Broncos upset Warden, fall in quarterfinals to DeSales

 

Last updated 5/24/2012 at Noon

TAGGED OUT. Dylan Hartz attempts to tag a Warden player out during the first playoff game on Saturday against the Cougars. The LRS team won with a final score 4-3. –Photo courtesy of Michelle Fode-Smith

The game of baseball was ever so sweet and then a bit bitter for the LRS Broncos Saturday during the regional playoffs.

They started the Saturday session with an upset victory over the Warden Cougars, 4-3.

Scrappy, never-say-die efforts by the entire team led to the win, anchored by stellar pitching by Jake Dewald.

The second game of the day found the Broncos in a quarterfinal pairing with nemesis DeSales.

The Irish, a Walla Walla team, has long been a dominate threat in baseball and football.

The Broncos’ baseball team has faced DeSales plenty of times in the pursuit of a state title and has suffered loses many times.

Saturday would be no different as the Irish won the game and eliminated the Broncos 11-1.

The Warden game was a far happier time on Saturday for players and fans, Warden is a rock solid team that played in the state championship game last year.

“They have it all, good pitching, excellent fielding, they’re athletic and they hit up and down the line up,” head coach Jason Aldrich said of the Cougars.

Both teams scored one run in the first inning.

For LRS, Dylan Hartz got things started when he was hit by a pitch, something that has happened to him countless times this season. Bryson O’Neill then cracked a single. Aaron Hays hit an infield ground ball and reached first safely on a fielder’s choice which resulted in O’Neill being out at second. Dewald would follow with a sacrifice fly to score Hartz.

Warden delivered an answer in the fourth with two runs for a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth, the Broncos produced two runs of their own. Bridger Smith went to first on a walk. Hartz hit a single and O’Neill deliver a sacrifice bunt. This time, when Hays came to the plate he made good contact for a two RBI single to tie the game.

Hays kept the Broncos in the game in the bottom of the fifth on defense when he ran down a pair of deep fly balls.

“Aaron had four big catches, he gets a gold star for the day,” Aldrich said.

In the sixth, Tyler Frederick started things with a single. Johnny Hernandez added a single to left field. A wild pitch then moved the runners over.

Smith returned to the plate and hit a ground out that worked just right to score Frederick to give the Broncos the lead and eventually the win.

Dewald won the game with two strikeouts, two walks and allowing five hits and two earned runs.

The DeSales game was not as pleasant. The Irish went to work on Frederick in the second inning, scoring seven runs on five base hits, two errors, two batters hit by a pitch and one walk.

The Broncos mustered a one-run answer in the top of the third. O’Neill scored Hartz with an RBI single with two outs.

“They are as good or better than they were last year,” Aldrich said of DeSales. “And, they are pretty young.”

Next year the Broncos will have just two returning seniors.

“We have some huge holes to fill,” Aldrich said.

 

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