Chris Clegg
South Peace News
The High Prairie Angels came so close yet were so far away.
The Angels were swept 3-0 in the Wheatbelt Baseball League final Aug. 21 after losing a doubleheader at Wanham to the Wildcats by scores of 3-2 and 10-6.
Although the Angels were swept, one had to wonder how different the series may have been if the Angels had managed to win the first game of the twinbill and force a fourth game back at Jaycee Park.
But it wasn't to be as the Wildcats took advantage of a crucial error and three perplexing umpiring calls in the late innings to win the game. The Angels' spirit appeared to be broken and the Wildcats won the deciding game easily.
The first inning of the first game was perhaps a bad omen for the Angels. Kelly Marx walked with one out before Grant Marquardt singled. Rollie Gladue walked to load the bases with one out before Jessie Smith and Chris Voutour struck out to end the inning. Had they scored, it may have set a different tone for the game.
The Wildcats responded with a run in their half of the first inning. Mike Mueller walked and took second base on a wild pitch. He scored on Justin Coppens two out double.
After that, the pitchers took over until the fifth inning when the Angels rallied to score twice. Steven Pratt walked and stole second. Marx singled scoring Pratt to tie the game and went to second base on the throw to home plate. He later scored on Gladue's RBI single.
The Wildcats scored in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game. Coppens singled and went to second on an error. He later scored on Tyler Metier's RBI single.
The Angels were then handed three questionable calls by the home plate umpire. Two calls on foul balls and one on a check swing were all disputed by the Angels, who appeared to be right each time. While the calls didn't cost the Angels the game, it did cost them a chance to get a hit that could have made the final result different.
The Wildcats took advantage scoring the final run in the seven inning contest. Dustin Sather singled to begin the inning and went to second on Mueller's single. Then fate took over. Gladue, who pitched a sensational game, then fielded a grounder from Brent Tansem but threw the ball away trying to catch the lead runner at third base. His errant thrown sailed into left field and Sather raced around to score the winning run.
Coppens was the winning pitcher going the distance on a six hitter. He stuck out 10, walked only two and hit one batter.
Gladue was also solid despite suffering the loss. He gave up three runs, two earned. He stuck out four and walked four.
A major factor in the game also occurred in the sixth inning when Coppens ran into Marx while fielding a ball at second base. Marx injured his knee and had to pull himself out of the game in the seventh inning. Marx, who is as tough as they come, must have been hurting to pull himself from any game. He also sat the entire second game.
The Angels also had to make the trip without one of the other pitchers, Grant Thom, who had to work.
The Wildcats scored six runs in the second inning of the third game and led throughout to seize the title from the defending champions. Dwayne Tansem's RBI single scored two runners to highlight the rally. Brent Tansem also had an RBI single while other runs scored on errors and a perfectly executed double steal.
The Angels scored single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. In the third, Jarod Okemow walked and scored on Pratt's fielder's choice. Jessie Smith singled home Gladue in the fourth inning after he singled and stole second. The fifth inning run came when Steven Gladue walked and went to second base on a wild pitch. He advanced to third on a long fly ball and scored on Rollie Gladue's groundout.
The Wildcats continued to score, however. They added two runs in the fourth inning and single runs in the third and fifth innings.
The Angels scored three runs in the sixth inning to make the score respectable. Robbie Blaikie and Steven Gladue each recorded RBI groundouts and Pratt doubled in another run to highlihgt the rally.
But the Wildcats were far too good as they were never threatened after scoring six runs in the second.
Craig Sather pitched the win going five innings. Tyler Metier pitched the final two innings after Sather loaded the bases to begin the sixth inning.
Steven Gladue suffered the loss giving up seven runs in only three innings. Rollie Gladue and Grant Marquardt mopped up.
The Wildcats outhit the Angles 13-8 in the contest to win their second title in three years and fourth overall in the past seven years. The series also marked the third straight year the two teams have met in the final.
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