BRAUSE/BREDLEAU A PITCH FROM PERFECT
It took a couple of innings for Astoria to feel out South Umpqua's starting pitcher. The rest of the state has had over 170 innings the last two years to take their best shot at Mathias Brause.
Brause and Nick Bredleau combined for seven innings of no-hit ball, while the Fishermen offense rapped out 11 hits and two more home runs to record their 24th straight win with a 9-0 victory over the visiting Lancers in the second round of the OSAA 4A Baseball Championships at Aiken Field Tuesday.
Thanks to Hidden Valley's 6-1 upset at Gladstone, the Fishermen will be traveling to Grants Pass to take on the Mustangs in a Friday quarterfinal game.
Brause (10-0 this season, 25-0 as a junior and senior and 34-0 including last summer) had electric stuff from the get-go, recording eight of the first nine outs with strikeouts. Meanwhile, Astoria's vaunted offense took a little while to get going against South Umpqua senior pitcher Roby Smith, who held the Fishermen to one infield hit and a throwing error on his first run through the lineup.
"There's no way to practice the amount of adrenalin and kind of just the nervousness that you have in the first round of the playoffs," said Astoria head coach Dave Gasser, who recorded his 585th career victory, leaving him six shy of Art Thunell's all-time Oregon record. "That's why there'e a lot of strange scores in the first round."
"It's awfully nice to have Matt throwing as well as he can, kind of impervious to it all. You know, as we're trying to settle down offensively, they're just struggling."
The only glitch for Brause came in the third inning, when he hit Ryan Smedley on the elbow leading off. With one out, Smedley took off for second on a delayed steal, catching the Fishermen infield off-guard as Brendan Landwehr's throw to second was there, but nobody was home. Smedley continued to third base, just beating Brent Culver's throw from center field.
Brause recovered to fan Sam Lockman for the second out of the inning, bringing up leadoff man Blake Cupp. With an 0-1 count, the freshman shortstop dropped a beautiful bunt down the third base line that just went foul after rolling parallel to the chalk for about sixty feet. The go-ahead run went back to third base and Brause fanned Cupp swinging to end the threat, before retiring the final 11 batters he faced.
"They ran the delayed steal beautifully," said Gasser. "We didn't cover it. We didn't see it all year. We talked about it a lot, but, you know talking is cheap if you don't have to execute it."
"He did a real favor to us, because we've got a young middle infield that probably won't make that mistake again. Tip of the cap. And then the guy turns around and lays down a drag bunt that's an inch foul and they could have created a run out of absolute vapor! They are a well-coached team. No question about it."
Both coaches have been through the wars for sure, as South Umpqua's coach John O'Malley finished his 26-year tenure with a 401-258 record and two trips to the state championship game. Gasser is in pursuit of his fifth championship ring and his offense kicked in in the fourth inning to help push the Fishermen along in the bracket.
After breaking the ice with an unearned run in the third inning, Astoria put five on the board in the fourth, with Jordan Poyer starting the scoring parade with a leadoff home run to left, his team-leading eighth of the season. With one out, consecutive singles by Joey Dursse, Mason Brause and Hans Lund loaded the base before leadoff batter Brent Culver forced in a run with a four-pitch base on balls to make it 3-0 Astoria. Smith fanned Tom Jaworski, but Matt Brause followed with a solid single up the middle to score two. Brendan Landwehr followed with a fly ball to deep left field that was dropped for an error, allowing Culver to score his second run of the game. Pinch-runner Brad Sarpola was gunned down a the plate to end the inning, but with a 6-0 lead and the state player of the year on the bump, the damage was done.
Brause tossed a 1-2-3 fifth inning, helped by an outstanding backhand play at third base by Dursse on a hot ground ball off the bat of Eric Whiteley. Dursse had one of his better games of the season, going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI and handling three perfect chances at third base.
"We've been hitting the ball really good and that's been overlooking our defense," said Dursse, who moved from left field to third base this season. "You've got to have a defense out there to let Brause and Bredleau throw that no-no like they did. They did a great job, but you've also got to have a great defense and that gets overlooked because of the way we hit."
