Perfection: per·fec·tion | \ pər-ˈfek-shən | \: being free from fault or defect: flawlessness: an exemplification of supreme excellence: an unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence: the quality or state of being perfect.
In most of our lives, chasing perfection is continually asking “Could I have done that better?”. Well, coach Keith Wallin and his 2021 Brookings-Harbor Bruin varsity baseball team started the season at the base of a perfect 2021 mountain of a season, and 16 times as they climbed that mountain, perfection tried to ruin their journey.
A message was left Saturday in the halls of Brookings-Harbor High School by this 2021 team to every varsity BHHS baseball team to come. The message was just a pair of old used dirty baseball cleats, a big pair, of old used dirty baseball cleats.., size ‘perfection’.., Good Luck.
After finishing the regular season a perfect 12-0, scoring 152 runs on offense and 6 shut-outs, the Bruins found themselves sitting with homefield advantage going into the post season. The Bruins then methodically cut down the Scio Loggers last Tuesday in a close 2-1 ballgame.
This sent the Bruins to the final 4 of the 3A Oregon Baseball Championship Tournament, matched up Saturday with an 11-2 Joseph Eagle team for a chance to play the late game of the double header for the 3A Oregon Baseball Championship.
Coach Wallin sent junior right-hander Jason DeShon #16, who has been stellar all season long with a no-hitter under his belt, to the mound with the opportunity to send the Bruins to the championship game. DeShon set the tone early, sending the first three Eagle lead-off batters back to the bench in order after forcing a routine pop-up to left and two strike-outs.
The Eagle pitching returned the favor, sitting down the Bruin offense in order in the first. In the bottom of the 3rd, Bruin senior Adam Shew #13 sent the first pitch he saw to centerfield for a single, followed by DeShon who also singled to center, sending Shew who was running on the play to 3rd. Senior catcher, Jacub McCollum #20 hit a 2-0 pitch hard to 3rd getting on base on the error, scoring Shew, and completing the 2 out rally started by Shew earlier.
Deshon went out and pitched a shut-down top of the 4th, striking out the side swinging, and the 1-0 Bruin lead would carry until the bottom of the 5th. In the Bruin half of the 5th, the Bruin offense had been through it’s line-up now 3 times before senior Payton Armentrout, got on base on an error. DeShon drove a line drive to right advancing Armentrout to 3rd, who would later score on a McCollum single to right.
After adding another run in the bottom half of the 5th, the Bruin offense handed a 3-0 Bruin lead to DeShon with two innings to go. DeShon dominated the final 7 batters he faced, completing a full game 7 inning shut-out, striking-out 12 on his way to launching the 2021 Bruins into the Championship round later Saturday afternoon.
In the afternoon game, now sitting at 15-0 and on the precipice of Bruin history, coach Wallin handed the rock to senior, Andrew Burger #29, who also has been very good on the mound for the Bruins all season.
Facing a confident 15-2 Yamhill-Carlton team, Burger got the Bruins into the bottom of the 1st unscathed, striking-out one and getting the other two outs from routine infield grounders. In the top of 2nd, Burger had two on the bags when the 7th Tiger batter Burger faced hit a line drive single to rightfield, as the Tigers struck first scoring one and taking a 0-1 lead.
Tiger pitching kept the Bruin offense off the basepaths, setting up the Yamhill-Carlton offense to work Burger for two walks in the top of the 3rd, before the Tigers scored again off a no out double to centerfield.
Coach Wallin sent senior right-hander Adam Shew to the mound to get out of the 2nd trailing 0-2 until the Bruin half of the 3rd. It was here that the Tigers made a critical error, hitting Bruin senior lead-off speedster Payton Armentrout #1, putting the Bruin lead-off on with no outs. Shew then sent a hard ground ball to left, scoring Armentrout all the way from 1st, igniting the vaunted Bruin small ball game that has been devastating opponents all season long. The Bruins then applied the pressure to the Tiger pitching, loading the bases, and quite literally running the Tiger defense out of the game scoring 5 more runs with 2 outs in the inning, to take a 6-2 lead into the 4th.
Shew then sat the Tiger offense down in order striking-out two in a shut-down top of the 4th, robbing the Tiger’s of any momentum or confidence they may have had. The Bruins kept up the offensive pressure, filling the basepaths with Bruins again, getting two more runs across the plate and taking a commanding 8-2 lead into the 5th.
Adam Shew continued to plow through Tiger batters, striking out 3 in the 5th, and 2 more in the 6th, before sitting the final three Tiger batters down in order, getting the final batter on a grounder to DeShon at shortstop in the 7th inning to take the 11-2 win, and, the 3A Oregon Baseball 2021 Championship Title for the first time in Bruin history after a 16-0 perfect 2021 season.
Coach Wallin took the time after the games to share his thoughts with the Wild Coast Compass saying “A great game was played by both teams in the semi-final earlier today. We were patient offensively waiting for our chance, but our defense and especially our pitching was the true hero of that game.”
“What an amazing season for these guys” coach Wallin said, “So many years of buying into defensive concepts and strategies.., a true testament to what it means to be a team.” “We’re so happy for our school and community, this was truly for everyone that supported us,” he went on to say, “it takes so much support to even have a chance, to get it done is just an amazing way to be able to truly thank everyone for all their care.”
Congratulations to head Coach Keith Wallin, his entire staff, the 2021 Bruin varsity baseball team and their families from the Wild Coast Compass.
