West Valley Rivals Meet in Rematch of Last Year’s Title Game; Valley Wins Again!

The Willamina Bulldogs (23-5), twice the West Valley runnerup to the Valley Catholic Valiants (25-3), look to not also be twice runnerup in the state, and avenge a 6-0 loss in last year’s title game.

The Valiants have won two in a row, and four of the last five meetings with the Bulldogs, since a 2-1 Willamina win in last season’s first meeting. However, many of the game were in doubt to the last pitch, as the other game scores were 1-0 VC, 1-0 VC in 9 innings, 3-2 Willamina in 11 innings, until Valley claimed this year’s West Valley top spot with a 12-4 win in a tiebreaker.

The game will doubtless be the seventh and last chapter in the high school pitching rivalry between

Valley senior Sami Picken and Willamina sophomore Caralyn Chewning.

Valley Catholic has already rung up 17 shutouts this season, and have allowed the second fewest runs in softball, 22, behind only 6A Grans Pass, who is playing Saturday for the 6A title. Meanwhile Willamina has hung 11 0’s on the final scoreboards, and allowed only 1 run 8 other times. Both teams are in the top 5 in 2A in all 7 of the statistical ratings.

As the clouds completely disappear, with the teams both dressed in black, it will be one of the warmer games of the year.

The Bulldogs are the designated visitors, and Gesi Bowman drives one into the gap in right center, but Jill Suratt calls off the right fielder, and makes the grab.Caralyn Chewning reaches on a bunt when Sami Picken throws low. First mistake Valley. Brianna Anderson's bunt is caught in the air by a juggling Valerie Barry, the VC catcher. Her throw down to first is dropped, or she had a double play.

Chewning steals on Barry, and scores on Catrina Shell's double over the center fielder's head. Sami Bowman's shot off the short stop and there are runners on the corners, but Megan Eichler's drive is directly to VC first baseman Emily Becker, and Willamina is retired, up 1-0.

Maggie Hastreier walks to lead off for Valley, and Chelsea Lambert follows with another walk. Tara Baglai, a .450 hitter for Valley, grounds into a fielders choice at third, erasing the lead runner. Emily Becker, who delivered the game winning hit Tuesday, watches a wild pitch advance the runners, and then delivers a blooper that drops in to tie the score. A good throw forces Baglai to dive back into third. Suratt delivers a run scoring single to left, and Barry's infield sacrifice advances the runners to second and third. Sami Picken drives a ball to the fence, but foul down the right field side. And then Caralyn Chewning gets her rival to swing at strike three, 2-1 VC after 1, and 4 runners have been left on, 3 in scoring position. These pitchers some times don't allow that in a game.

Valley Catholic’s Maggie Hastreiter works the bases between Willamina’s Sherae Cumberland and Brianna Anderson. Hastreiter would score VC’s first run.

Picken gets her first strike out, and Becker makes a great grab of a foul in front of the dugout. Barry doesn't pick up a foul popped up fast enough, but Picken gets another K, and the Bulldogs are gone in order.

Chewning gets Hanna Wright to strike out easily, but Kindra Mills puts up a big battle, and drops a bumper down right in front of the plate, and Sherae Cumberland drops the low throw ar first. A strikeout and a 4-3 groundout cleans up the mistake.

Willamina’s Caitlyn Chewning works in the circle against Valley Catholic.

Bowman may or may not have been out at first, but Chewning's double to the right center fence leaves no question marks. The strike zone is much different this game than in the last game, and Picken doesn't agree with this one. She does get Anderson, though, and yet another ball hit about 3 feet leads to the end of the inning, with Chewning stranded.

Willamina’s Gesi Bowman (5) was called out on a close play at first by VC’s Emily Becker.

Chewning throws several in the dirt before striking out Baglai looking. Becker grounds out to second softly, and Suratt does the same to Chewning. Still 2-1 Valley going to the fourth inning.

Picken gets 2 strikeouts before Justine Colton's single. A great snag by Lambert at shortstop saves a double. A pop up to second end the inning, and the tight game everyone expected has emerged after the exciting first inning, where two walks were bigger than two errors.

Barry grounds the first pitch to second for an out, then PIcken singles a line drive to right. With Emily Bishop running for PIcken, Hana Wright's bouncer to third allows Willamina to erase the lead runner. And yet another 3 foot hit ends another inning.

With 2 out, Chewning survives a questionable swing strike call, and singles to left center. But Picken's 7th. strike out strands her again, and we go to the bottom of the fifth, with the top of the VC order coming up.

Three up, three down, as Cumberland makes a great jumping catch at first to cloose out the Valiants in the fifth.

