Young Outlaws shine on the diamond

The Sisters Outlaws 14U baseball team captured the championship trophy in the Senior American Division in the 2010 Bend Memorial Day Youth Baseball Tourney.

Led by strong pitching from Justin Harrer, Tristan Lewis, Trevor Standen and Jardon Weems, the Outlaws beat travel teams from Eugene, Salem, Tigard and Forest Grove to go undefeated. Standen and Weems combined for a sparkling no-hitter in the championship game victory over Tigard.

"It was a total team effort," said Outlaws manager Stan Morgan, "but our pitchers really set the tone. They threw lots of strikes and kept the hitters on their heels. Our defense did the rest."

Several strong defensive plays by shortstop Sam Walker and catcher Joey Morgan provided highlights. "Joey did a fine job handling the pitching staff and controlling the running game, and Sam made solid plays all weekend," the manager added. "It was good to see our hard work pay off."

The Outlaws' middle-infield tandem of Walker and second-baseman Harrer turned several impressive double plays. Outfielders Austin Ogilvie and Keenan O'Hern also made significant defensive contributions. Ogilvie threw a runner out at first base to squelch a rally, and O'Hern made a fine running catch in the championship game to preserve the no-hitter.

"There were good plays all over the field," said Morgan. "All of our boys can be proud."

Although the tournament games were tight, low-scoring affairs, the Outlaws had some key hits to trigger the offense. Joey Morgan led the Outlaws offensively with an outstanding average of .545. Weems made a large contribution, stroking a long triple to center field in the championship game. He scored on a crucial suicide squeeze bunt by Billy Biggers.

"That was a big run for us in a tight game," said Coach Morgan. "Billy had to get that bunt down with Jardon coming in fast. It was a pressure play, and Billy did the job."

Several other players, including Ben Larson, Jardon Weems and Trevor Standen, also had high batting averages, hitting .444. Connor Gellings and Cody Kreminski had important hits that contributed to the scoring.

"We had strong hitting up and down the lineup," Coach Morgan said. Nick Waters, another key member of the Outlaws, was unable to play due to illness. Assistant coaches for the team are Dave Gellings, Tim Ogilvie, and Jeff Standen.

The 14U Outlaws finish their regular season against the Redmond Panthers on Wednesday, and then begin the season-ending Central Oregon Baseball Tournament next weekend.

"We are playing our best baseball at the right time," stated Morgan, "but we know there are several excellent teams in the COBL league. We will do our best, and look forward to the challenge."