KEIZER — The Umpqua Valley Christian baseball team never trailed the Kennedy Trojans in the 2A/1A OSAA state championship game, but the Monarchs had to overcome a seventh inning collapse to claim the programs’ third state championship on Friday at Volcanoes Stadium.
“I told those guys we’re going to be relentless from the first pitch to the last pitch,” said UVC coach Dave York. The Monarchs needed to be, as they gave up a two-run lead in the seventh inning but rallied to defeat the Trojans 10-5 in nine innings.
“The resilience that this group has is something that we really hold on to,” said UVC senior Aaron Buechley. “Our character wins us games and that’s what it did today.”
Umpqua Valley Christian (27-3) built a 5-3 lead going to the bottom of the seventh inning. The Monarchs were one out away from ending the game, but two errors and a double drove in two runs for Kennedy (28-3) and sent the game to extra innings tied at five.
Buechley, the UVC starting pitcher, got the first two hitters in the bottom of the seventh to fly out to left field. The senior induced a routine ground ball to his younger brother, second baseman Evan Buechley, but the sophomore over-threw to first base keeping Kennedy’s chances of a comeback alive.
“I just said ‘keep your head up. I still love you. We got to win this thing,’” the elder Buechley told his younger sibling after the error.
Kennedy’s Demetre Marseille followed the error with a line drive to right field that got past a sliding catch attempt by Jacob Mesa. The double drove in one run and put the game-tying run at second with two outs.
UVC had another chance to end the game in the seventh, but junior KC Pettibone dropped a pop-fly in shallow centerfield that allowed the Trojans to tie the game.
Pettibone took over on the mound in extra innings for UVC and the right-hander tossed two shutout innings and didn’t allow a hit to earn the win in relief.
“I was really frustrated with myself,” Pettibone said. “(Closing the game) was my chance to prove myself and make up for the mistake that I made.”
The Monarchs retook the lead in the top of the ninth inning. Kennedy relief pitcher Brady Traeger beaned two of the first two hitters in the frame and back-to-back errors on the next two hitters allowed UVC to pull ahead 6-5.
A bases-loaded double by Isaiah Heard pushed two more runs across for the Monarchs. Evan Buechley got some redemption later in the inning with a two-run single that made the score 10-5.
Aaron Buechley made the final out of the game on a fly ball to centerfield that was reminiscent of the ball that was dropped in the seventh.
“My eyes were locked in on that ball,” Buechley said. “And as soon as it was in my glove, it was a death grip. I was not going to let that thing go. It’s in my bag right now.”
Aaron Buechley finished 1-for-4 with two RBI. Evan Buechley and Isaiah Heard both also drove in two runs. CJ Gale was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Bruce Beyer was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Kennedy.
The title was the third for UVC coach Dave York, who said every championship is great in its own way.
“Every one feels good. Every one is awesome;” York explained. “Mainly for the kids, the families and the school.”
Umpqua Valley Christian sees six seniors graduate from the program. The Monarchs will return six starters from the title game.
UVC 302;000;005 — 10 9 2
Kennedy 100;020;200 — 5 6 4
A. Buechley, Pettibone (8) and Guastaferro; Kleinschmit, Traeger (5), Beyer (9) and Valladares, Kleinschmit. WP — Pettibone, 12-0. LP — Traeger. 2B — Pettibone (UVC), Heard (UVC), Marseille (K). 3B — Marseille (K)
