No. 3 Scappoose toppled No. 2 North Marion/Gervais 11-6 in the state semifinals of the 4A baseball state playoffs on Tuesday, May 28, at Randy Brack Stadium.
The dream of repeating as state champions lives on for Scappoose, who was bolstered by a five-run opening frame, establishing a lead it never relinquished.
"I couldn't be more proud of this group. Honestly, there's days I feel like they don't even need me. They come out here and have the exact right mindset every single day," Scappoose head coach Cameron Webb said. "They come out to compete. They have great focus. They stay loose. They keep it light. They trust themselves in any moment, and in the big moments, they don't change."
Scappoose collected nine hits and nine RBIs, including a two-run home run from senior Grayson Grover. Brandon Neilson led the team with two hits and two RBIs, while Leland Boswell finished with two hits and one RBI.
Grover opened the game on the mound, surrendering four runs on six hits, striking out two. Joe Fagan threw two innings in relief, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out three.
"Just (doing) the same thing we have done. It's better to not change what we've been doing all year," Grover said. "It's been working — it's worked last year, for sure. Just keep doing it."
The Huskies, meanwhile, totaled 11 hits and six RBIs. Landon Fowler led North Marion/Gervais with two hits and two RBIs, while Carter Reilly and Cole Hammack each finished with two hits and one RBI. Jayden Ohlman and Aiden Yeaney each added one hit and one RBI.
Dawson Schrenk patrolled the mound all afternoon, surrendering 11 runs on nine hits, walking three and striking out two.
"Just didn't play our normal baseball," North Marion/Gervais head coach Randy Brack said. "I can't fault the heart and how we just stayed with it and came back and got ourselves into the game. Good at-bat's, played better defense, pitched better. We had a lot of good things after that second inning but it was just kind of a big uphill climb the whole way."
Scappoose wasted little time getting on the board. Quinton Olson was walked on the first at-bat, stealing second soon afterward. Joe Fagan advancing him to second after Huskies' shortstop Hammack mishandled a routine grounder. Olson eventually stole home on a passed ball, as Fagan advanced to third on the same pitch. Grover proceeded to get walked, and a batter later Fagan was scored on a ground out from Riley DeBois.
With a 2-0 lead, Eli Harrah was walked. A pair of singles from Boswell and Neilson drove in the Scappoose's final runs of the frame, with the team holding a commanding 5-0 lead. The Huskies' woes carried over to behind the plate — after Reilly singled, Ohlman hit a grounder into a double play, which was followed with a fly out from Schrenk.
Despite not registering a hit in the second inning, Olson managed to score a run off a pair of North Marion/Gervais mishaps. He reached second off an error from Yeaney, ultimately finding his way to third and crossing home on a wild pitch. The Huskies couldn't respond, going three up, three down and trailing 6-0 after just two frames.
"Usually that's not how we approach games, and so it's kind of alarming to see," Brack said. "I don't know if we were a little tight, a little nervous — I don't know what it was but we just didn't come out and play well to begin."
After Scappoose went three up, three down in the third, the Huskies finally managed to find a groove, rattling off four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Stafford, Jackson DeFabis and Yeaney all singled, while Reilly made it to first on an error, driving in a run. Schrenk was walked, while Hammack and Fowler singled, both driving in runs.
In a bit of a confusing sequence, the Huskies' rally was cut short. With the bases loaded and one out, Isaac Peirce was called out on an infield fly — however, this seemingly didn't result in a dead ball, as Fowler was picked off at first for the inning's final out.
"I think the way our guys kept their composure and continued to trust themselves even when North Marion got that rally was so impressive," Webb said. "A lot of pitchers might have gotten rattled; (Grover) just kept doing his thing. … He's always that guy. He's always composed."
The score remained 6-4 through the sixth inning. In the seventh, Scappoose unleashed another avalanche of runs, scoring five to lead 11-4. Fagan singled on a bunt, which was a followed a by Grover's home run, sailing past the left field fence. DeBois singled, followed by a sacrifice fly from Harrah.
Boswell was hit by a pitch then advanced to second off a Neilson single. Both were scored off a monster triple from Colton Sprenger for Scappoose's final runs of the game. The Huskies mustered a valiant effort in the bottom half of the frame, recording four hits and scoring two runs before Schrenk was caught attempting to steal third.
Scappoose (24-5) will face No. 4 Marist Catholic (20-9) for the state championship on Saturday, June 1, at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
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