Eugene’s 2-0 win over Mid-Valley caps undefeated state title run

EUGENE — The Eugene Challengers finished off an undefeated run through the Oregon AAA American Legion baseball state tournament with a 2-0 win over the Mid-Valley Southpaws on Wednesday at Swede Johnson Stadium.

The Challengers, who hosted the state tournament, went 5-0 against the competition on the way to their second state title in four seasons.

Eugene (45-8) advances on to the Northwest Regional starting Wednesday in Billings, Mont.

The championship battle was a conflict of arms. Eugene’s Grady Saunders out-dueled Mid-Valley’s Drew Rice.

Saunders, an Oregon State baseball commit, pitched a complete-game two-hitter for the win. The incoming junior at Thurston High School struck out 11 batters and walked just one.

Mid-Valley (23-13-3), out of Albany, got a complete-game performance from Rice. He allowed six hits and only one earned run.

The Challengers grabbed the lead with an unearned run in the third. Caden Richardson reached base on a throwing error and advanced to second on the play.

A sacrifice bunt moved Richardson to third and he scored the go-ahead run on a single by Easton McDonald.

Saunders led off the sixth inning with a double and scored an insurance run on another two-bagger from Peyton Tyner.

The Southpaws had their best chance to cut into the lead in the seventh. Brett Babbitt was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Andrew Yost followed with a walk.

A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, but Mid-Valley was unable to come through with a clutch hit against Saunders, who finished the game with a strikeout.

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Eugene;001;001;X;—;2;6;0

Rice and Jenkins; Saunders and Gould. W — Saunders. L — Rice. 2B — Saunders (E), Tyners (E).