Uncharacteristic performance ends Huskies' season in first round
WILSONVILLE - Going thirteen days in between meaningful games was not the recipe for success, as North Marion exhibited a rugged seven innings of baseball in a season-ending loss to Klamath Union on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the OSAA State Championships. The Huskies - who averaged nearly nine hits per game in conference play - managed just two hits through six innings and four hits overall. Defensively, North Marion did not look to be playing to their full potential either, recording four errors over the course of the game. Even on the mound the Huskies struggled, issuing eight free passes (five hit batsmen, three walks), atypical of a pitching staff which had been so solid throughout the whole season. Unfortunately, it was one of those rough games for North Marion and the timing was not ideal as the Huskies' promising season came to a jolting close.
In the first inning, Klamath Union took advantage of a leadoff walk, as an RBI single later in the inning would push across the first run of the contest. The Huskies retaliated with a run of their own in the home-half of the first. After drawing a leadoff walk, Brock Breshears was scored on a balk to tie the game at one.
Following the Huskies questionable first inning defensively, things came together nicely in the second as three straight ground balls set the Pelicans down in order. However, the second inning was the last time Klamath Union would go scoreless in an inning until the seventh. The Pelicans posted four in the third, three in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth to take a commanding lead. Over the four-inning scoring frenzy, the Pelicans accumulated eight hits and were aided by three North Marion errors, not to mention four hit batsmen and a walk.
North Marion managed to add some more runs to the board in the late innings, but it was far too little, far too late. In the sixth, the bases were loaded with no outs. The Huskies were unable to post more than one run off of the great scoring opportunity, as Emry Patterson scored on a fielder's choice. In the seventh, North Marion picked up a pair of two-out base hits courtesy of Patterson and Kyle Williamson - Kyle's was an RBI double which gave the Huskies their third run.
Wyatt Moore started on the hill, allowing five runs - all earned - in three innings of work. Moore's final appearance in a Huskies' uniform was not representative of his contributions to the team in the past two seasons - finishing the season as a first team all-conference pitcher with a 1.55 ERA and a 6-1 record. Brock Breshears was placed on the mound for the final four innings, surrendering three earned runs to the Pelicans' lineup. Kyle Williamson owned half of the Huskies' hits including an RBI double in the seventh.
It was not a day to remember for the North Marion baseball program, as the No. 6-seeded Pelicans will move on to host the No. 7-seeded Tillamook Cheesemakers in the quarterfinals of the OSAA State Championships. Although the ending is something that those donning the green will hope to quickly forget, the season as a whole will be remembered for years to come. North Marion brought home their sixteenth conference championship in program history, finishing the conference slate with an unbelievable 14-1 record. The Huskies also swept the major all-league honors with Kyle Williamson taking player of the year, Brock Breshears pitcher of the year, and Randy Brack coach of the year. Perhaps the biggest comfort in Thursday's tough loss was the bright future that is ahead, as Kyle, Brock, and Randy will all return for the 2013 season. Seniors Wyatt Moore and Logan Beiser will move on and be missed, but with the 2014 season approaching come next February, North Marion will return nine of the ten players that saw significant playing time and return nine of the ten players that were granted all-league recognition.
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Through the ups and downs of the past four years, it has always been a pleasure to be a part of the North Marion Baseball Program and the greatness that is associated with being a Husky. Each year brought with it a new story to be told, and no matter the odds - you could always count on the team to be fighting to the best of their ability. I have never looked forward to the day where I would write that last recap, post the final box score, or tweet the concluding score, but that time has come. There is only one team in the state that can end their season running off the field in the thrill of victory, and although that exact feeling never came our way, it was a four years filled with many feelings of thrill and excitement. So, for the last time, thanks for reading the recaps, following the tweets, watching the videos, and supporting the team. I am looking forward to following the team from afar in the coming years - a team, a program, and a school that surely has a bright future.
Thanks, again -- Josh Hauser