but drove in no one due to Ross's out. After Zenicker walked, WIllamina coach Cliff Toney brought in B.J. Wilson to relieve Orozco. The junior right-hander, a 2^nd team All-State pitcher, promptly surrendered a 2-RBI double to left by Kevin Krostag. Wilson struck out Brandon Bray to end the inning, but the Eagles had struck back to make it a 4-3 game.

WSC's Spencer Ross is tagged out by Willamina's Brandon Bruckner

after Ross tried to stretch a double into a triple.

Photo by Bruce McCain

After Renicker set down the Bulldogs in order in the 5^th inning, Westside Christian was poised to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning. But base running decisions cost the Eagles again. With one out, WSC's Austin Layton reached on an error. Mueller followed with a double to left, giving the Eagles runners at 2^nd and 3^rd with one out. Ross tapped a grounder back to B.J. Wilson, who checked Layton at 3^rd before throwing out Ross at first. But Layton broke late for the plate and Littlejohn's throw to Flynn cut down the Eagle, whose head-first dive resulted in a classic face plant for an inning-ending double play.

Willamina catcher J.J. Flynn squashes WSC's Austin Layton well short of the plate.

Photo by Bruce McCain

Willamina extended its lead to 5-3 in the top of the 6^th on Littlejohn's RBI single to right field, scoring Adrian Wilson. But WSC answered with a run of its own in the bottom half, though another questionable decision on the base paths proved costly again. With the bases loaded with one out, Bray singled to right field, scoring Mays from 3^rd. But Renicker tried to score from 2^nd on the play and once again, an Eagle was easily tagged out by Flynn following another relay to the plate from Littlejohn. Willamina led, 5-4, heading into the final inning.

WSC's Zack Renicker has no chance against Bulldog catcher J.J. Flynn

Photo by Bruce McCain

Chris Mueller replaced Renicker in the 7^th inning, and that was not good news for the Bulldogs. The 1^st-team All-State pitcher struck out the side to send the game to a potential game-ending bottom of the seventh. Mueller then led off the 7^th and was nailed on the left forearm by a B.J. Wilson fastball. Ross then doubled to deep right field, sending Mueller to 3^rd.  But for the third time in three innings, the Eagles pushed the envelope on the base paths as Mueller rounded 3^rd in a vain attempt to score from first base. Brent Bruckner's relay to Flynn nailed Mueller short of the plate leaving Willamina two outs short of the victory. But after an intentional walk to Mays, B.J. Wilson unintentionally walked Alex Easterlin, loading the bases. Wilson's control problems continued when he walked Reniker, forcing in Ross with the tying run. Mays was forced out at home for the second out (though Flynn played it like a tag play), before Bray's groundout to short ended the inning and the Eagle threat.

J.J. Flynn (R) tags out WSC's Chris Mueller, who tried to score from 1st base.

Photo by Bruce McCain

Mueller struck out the first two Bulldogs to open the 8^th and appeared out of the inning when B.J. Wilson beat out an infield single to 3^rd. But Easterlin's throw to first on the play was wild, sending Wilson off to 2^nd, then 3^rd. In the proverbial comedy of errors, WSC's throw from Krostag to 3^rd base sailed past the bag, allowing Wilson to trot home with an unearned run that began with a slow roller to third base.

Trailing 6-5 with one out in the 8^th, WSC put runners on 1^st and 2^nd following a walk to Layton and Mueller's single to left. Ross tied the game again with a 300-foot RBI single to deep center, scoring Layton and sending Mueller to 2^nd. Mays  walked, loading the bases for Easterlin, who lined a fly ball to center that many thought would end the game. But instead of tagging up, Mueller went down the line toward home. By the time Adrian Wilson caught the fly in center, it was too late for Mueller to return to third base for a game-winning tag-up run. Renicker grounded out to end the inning and send the game into additional extra innings.

Neither team scored in the 9^th or 10^th innings. Adrian Wilson replaced B.J. Wilson in the 9^th inning and shut down the Eagles. Meanwhile, Willamina was hapless against Mueller, who struck out nine Bulldogs in four innings ofwork before being lifted for Bray, who faced Willamina in the top of the 11^th. That's when the proverbial wheels on Westside's wagon spun off in eight different directions.

After four innings of futility against Mueller, the Bulldogs batters turned the 11^th inning into a batting practice session against Bray and Ross. By the time the damage was done, Willamina had scored eight runs on only seven hits, helped greatly by four more Westside Christian errors. Willamina had finally broken through and took a commanding 14-6 lead into the bottom of the 11^th inning. But Westside Christian would not go quietly.

The Eagles pushed across three more runs against eventual winner Adrian Wilson, who finished the game by striking out Mays and inducing Easterlin into a game-ending tapper back to the mound. When Wilson final toss settled into Littlejohn's glove at first, the Bulldogs had pulled off an improbable victory over a team that embarrassed them three times this year.

Not surprisingly, B.J. Wilson was named Willamina's QWEST Player-of-the-Game after scoring four runs, going 6 for 7 at the plate, driving in a pair, and keeping the potent Eagles in check for 4 1/3 innings in relief. Nate Mays, the Eagles superb catcher, was named WSC's QWEST Player-of-the-Game.

Willamina's B.J. Wilson was the QWEST Player-of-the-Game with

six hits, four runs scored, 2 RBI and four innings of relief pitching.

Photo by Bruce McCain