Aug. 14: Pilots go down swinging in finals

By Joe Zavala

Ashland Daily Tidings

EAGLE POINT - The Ashland Pilots got the breaks they needed to force a decisive game in the American Legion A state tournament Tuesday, but couldn't capitalize.

Ashland stunned West Albany 6-3 in Game 1 of the championship round to force a single nine-inning game for all the marbles, but couldn't survive an eight-run, first-inning explosion by the Bulldogs in the nightcap as West Albany held on for a 12-9 state championship-clinching win at The Yard.

Ashland scored four runs in the sixth to get within 11-8, but managed only one more run the rest of the way - a Bill Rowe solo home run in the ninth.

With the loss, Ashland, in just its third year of existence, finished the season 21-20.

West Albany improved to 32-6 and advances to the American Legion A regional tournament, Aug. 15-20 in La Grande.

The games were the most competitive West Albany had played since the tournament began Friday. The Bulldogs entered the finals having outscored its tournament opponents by a combined score of 41-8, including a 14-0, five-inning win over Ashland on Saturday.

Tuesday was a different story.

The two teams were tied through 2 1/2 innings of the opener, then Ashland broke the game open by scoring five runs on four hits, two hit batters and one West Albany error. Arron Nelson's single to right drove in two of those runs and Jackson Rowe knocked in another with a bloop single to left.

Ashland pitcher Micah Weston made it count by holding the previously high-scoring Bulldogs to just two runs over the next five innings before Bill Rowe took over in the ninth and picked up the save.

Chad Hegdahl led Ashland at the plate in the opener, going 2-for-4, while Jordan Sims helped West Albany's cause by going 3-for-5.

In Game 2, Ashland looked dead in the water after West Albany's early burst, but made a game of it when Zach Miedecke hit a base-clearing double in the sixth.

Bulldog starter Tyler Roberts pulled it together, however, holding Ashland scoreless over the next two innings.

Bill Rowe's ninth-inning homer was his 21st of the season and second of the day. Rowe, who was walked five times in Game 2, hit a solo shot in the first inning of the opener.