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Imbler invasion: Panthers advance
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From out of no where Tyler VanLeuven, Gary Cornford and Klint Shaeffer appeared — the bottom of the Imbler batting order. “They haven’t (done) do too much earlier this season,” senior Nick Thompson said. “It’s good to see them coming around. That takes some pressure off the top of the order. It was fun to watch them succeed out there.” The bottom three collected five of Imbler’s 10 hits during an 11-10 win against the Cougars Wednesday. It was a different story at the top of the line-up, managing a 5-for-22 day. Wallowa dug its own hole in the first inning. Three errors pushed across two Panther runs. After spending the last two days walking Wildhorse for the golf team, a worn-out Tyler Harshfield shook his head as the defense unraveled behind him. Imbler chased the Cougars right-hander in the third inning. A bases loaded double by Sean Peterson scored two runs. Following a sacrifice fly, VanLeuven singled to drive in Peterson. Cornford capped the inning with a RBI double.
 FINDING THE HOLE: Cougar centerfielder Dalton Weaver shoots a single into the outfield, bringing in two runners. - Observer photos/PAUL HARDER The pesky Cougars team wouldn’t fade away. They chipped away at the Panthers’ lead, scoring a run in the first and third. “This bunch doesn’t give up,” Wallowa head coach Warren Wilson said. “They wanted the chance to go to the state tournament.” Wallowa got to Thompson in the fourth, making it an 8-7 game. It was the same story, shaky defense opened the door to a five-run inning. “You try not to let that bother you on the mound,” Thompson said. “The key is taking it one pitch at a time, and let the defense do what it does.” But VanLeuven and Cornford set the table for three crucial runs in the fifth. They opened the inning with back-to-back singles. VanLeuven scored on a fielder's choice. Cornford and Thompson came home on a double by Joe Coughlan. Dalton Weaver made it a one run game in the sixth with a single that scored two runs. But there was Thompson, toeing the rubber with a dull pain in his arm. The senior wasn’t thinking about icing his arm. No, he was thinking about icing the game, and continuing the Panthers’ postseason run. “I threw my warm-up pitches and felt a little boost,” Thompson said. “I wanted to finish what I started.” Four pitches lead to a strikeout, Thompson’s 10th of the game.
 Observer photos/PAUL HARDER The Imbler second baseman looked like a vacuum. He gobbled up all four opportunities headed his way, including the second out of the seventh. “He had a great game,” Imbler head coach Monty McIntosh said. “Those aren’t plays he makes all the time. We were happy with everyone. We had eight players with a hit, and (Jake) Noyes had a sacrifice fly.” The game ended with a Wallowa batter frozen by a fastball. Imbler will face Joseph at 12:30 p.m. Friday in Elgin. The winner advances to the state playoffs.
Wallowa 101 503 0 — 10 8 5 W- Thompson. L- Harshfield. 2B- Imbler, Peterson, Cornford, Coughlan. |