Picken strikes out the side in the top of the sixth inning.

Valley Catholic’s Sami Picken eventually struck out 13 Bulldog batters.

Micayla Rock makes a reaching grab on a foul ball over the fence behind third base to retire Becker. A ground out to third gets the second out, but Barry beats out an infield bouncer. But Picken strikes out, and Willamina is down to their last three outs.

Colton grounds out to second, but Rock works the count on Picken, and then drops a single into short center. Cumberland, also a top discus thrower for Willamina (last weekend,she placed fifth at state), clouts a game tieing triple to right, and the Valley defense huddles, there's suddenly a lot more work still to do.

Back to the top of the Bulldog order, and the right side of the stadium, full of Bulldog rooters, who outnumber the Valley folks 2-1, have the stands shaking. G. Bowman looks at strike three! Chewning faces down Picken once again, and draws a walk.With Chewning on second (a no-throw steal), Anderson is Picken's twelfth strikeout victim, and its tied at 2-2 going to the bottom of the seventh.

Wright's grounder is booted by Anderson, but its' ruled a hit. Winning run is on. Mills strikes out, but Valley gets to the top of the order, and Hastreiter singles to center; Wright stops at second. Lambert grounds to sedond, and the Bulldogs take the out there. Runners on the corners, with 2 outs. Baglai watches a wild pitch, but Chewning covers, and Wright is out at the plate! Extra Innings!

Valley Catholic’s Hana Wright is put out at the plate by Willamina’s Caitlyn Chewning.

Shell singles to left, just off the short stop's glove to start the eighth inning. S. Bowman dirves a long foul down the right field line, and gives the universal "Oh Dang!" sign. And then she strikes out.

Eichler bounces to short, erasing Shell at second. Another grounder to short sends the game to the bottom of the eighth.

Baglai is back up, and bounces out to Chewning. Becker doubles to the left center fence, Suratt's fly in short left falls into short stop G. Bowman's glove, Barry's grounder draws a wild throw into the dugout, and Becker scores! VC wins 3-2 in eight innings!

Afterwards, Becker described the winning moment, saying "When I first say the ball hit up the middle, I just wanted to get to third base. But when I saw the throw released, I knew right then we had won; I just had to touch home! It was the perfect ending!"

Picken agreed, watching from the on-deck circle. "I had been thinking another long game with Willamina! But when I saw the throw, and Emily go in, I couldn't be happier!"

Becker also discussed the double that set the table for the exciting ending. "That hit was perfect timing. They have seen me a lot, but I've seen what she (Caralyn Chewning) throws too."

Valley Catholic Coach Roni Illias described the game as "A very good game. It's the way a championship game should be played. It takes a great hit, or an error, to decide a game like this." And when Chewning made the game saving putout at home, Illias said "We thought we were going to have to make some adjustments, to get some more hits." Like the one Becker delevered.

Illias also discussed a key decision, to not pinch run for Becker. "We are missing one of out runners, who lost her grandmother, and had to go to California. And I had to save one for Sami, not knowing how long the game might go. Emily is a very smart runner; I felt we were ok despite not having all the speed out there."

The loss of a player's family member, coupled with the loss earlier of assistant coach Diane Vance's dad (which is why all the Valley Catholic players and coaches had temporary tatoos of "4MV" on their arms), led Illias to especially savor the Valiants' second consecutive championship, noting "It hasn't been easy. The girls have had to battle thru some things that are not normal in life. But it has been a good life lesson for them, to battle through, and now be rewarded."

Willamina Coach Brad Chewning initially could just say "Whoo!", but then explained "I lost my voice screaming so hard! But we didn't give up (referring to falling behind in the first inning, after a fast start). I'm proud of these girls. These are two great teams. Last year was disappointing, because we didn't play well. This is how we usually play Valley. I feel we are winners today too." Illias agreed, noting "Chewning was really tough!"

Picken felt the full range of emotions, explaining "Willamina is a good competitor. We had to stay within ourselves, when it would be easy to get carried away. We've done a lot better at that this year, taking it just one play at a time. That's how we came back from those two errors in the first inning." Referring to the seven games against the Bulldogs in a little over a year, Picken said "In a way , it gets tiring, especially the way the games often go long. But it benefits both teams. Credit Willamina for their comback, but look at what we have learned too. And how we finished."

It could signal a changing of the guard, as Valley loses Picken, and three other seniors, while Chewning will lead Willamina in the quest for a title two more years. But for Picken, who plans to attend Oregon State in the fall, but not play softball, it was a good way to end a career. Picken said "I'm done! Yeah, it was the state championship, there's not much better way to go out than that!"

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