Camas-Washougal rallied from seven runs down in the second inning to win the 13-year-old Southwest Washington Babe Ruth state championship Sunday, at Louis Bloch Park.
“The kids remained positive. That was the main piece,” said head coach Bob Gibbs. “They just kept chipping away, run by run. They believed and they came through. It’s a memory they’ll have forever. It’s a memory I’ll have forever.”
After scoring the tying runs in the sixth and eighth innings, Gideon Malychewski stepped up to the plate with bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. A game filled with so much drama seemed fitting to end on a hit-by-pitch. Malychewski took a slug to the back and Logan Kearsey trotted in to score the winning run. Camas-Washougal defeated Twin Cities, Chehalis-Centralia, 11-10.
“I want to thank everybody who came out to watch us play for a championship,” Malychewski said. “It was a phenomenal game. All these people had our back.”
Twin Cities scored six runs in the top of the first inning and added another run in the second.
Camas-Washougal responded with three runs in the bottom of the second. Keegan Amberg drew a walk with bases loaded. Malychewski hit a sizzling ground ball through the legs of the second baseman and two more runs came into score.
Camas-Washougal cut the lead to 7-5 in the third inning. Kolby Broadbent hit a slow rolling grounder and beat the throw to first base for a lead off hit. He advanced to third some aggressive base running and scored on a pass ball. Michael Whitney served a line drive into left field for an RBI single.
Twin Cities delivered a 2-run double with two outs in the fourth inning to go back up by four runs. Camas-Washougal came right back with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Malychewski tripled into the gap in center field and scored on an infield hit by Tyler Forner.
Camas-Washougal loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning with no outs. Forner roped an RBI single into left and Broadbent hit a sacrifice fly to right for another run. Malychewski stole third base and scored the tying run on a pass ball.
Twin Cities reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth inning. Once again, Camas-Washougal answered the bell.
Malychewski reached first base on an infield hit and stole second. He was off and running for third base when Forner put the ball in play and beat the throw to first. Once Malychewski saw that the first baseman bobbled the ball, he broke for home plate and scored the tying run again.
“It’s such an advantage having him on the bases,” Gibbs said. “He creates havoc out there.”
Malychewski collided with the catcher and took a shot in the ribs, but his foot had already touched home plate.
“It definitely knocked the wind out of me, but it was a sacrifice for the team,” Malychewski said.
An inning later, Malychewski took another hit for the team to bring home the winning run.
“That was a great moment,” he said. “I was very humbled about it.”
Camas-Washougal carries the number-one seed into the Pacific Northwest Babe Ruth regional tournament, in Meridian, Idaho. Games begin Wednesday.
“This is something that nobody can take away from these kids,” Gibbs said. “These guys can come down here 10 years from now and see a banner that says Camas-Washougal Babe Ruth 13-year-old state champions.”