Bredleau took over for Brause with two outs in the sixth inning and threw one pitch, getting pinch-hitting Riley George to ground back to the mound. Brause had thrown 62 pitches, which duplicated a typical Tuesday bullpen session in preparation for a Friday start.
"It's the same thing we did last year," said Brause, "but I think I threw less pitches in better weather. So, I think it should work out well. We've got Jordan and Nick both to throw, so we might split up that game."
Tough to leave the mound with a no-hitter in progress?
"I knew I had a no-hitter going. Coach came out and told me what was up. That's fine. It's playoff time, so that really doesn't matter. If we get a no-no today and get beat the next game, it really doesn't make much sense. It honestly didn't really bother me that much."
The way Nick Bredleau has pitched in relief lately, the no-hitter was in safe hands, as the two-time all-Cowapa League pitcher retired the side in order in the seventh inning to close out the game.
Astoria added insurance runs in the fifth on a Joey Dursse RBI single and a two more in the sixth on Brendan Landwehr's line drive 2-run homer to left field off sophomore relief pitcher Bo Younker.
Brause went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored to go with his 10-strikeout performance on the mound. Every Fishermen starter contributed a hit or a run to the cause. A huge crowd was on hand to witness Astoria's third home playoff win in two years, with many gathered in place an hour before game time. The line of cars across West Marine Drive stretched from the NNB studios well past Dairy Queen, with many fans taking in the game out in the sunshine on the hill ringing the field, in the bleachers behind the backstop or on the extra bleachers set up on the road up the hill.
"Our support gives us goosebumps," said Gasser. "I can't say enough about our community."
S. UMPQUA 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0-0-4
ASTORIA 0-0-1-5-1-2-x 9-11-1
W-Brause (5.2ip, 10k, hp)
L-Smith (5ip, 9h, 7r, 4er, 6k, 2bb, wp)
E-Smedley, Smith Clack, Whiteley, Landwehr. LOB-S. Umpqua 1, Astoria 7. HR-Poyer (8), Landwehr (5). SB-Smedley, Culver, Koehnke, Dursse.
Brause and Nick Bredleau combined for seven innings of no-hit ball, while the Fishermen offense rapped out 11 hits and two more home runs to record their 24th straight win with a 9-0 victory over the visiting Lancers in the second round of the OSAA 4A Baseball Championships at Aiken Field Tuesday.
Thanks to Hidden Valley's 6-1 upset at Gladstone, the Fishermen will be traveling to Grants Pass to take on the Mustangs in a Friday quarterfinal game.
Brause (10-0 this season, 25-0 as a junior and senior and 34-0 including last summer) had electric stuff from the get-go, recording eight of the first nine outs with strikeouts. Meanwhile, Astoria's vaunted offense took a little while to get going against South Umpqua senior pitcher Roby Smith, who held the Fishermen to one infield hit and a throwing error on his first run through the lineup.
"There's no way to practice the amount of adrenalin and kind of just the nervousness that you have in the first round of the playoffs," said Astoria head coach Dave Gasser, who recorded his 585th career victory, leaving him six shy of Art Thunell's all-time Oregon record. "That's why there'e a lot of strange scores in the first round."
"It's awfully nice to have Matt throwing as well as he can, kind of impervious to it all. You know, as we're trying to settle down offensively, they're just struggling."
The only glitch for Brause came in the third inning, when he hit Ryan Smedley on the elbow leading off. With one out, Smedley took off for second on a delayed steal, catching the Fishermen infield off-guard as Brendan Landwehr's throw to second was there, but nobody was home. Smedley continued to third base, just beating Brent Culver's throw from center field.
Brause recovered to fan Sam Lockman for the second out of the inning, bringing up leadoff man Blake Cupp. With an 0-1 count, the freshman shortstop dropped a beautiful bunt down the third base line that just went foul after rolling parallel to the chalk for about sixty feet. The go-ahead run went back to third base and Brause fanned Cupp swinging to end the threat, before retiring the final 11 batters he faced.
