Document text
No. 1 Challengers pick wrong day to falter Mail Tribune/Jim Craven Glendale second baseman Pat Donner, left, and Cascade Christian runner Blane Newfield look for the call after a dusty out at second base in Wednesday�s Class 2A semifinal. By DAVID DAUGHERTY WHITE CITY � After losing both of its outings against Cascade Christian this season, the Glendale High baseball team had good reason to be doubting itself on Wednesday. With a berth in the Class 2A state title contest at stake, the Pirates won when it mattered most, besting the top-ranked Challengers, 3-1, in their semi-final contest at the Veterans Administration Domiciliary Field. Glendale will face Pilot Rock, a 2-1 winner in 10 innings over Salem Academy on Wednesday, in Saturday�s 2A championship at Volcano Stadium in Keizer. Cascade Christian finished the season with an impressive 27-2 record. "We just never gave them (Cascade) our best game," said Glendale coach Steve Prock. "We got them when it counts and that�s what matters." After losing to the Challengers 4-2 early in the season, the Pirates have gone on a tear, winning 22 of their last 23 games. "The only people that knew what we were capable of was us,�� said Prock of his 25-6 club. "You want your team to peak at the right time of the year. This was definitely a team victory." It may have been a team victory, but the person pushing all the right buttons was starting pitcher Jason Dady. The sophomore left-hander never overpowered the Challengers, but kept them off balance by spotting his fastball and throwing a slow curve. "I either kept it high or kept it low," said Dady, who ran his record to 8-2. "When I threw it high they popped up and when I was down they grounded out." "He tends to frustrate good hitting teams," said Prock of his lefty. "He knew he was going to pitch a big game and he responded." Dady�s lone blemish came in the second inning, when Cascade Christian took a 1-0 on a Justin McCord RBI single. But after that, Dady stifled the Challengers, only allowing two runners as far as third base the rest of the way. "We were pumped and ready to mow them down," said Dady. "Our confidence was really high." "(Jason Dady) threw well," said Cascade Christian coach John Bruce. "He was ahead in the count and kept the ball down. There�s something to be said about left-handers." After breezing through the first two innings, Cascade Christian starter Bryan Edwards was touched for a run in the third on a Justin DeKruger RBI single. But Edwards couldn�t hold off the Pirates like his mound counterpart. In the fourth inning, Glendale took the lead on a Pat Donner RBI bunt single and plated another when Challenger left fielder Kyle Stutzman misplayed a fly ball. "This wasn�t the normal Bryan Edwards today," said Bruce of his starter who allowed five singles in 5 innings. "He just wasn�t sharp." "That error really got us going," said Dady. "After that we knew we were going to win. It really lifted us." As it turns out, Dady has had the Challengers� number all season. In six innings of work during the two clubs� previous games, he allowed no runs in six innings of work. But even with his prior success, Dady still wasn�t sure how things would turn out on Wednesday. "When I stepped on the field today I had a lot of doubt," said Dady. "I was very confident before I got here, but once I stepped on the field it was different. I had a lot of butterflies." Bruce, on the other hand, was very confident heading into the game, and left heartbroken afterwards. "We just didn�t do it," said Bruce. "We knew this wouldn�t be easy, but we just made too many mistakes and they executed when they had to." Glendale...........................................001 200 0 � 3 7 2 Cascade Christian.............................010 000 0 � 1 7 2 Dady and Owens; Edwards, Beamish (6) and Roberts. W _ Dady. L _ Edwards. 2B _ CC: Stutzman. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA