DUEBER GOES DISTANCE, JOHNSON GOES YARD
The Astoria Babe Ruth All-Star team is no ordinary host team.
All of the host sites of state, regional and World Series tournaments get a team in the show as part of the deal. Astoria, unlike eight of the other nine teams in the tournament, did not have to earn its way to the tournament on the field. Had they fallen flat at their district tournament and lost every postseason game, they still would be entered into the regional tourney as a host team.
But they didn't fall flat and they practically begged for an invitation to the state tourney to no avail.
With no state tournament action to prepare them for state, the majority of Astoria's starters stayed sharp with their high school teams, including Astoria High School's Junior State champion squad.
Max Johnson and Dane Lund hit well in Eugene with the Junior State squad and the two stalwarts continue to get the job done.
Johnson hit his second home run of the tournament, Lund scored a pair of runs and Cannon Beach native Ian Dueber tossed all seven innings as Astoria defeated Helena, Montana 8-4 to assume first place in the American pool with two games to play.
A dropped pop fly in the third inning opened the door for Johnson's 2-run shot to left field, which put Astoria up 4-1.
Dueber pitched efficiently, mixing fastballs and curves on both sides of the plate, while walking just one batter through the first six innings.
"Dueber came out and threw a heck of a game," said Israel. "He came out and battled."
After another unearned run in the fifth inning put Astoria up 5-2, the Clatsop-Pacific County All-Stars added three insurance runs in the sixth inning. Kiefer Lucore ripped a one-out base hit to left field, went to second on a two-out walk to Trevor Couch and scored on Dane Lund's base hit to the opposite field. Lund and Couch scored when Marcus Brown lofted a bloop single down the line in shallow right field to finally give Dueber a comfortable 6-run cushion to work with.
"[Brown] couldn't have threw it over there better," said Israel. "It's just the little things. We've got to work on the little things. I feel like we probably should have had at least two more runs during that game."
Helena rallied for two runs in the seventh, but fell short, losing for the first time at the tournament to drop to 2-1 in the American pool.
"That was a great little team," said Israel. "They come out and battled. They're first pitcher [Louie Lopez] was a great little pitcher. That's definitely the best pitcher we've seen so far."
Lund was busy behind the plate, throwing out a runner at second trying to advance on a throw home and tagging out two Helena players in rundowns in the fifth inning. Trevor Couch had an outfield assist and a spectacular diving, backhand catch toward the line in left field in the seventh inning.
Astoria takes on Douglas at 7:00 p.m. tonight. The game will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1230 ESPN. Helena closes out pool play against Calgary at 1:00 p.m. Friday.
ASTORIA 0-1-3-0-1-3-0 8-7-1
HELENA 0-1-0-0-1-0-2 4-7-6
W-Dueber (7ip, 7h, 4r, 3er, 4k, 3bb)
L-Lopez (5ip, 4h, 5r, er, 8k, 6bb)
E-Lopez, Conway, Fosmo 2, Grewitt, Couch. LOB-Astoria 6, Helena 4. 2B-Erickson. HR-Johnson. SB-Erickson, Gallegos 3, Lund 2, Brown, Johnson, Strickland. CS-Dueber, Gallegos, Couch, Harris.
All of the host sites of state, regional and World Series tournaments get a team in the show as part of the deal. Astoria, unlike eight of the other nine teams in the tournament, did not have to earn its way to the tournament on the field. Had they fallen flat at their district tournament and lost every postseason game, they still would be entered into the regional tourney as a host team.
But they didn't fall flat and they practically begged for an invitation to the state tourney to no avail.
With no state tournament action to prepare them for state, the majority of Astoria's starters stayed sharp with their high school teams, including Astoria High School's Junior State champion squad.
Max Johnson and Dane Lund hit well in Eugene with the Junior State squad and the two stalwarts continue to get the job done.
Johnson hit his second home run of the tournament, Lund scored a pair of runs and Cannon Beach native Ian Dueber tossed all seven innings as Astoria defeated Helena, Montana 8-4 to assume first place in the American pool with two games to play.
A dropped pop fly in the third inning opened the door for Johnson's 2-run shot to left field, which put Astoria up 4-1.
Dueber pitched efficiently, mixing fastballs and curves on both sides of the plate, while walking just one batter through the first six innings.
"Dueber came out and threw a heck of a game," said Israel. "He came out and battled."
After another unearned run in the fifth inning put Astoria up 5-2, the Clatsop-Pacific County All-Stars added three insurance runs in the sixth inning. Kiefer Lucore ripped a one-out base hit to left field, went to second on a two-out walk to Trevor Couch and scored on Dane Lund's base hit to the opposite field. Lund and Couch scored when Marcus Brown lofted a bloop single down the line in shallow right field to finally give Dueber a comfortable 6-run cushion to work with.
"[Brown] couldn't have threw it over there better," said Israel. "It's just the little things. We've got to work on the little things. I feel like we probably should have had at least two more runs during that game."
Helena rallied for two runs in the seventh, but fell short, losing for the first time at the tournament to drop to 2-1 in the American pool.
"That was a great little team," said Israel. "They come out and battled. They're first pitcher [Louie Lopez] was a great little pitcher. That's definitely the best pitcher we've seen so far."
Lund was busy behind the plate, throwing out a runner at second trying to advance on a throw home and tagging out two Helena players in rundowns in the fifth inning. Trevor Couch had an outfield assist and a spectacular diving, backhand catch toward the line in left field in the seventh inning.
Astoria takes on Douglas at 7:00 p.m. tonight. The game will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1230 ESPN. Helena closes out pool play against Calgary at 1:00 p.m. Friday.
ASTORIA 0-1-3-0-1-3-0 8-7-1
HELENA 0-1-0-0-1-0-2 4-7-6
W-Dueber (7ip, 7h, 4r, 3er, 4k, 3bb)
L-Lopez (5ip, 4h, 5r, er, 8k, 6bb)
E-Lopez, Conway, Fosmo 2, Grewitt, Couch. LOB-Astoria 6, Helena 4. 2B-Erickson. HR-Johnson. SB-Erickson, Gallegos 3, Lund 2, Brown, Johnson, Strickland. CS-Dueber, Gallegos, Couch, Harris.
posted by Matt Richert at 12:47 AM
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