"They ran the delayed steal beautifully," said Gasser. "We didn't cover it. We didn't see it all year. We talked about it a lot, but, you know talking is cheap if you don't have to execute it."
"He did a real favor to us, because we've got a young middle infield that probably won't make that mistake again. Tip of the cap. And then the guy turns around and lays down a drag bunt that's an inch foul and they could have created a run out of absolute vapor! They are a well-coached team. No question about it."
Both coaches have been through the wars for sure, as South Umpqua's coach John O'Malley finished his 26-year tenure with a 401-258 record and two trips to the state championship game. Gasser is in pursuit of his fifth championship ring and his offense kicked in in the fourth inning to help push the Fishermen along in the bracket.
After breaking the ice with an unearned run in the third inning, Astoria put five on the board in the fourth, with Jordan Poyer starting the scoring parade with a leadoff home run to left, his team-leading eighth of the season. With one out, consecutive singles by Joey Dursse, Mason Brause and Hans Lund loaded the base before leadoff batter Brent Culver forced in a run with a four-pitch base on balls to make it 3-0 Astoria. Smith fanned Tom Jaworski, but Matt Brause followed with a solid single up the middle to score two. Brendan Landwehr followed with a fly ball to deep left field that was dropped for an error, allowing Culver to score his second run of the game. Pinch-runner Brad Sarpola was gunned down a the plate to end the inning, but with a 6-0 lead and the state player of the year on the bump, the damage was done.
Brause tossed a 1-2-3 fifth inning, helped by an outstanding backhand play at third base by Dursse on a hot ground ball off the bat of Eric Whiteley. Dursse had one of his better games of the season, going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI and handling three perfect chances at third base.
"We've been hitting the ball really good and that's been overlooking our defense," said Dursse, who moved from left field to third base this season. "You've got to have a defense out there to let Brause and Bredleau throw that no-no like they did. They did a great job, but you've also got to have a great defense and that gets overlooked because of the way we hit."
Bredleau took over for Brause with two outs in the sixth inning and threw one pitch, getting pinch-hitting Riley George to ground back to the mound. Brause had thrown 62 pitches, which duplicated a typical Tuesday bullpen session in preparation for a Friday start.
"It's the same thing we did last year," said Brause, "but I think I threw less pitches in better weather. So, I think it should work out well. We've got Jordan and Nick both to throw, so we might split up that game."
Tough to leave the mound with a no-hitter in progress?
"I knew I had a no-hitter going. Coach came out and told me what was up. That's fine. It's playoff time, so that really doesn't matter. If we get a no-no today and get beat the next game, it really doesn't make much sense. It honestly didn't really bother me that much."
The way Nick Bredleau has pitched in relief lately, the no-hitter was in safe hands, as the two-time all-Cowapa League pitcher retired the side in order in the seventh inning to close out the game.
Astoria added insurance runs in the fifth on a Joey Dursse RBI single and a two more in the sixth on Brendan Landwehr's line drive 2-run homer to left field off sophomore relief pitcher Bo Younker.
Brause went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored to go with his 10-strikeout performance on the mound. Every Fishermen starter contributed a hit or a run to the cause. A huge crowd was on hand to witness Astoria's third home playoff win in two years, with many gathered in place an hour before game time. The line of cars across West Marine Drive stretched from the NNB studios well past Dairy Queen, with many fans taking in the game out in the sunshine on the hill ringing the field, in the bleachers behind the backstop or on the extra bleachers set up on the road up the hill.
"Our support gives us goosebumps," said Gasser. "I can't say enough about our community."
S. UMPQUA 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0-0-4
ASTORIA 0-0-1-5-1-2-x 9-11-1
W-Brause (5.2ip, 10k, hp)
L-Smith (5ip, 9h, 7r, 4er, 6k, 2bb, wp)
E-Smedley, Smith Clack, Whiteley, Landwehr. LOB-S. Umpqua 1, Astoria 7. HR-Poyer (8), Landwehr (5). SB-Smedley, Culver, Koehnke, Dursse.
posted by Matt Richert at 8:50 PM
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