By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns Hilander baseball team moved into the semi-finals of the OSAA 3A State Baseball Playoffs with a 2-0 win over Bandon on Friday, May 28, at Corbett Memorial Field.

In what turned out to be a pitchers’ duel, the Hilanders’ Tyler Cooper broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer in the fifth inning.

George Swartzlender added an insurance run for Burns in the sixth inning when he hit a solo shot over the leftfield fence in the sixth.

Swartzlender also picked up the win on the mound, throwing a two-hitter, and facing only two batters over the minimum. He struck out seven and walked two over seven innings of work.

It looked like Burns might get a run across in the second inning when Swartzlender led off with single up the middle and Zach Dobson then reached base on an error. The rally was cut short by the Bandon defense however, as they turned a double play and got a fly out to end the inning.

The Burns defense played well for seven innings, never allowing a Tiger base runner to get into scoring position.
With the win, the Hilanders advanced to the semi-finals to face Santiam Christian, the No. 1-ranked team in 3A, on Tuesday, June 1, in Corvallis. Results of that game were not available by press time.

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  R  H  E
Ban 0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0   2  2
Bur 0  0  0  0  1  1  x   2   4  0

Swartzlender’s RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth gave Burns an 8-7 comeback win over Willamina in the opening round of the OSAA 3A State Baseball Playoffs on Tuesday, May 25.

Down 7-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Hilanders’ Dobson reached base when he was hit by a pitch.

Cooper then singled, and Casey Heinz followed with another single, driving in the tying run and forcing extra innings.
Willamina had the top of the order coming up in the eighth, but the Hilanders defense set them down in order.

Nolan Stampke drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the eighth and advanced to third on a passed ball and a throwing error. Swartzlender then stepped to the plate and delivered his game-winning hit, sending Burns on to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.

Willamina, the defending 3A state champions, came ready to play and flexed their muscle early, scoring two runs in the top of the first on three hits and an error.

Burns cut the lead to 2-1 in their half of the first on Dobson’s RBI single.

Burns took the lead in the second inning with a two-out rally. Heinz led off with a double, and two outs later, scored on a hit by Caleb Feist. Back-to-back singles by Casey Thein and Stampke then brought Feist home.

The Hilanders’ upped their lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the third when Cooper drilled a shot to the right field corner for a lead-off triple and later scored on a passed ball.

Willamina started off the top of the fourth with three straight hits and a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 4-3, but the Hilanders then cut the rally short by turning a double play.

In the bottom of the fourth, Thein singled with one out and came home on Stampke’s triple to deep centerfield. A Bulldog error then scored Stampke and Burns led 6-3.

The Bulldogs got their offense going again in the top of the sixth. Brent Buckner delivered a leadoff single, and one out later, TJ Greenhill drew a walk. Nick Goodman followed with an RBI-single and Brady Buckner was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a fly out, JJ Flynn sent Swartzlender’s pitch to the fence, driving in three runs with a stand-up triple.

Swartzlender then struck out the next batter, setting up the Hilanders’ seventh inning comeback, and the eventual victory.

Swartzlender picked up the win, giving up six earned runs on 11 hits with nine strikeouts, two walks and two hit batters over eight innings.

The Bulldogs’ BJ Wilson also pitched a complete game and took the loss. He gave up eight runs, seven earned, on 12 hits with four strikeouts, four walks and a hit batter.

Stampke finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored, Dobson was 2-for-3, scored once and had one RBI, Heinz was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, Cooper 2-for-4 with a run scored, Thein 2-for-5 with a run scored, Swartzlender 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Feist 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 R  H  E
Will 2  0  0  1  0  4  0 0 7  11  2
Bur 1  2  1  2  0  0  1 1 8  12  1