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As you know, they were the only undefeated team in
the county in 'league play' at the end or the
regular season, so they were 'top seed' going into
the tournament. The championship tournament was
double elimination. They won two extremely close
games against Clackamas and Tualatin on Day 1. The
Tualatin game was a come-from-behind game that ended
with a walk off base hit in the bottom of the 6th by
Josh Rynders that drove in two runs. The Clackamas
game went into extra innings where it was decided by
4 consecutive Redland hits: a homer by McClintock
and three triples that all happened on four
consecutive pitches! The Redland team proceeded to
lose badly the next day (9-2) to
Mid-Valley (Woodburn) who looked like
the eventual winners. Redland then entered the
'losers bracket' and beat Gladstone in four innings
(ten run rule) for the right to replay Woodburn,
the only remaining undefeated team. On the last day
of the tournament (Sunday), to get from the losers
bracket to the top, Redland would have to win three
consecutive games, first against Gladstone,which
they did, and then play two against the same
Mid-Valley team that beat them handily the day
before. The real cinderella part of the story was
the country kids from Redland somehow managing to
comeback and beat this undefeated team TWICE
consecutively (14-6
and 8-4) to win the county championship! Redland
had never before beat Mid-Valley in the
four previous seasons that they faced them in
playoffs or league play. The Redland coaching was,
of course, excellent as far as keeping the kids
focused without overwhelming them with the
pressure. The first of the two Sunday games against
Mid-Valley began rather inauspiciously with back to
back homers by the top of Mid Valley's batting
order on the very first two pitches of the game! At
that point, the pitching coach Frank Governale and
the catcher Dante Governale walked out to the mound
and refocused pitcher Jack Powell who went on to
retire the rest of the side without another hit and
then give up only two additional runs in the next
four innings. Chase Park closed the game: For two
innings Park
peppered the bottom outside corner
with unhittable pitches that consistently went
across for strikes. He had never before been so
accurate but on that day he was stunningly precise.
For two innings, Mid-Valley could barely get a bat
on the ball. Meanwhile the Redland bat were going
off like they have all season long. Virtually
every player made remarkable catches and huge hits.
It was truly a thing of beauty: Final score 14-6.
The momentum carried them through the second game
against Mid-Valley's ace pitcher with a final score
of 8-4. Dante Governale was the day's biggest
hitter, hitting an amazing 9 for 10 in the three
Sunday games. Powell was 8 for 10 on the day, Josh Rynders
7 for 9, and three batters, Schimmel, Satter, and
McClintock, hit 6 for 10 on the day. A comeback for
the ages. The real credit belongs to head coach
Randy Schimmel, who kept the players focused,
relaxed and effective through grueling six playoff
games in three days of ninety-plus degree heat.
Next weekend the teams goes to the state tournament
in Hillsboro. |
