Orioles take minors championship

JORDAN DAWSON/Bigfork Eagle

In a game where the weather was as unpredictable as the scoring the Bigfork Orioles came out on top, beating the Bigfork Devil Rays 11-9, winning the minor league championship Monday night at Potoczny Field.

It looked as though the Rays had the game clinched in the sixth inning with a score of 6-1. Then Ross Coleman stepped up to the plate and hit a single that brought home Joseph Potkenjak and Levi Strohschein. Lincoln May walked and both boys stole their way to the outer bases. Then Cade White decided to switch things up with a bunt that brought home Coleman initially, and after the Rays fumbled with the ball May and White made it home as well to tie the game.

"We had two outs and the lead on them in the sixth inning," said Devil Rays coach Tom Adolph. "I think our players started to think that we had the game won. And when it slipped away with two outs and turned into a tie I think it really shook them."

The Rays had their chance to take back the lead in the bottom of the sixth, but came up scoreless, despite loading the bases, which sent the game into extra innings.

"We never gave up," said Orioles coach Nate Jordt. "We never lost faith that we could win."

The Orioles came back to score another five runs led by a home run by Coleman, a triple by May and a single by Potkenjak. With the score at 11-6 the Rays had a lot of catching up to do.

"They could've hung their heads after losing the lead, but they came out and gave it their all," Adolph said.

Ryan Keenan hit a triple, Mitchel White followed with a single and Damian Fitzpatrick brought them all home with a three run home run. But the Rays were not able get the last few runs needed to defeat the Orioles.

"We've been telling them all year that victory is not necessarily in the final score," Adolph said. "It's in how you play the game. So while they came up short in the score, they were winners overall."

The Orioles pitcher, Lars Gittings threw 12 strikeouts, Potkenjak hit a single, a triple and a home run, May hit a triple, Coleman hit a home run and a single.

"The biggest difference in that game was facing an incredible pitcher," Jordt said. "We just couldn't hit off of him for the first five innings. You have to get hits to get runs."

Going in to playoffs the Orioles were undefeated. However, their streak ended when they met the Rays for the first time in the playoffs June 6. If the Orioles would have won they would have taken the championship title then, but the Rays came out on top largely due to Adolph, who pitched a no hitter, with a final score of 14-3.

"After the last game they were aware of what a great pitcher the Devil Rays had, but nonetheless they were excited to play again," Jordt said.

For the Rays Monday night, Adolph threw 15 strike outs, Fitzpatrick was two for four at bat with a home run, Keenan was two for four at bat with a triple and White was two for four at bat.

"When (the Rays) gave (the Orioles) their first defeat it made it easier to get them out there and tell them 'you can do this' and for six-and-two-thirds innings they held them off," Adolph said. "But ultimately the best team won."