OC rules in Junior National ball

The Oregon City Pioneers top the Oregon City Pirates for the county crown

By John Denny

The Clackamas Review, Jul 21, 2010 (3 Reader comments)

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WILSONVILLE – Two Oregon City teams battled tooth-and-nail in the title game of the 2010 Clackamas County Junior Baseball Junior National Division Championship Tournament, played here July 10-11.

The Oregon City Pioneers (head coach Ed Love) hung on for a 6-5 win over the Oregon City Pirates (Kris Sayre) in the title game, after advancing through wins over Lakeridge (14-3), Clackamas (12-8) and North Marion (9-8).

“It’s exciting!” said Cooper Smith, who pitched and played shortstop in the title game. “It’s my first [county championship]….

Smith was among four players on the Pioneers’ 13-player roster who was seeing his fourth season of action on the team. Five of the players on the team were first-year players.

“We played [the Pirates] in preseason and lost by 10,” said Smith. “We’ve improved a lot in batting and defense.”

“It’s a really great sport,” said Pioneer first-year player Blake Tucker. “It’s a lot better than any other sport I’ve played.”

Tucker and Smith were defensive stars in the championship game.

Playing right field, Tucker came up with a huge defensive stop in the bottom of the third inning that saved two runs. The Pirates had runners on second and third, when Chase Lee hit a shot to right field. Tucker came through with a major league shoestring catch to end the inning.

“I was thinking that I needed that catch to sell out for the team,” said Tucker.

“That was a huge out for our team,” said Pioneer coach Ed Love. “He misses that ball and maybe even the kid at the plate scores and they get three runs.”

Cooper Smith was huge for the Pioneers on defense, as well as on the mound. He made several clutch defensive plays, including a throw to first with the bases loaded to end the game. He saved a run in the fourth inning when he hustled from shortstop to haul in a pop fly behind third base to end that inning.

Smith pitched three innings, striking out five, while walking two (one intentional) and scattering five hits.

Tanner love also pitched three innings for the victors, striking out four, walking three (one intentional), and allowing just two hits.

The Pioneers got timely hitting throughout their lineup.

Jacob Hoffmann and Miles Nelson, batting 12th and 13th in the Pioneer lineup, ignited a three-run rally in the top of the third that helped the Pioneers take charge of the game.

“It’s typical of our team,” said Coach Love. “We play team baseball. We get contributions from everybody.”

With his team nursing a 2-1 lead, Hoffmann led off the third with a double to left. Nelson singled to left and stole second. Smith plated Hoffmann with a hard hit ball that deflected off the pitcher’s glove.

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