Another All-West Valley 3A Title Game Coming

Willamina jumped ahead of Regis early, and after the Rams had tied the game in the fourth inning, the Bulldogs came right back with a four run fifth at bat, and pulled away to a 5-2 win on the Rams' home field.

Coupled with Valley Catholic's 5-4 comeback win over Rainier, it sets up for the third year in a row a showdown between the two West Valley league powers at Oregon State for the 3A softball state championship. And a scheduling quandary for the Bulldog faithful, given the Willamina baseball team will also be playing Friday, against yet another West Valley school, at Volcanoes' stadium in Keizer, for the 3A baseball championship.

Willamina won a tight 4-3 game over Grant Union to earn a fourth shot this season at Westside Christian of Lake Oswego. The Eagles, who rolled past Vale 10-0, have handled Willamina on the 90 foot diamond in all three meetings this year, similar to Valley Catholic's three game sweep on the 60 foot softball field.

However, Willamina's Caralyn Chewning had other plans. Chewning, best known for her pitching, started the game off with a single to right on the third pitch delivered. Chewning stole second, advanced to third on Nina Umfrid's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Gecy Bowman's RBI double.

Willamina's Caralyn Chewning opened the game with a hit, and went on to score.

Regis left a runner aboard in each of the first three innings, but couldn't push a run across until the bottom of the fourth inning, when, with two out, Tessa McGill singled to left center to score Emily Perlich, who had led off with a single. But Chewning, who had gotten the first two outs of the inning on a couple of her 11 strikeouts, got Alyssa Tuss to bump a soft grounder back to the circle for an easy out, stranding two more Rams in scoring position.

Regis' Tessa McGill singles in the Rams' first run.

The game turned in the top of the fifth inning, as Perlich hit Megan Eichler, the Bulldog's number nine hitter, with a pitch, then walked Chewning on four pitches. Umfrid loaded the bases with a bunt, and Sammie Bowman drove in Eichler with an infield hit that Regis second baseman Tuss couldn't do anything with.

Willamina's Sammie Bowman delivers an RBI.

Chewning and Umfrid scored on Sherae Cumberland's fly to left field that Kendra Lulay couldn't handle. Bowman was picked off of third base by a strike throw by Ram catcher Rachael Borschowa, but Carley Trammel singled to center to score Gecy Bowman, staking Chewning to a four run, 5-1 lead.

"I wasn't concerned about the walk," Ram coach Teri Van Liew said, "It can be better to let Chewning, as dangerous hitter as she is, have one base rather than make a mistake and have her take two; it can be the lesser damage. But you have got to play perfect to get thru a West Valley team, and you have to get thru them to get any where close to the finals. The error was what really hurt us."

"These girls have played in a lot of big games, they are used to pressure," Willamina coach Brad Chewning explained. "Seven of them have been together since they were playing 12U ball five years ago, and they have lots of experience against the best ASA teams."

After Willamina had batted around, Regis looked to answer, and Allie Butterfield opened the bottom of the fifth inning by beating out an infield single. Butterfield advanced to second on a wild pitch by Chewning, and then stole third, but was stranded there when Whitney Koehnke flew out to center, and Perlich struck out swinging.

Willamina went down in order in the sixth inning, and Regis brought up the lower part of their batting order. Butterfield's bunt and a single to shallow center by Borschowa didn't produce any runs, but it did bring the Rams back to the top of the order for their last chance in the seventh.

"The bottom of the order had a great game at the plate" Van Liew observed. "They gave us a chance. This team is a bunch of 'clawers', despite being very young, with only two seniors, and two juniors."

The Bulldogs looked to bury the Rams before they got that last chance, though, when G. Bowman walked and took second on the wild pitch, and Cumberland drove a fly deep to right field. However, Emily Bolduc made the catch and doubled G. Bowman off second. "That was my bad," B. Chewning said. "Sherae hit the ball so well, I thought it would drop, and sent the runner."

Butterfield led off the Rams' last chance with a bunt, advanced in Bolduc's sacrifice bunt, and reached third on a pitch in the dirt.

Regis' Whitney Koehnke delivers an RBI single.

Koehnke's single to right scored Butterfield, but Chewning was unphased. Throwing with her trademark grin, Chewning got Perlich to pop up to the catcher, and struck out Heidi Etzel to earn a third trip to the finals.

"We like to be pushed," C. Chewning said. "We like the challenge. At that point, I wanted to get it over, and go to the championship game."

Regis actually out-hit Willamina 9-7, but as Van Liew put it "We just couldn't string the hits together. We just had one bad inning. Still, I'm totally satisfied. Desire is never a problem at Regis, and they never quit. These girls exceeded all expectations."

Chewning served up only one walk against her 11 strikeouts, and stranded nine Ram runners. Perlich struck out five, but four walks and the hit batter set the table for the Bulldogs.

As the game ended, word of Valley Catholic's comeback win reached the Willamina dugout, and immediately turned the discussion to whether Willamina can finally break thru the stranglehold Valley Catholic has had on the WVL and 3A softball since entering 3A during the last redistricting.

"We have a game plan, but obviously, Roni (Illias, Valley Catholic's coach) will too," B. Chewning commented. "They have a good lefty (pitcher), and we could see their right hander as well. But if we can come and hit, it will change the complexion of the game."

"Two years ago (when VC won 6-0), we were nervous. These girls had never seen anything like the big stage. But last year (when VC took three of four from Willamina, including a 3-2, 8 inning win in the championship contest), it was a heck of a game," B. Chewning said.

"Valley Catholic is good, but they are beatable. We had them down at our place, but they scored twice in the last inning (to win 2-1). We will have to take the approach that losing is not an option," according to B. Chewning.

"Everyone needs to be on their 'A' game," C. Chewning said, "but the third time is going to be the charm."

Willamina       100 040 0  -  5  7  0

Regis               000 100 1  -  2  9  2

Chewning (W) and G. Bowman; Perlich (L) and Borschowa.

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