Playing in the 3rd/4th place consolation final at Cheney Stadium on a sunny Saturday afternoon, the Redmond High baseball team battled back from a early deficit to fall just short to the Richland Bombers, 9-7, to place fourth, the program’s highest finish since 1993.

“I’m proud of how they played and what they did today,” said Redmond head coach Dan Pudwill. “They came out and competed, got in an early hole and battled back in a game that wasn’t really what we were hoping to play in.”

BOMBS AWAY

Richland starter Syd Hall pitched a complete game for the Bombers, giving up seven runs on nine hits, but the Bombers’ offense bailed him out.

Richland, which was held to just two hits in their 6-0 semifinals loss to Bothell, saw their bats come alive as they scored four runs in the first inning on five hits.

Redmond fired back in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by a big double down the left-field line by Patrick McGrath that scored two.

In the pivotal third inning, the Bombers got to starter T.J. Whidby again, chasing him after two and two-thirds, with Adam Cline coming on in relief.

A two-out error allowing the inning to continue, Richland notched an RBI single and scored another on a wild pitch, extending the Bombers’ lead to 8-4.

With their backs to the wall, the Mustangs chipped away at the lead.

Whidby, who moved to second base from the pitcher’s mound, laced an RBI single up the middle for a run in the bottom of the third, and in the fifth, McGrath again doubled just inside the bag at third base, and was later scored by designated hitter Peter Irvin’s RBI single.

In the sixth, Oregon-state bound Michael Conforto tripled to center and scored on a balk to cut the lead to two at 9-7, but that was close as the Mustangs got as they went down 1-2-3 in the seventh.

“But they showed a lot of character,” Pudwill said. “We’re really proud of the team.”

Hall was aided by some spectacular defense along the way, as center fielder Zach Rapacz made a highlight-reel catch in deep center field to rob Zach Abbruzza of extra bases in the first inning, and the senior caught another bad break as he laced a line drive in the fourth inning that was snagged on a leaping catch by the Bombers’ shortstop.

“I did pitch pretty good today, and I had (the defense) running everything down,” Hall recalled. “It’s just a good way to end the senior season, with a win.”

Conforto, who also pitched 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball, went 4-for-4 for the Mustangs at the plate in his final game in a Mustang uniform, highlighted by a towering home run over the right-field wall in the second inning, and was a double away from the cycle. Junior Patrick McGrath also contributed in a big way with a 3-for-4 night.

“We had no tomorrow,” said Conforto on the team’s mindset heading into the game. “We played like we weren’t going to play together (again) as a team. We had fun, didn’t end the way we wanted to, but we did our best and left it all out there.”

SUPER SENIORS

Without a doubt, the Mustangs’ fourth-place finish ended the run of one of the finest senior classes ever at Redmond High’s baseball program. In addition to Conforto, Dylan Davis (Oregon State) and Zach Abbruzza (Gonzaga) each are headed to D-I schools, with fellow upperclassmen Whidby, Nick Rothermel, catcher Colin McBride and Irvin each playing a role in the team’s success this year.

“Clearly there’s going to be a void to fill,” Pudwill said after the game. “They’re a talented, talented group. Groups like that don’t come along very often. We’re certainly going to miss them.”

The seventh-year coach acknowledged the fact that the Mustangs did not reach their ultimate goal of a state title, but noted that he was proud of his group for getting over the state quarterfinals hump that has eluded the program since 1993.

After the final out was recorded, emotions ran high in the Redmond dugout as the players realized that this was the final time they would ever play together as a group, with many of them having grown up playing on the same Little League and club teams.

“It’s been the most fun year of my life,” Conforto said. “The team chemistry, the guys all get along together. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Added Pudwill, “We got closer to accomplishing our goal this year than we have in a long time, and I feel good about that. And in time, so will the players.”