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Sisters, Oregon
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Baseball team takes second in state
By Greg Strannigan

The Sisters baseball team's storybook season finally came to an end on Saturday, June 1, as the Outlaws lost the championship game to The Dalles 17-6.

The Outlaws wound up as the runner-up for the state crown.

Evan Livsey started and came out throwing strikes. But right away, the Outlaws' defense that had been so flawless and had helped get the team to this point betrayed them.

"I don't know if it was the sun, but our kids couldn't get a good read on the ball," Coach Ray Garrettson said. "They weren't as aggressive as they have been in going after it. The Dalles hit a lot of balls in the air -- balls we normally would have caught. I don't think there was a single inning where we didn't give them an extra out.

"But, to their credit, they pounded out four homers and had 21 hits. All their hitters from one through nine can swing the bat. They are an incredible hitting team. That fact and the combination of our mistakes were keys to the game."

Down by a 9-1 score in the fourth inning, the Outlaws came back with four runs of their own to make it 9-5.

"We needed to put up a zero on the board in the top of the fifth inning," said the coach.

But a fly ball to center field that got lost in the sun made it 10-5. Sisters came back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the fifth, and the game was still within reach at 10-6 after five innings.

"The sixth inning was pivotal," said Garrettson. "We were creeping back in, but we just could never stop them. After five innings, it was a ball game. But they are great hitters, and we didn't make the plays."

The Indians scored four times in the sixth to pull away 14-6, and added three more in the seventh to account for the scoring.

Evan Livsey, Pat Burke, Ryan Harper, and Seth Teague all made appearances on the mound for the Outlaws.

"We just didn't have the pitching," Garrettson said. "The Dalles even had guys coming off the bench that hit home runs. They make you pay if you throw it belt-high over the plate."

Sisters made the most of five hits. Ian MacAllister was 1-for-2 with two RBI and a double. Pat MacFarland hit 1 for 2 with 1 RBI and a double.

The Outlaws can hold their heads up after putting together the run that got them to the finals.

The Tuesday, May 28 semi-final game against Seaside was a memorable 7-6 thriller.

The Outlaws came back from a 4-1 deficit to win that game.

Ryan Harper was the winning pitcher, with Pat Burke getting the save. Burke was also the offensive hero, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Both of his hits were for extra bases, with a double and a home run.

Seth Teague contributed by going 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, and Ryan Harper was 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.

"We have had the time of our lives during the last two weeks," said the coach. "I was amazed at how the kids kept their composure. It was a great run -- beat some really good teams along the way.

"It was disappointing that our defense wasn't at the same level that got us there -- it was not indicative of how they played during the year," the coach said.

"We didn't have the confidence in the championship game that we'd had earlier. It was a big crowd, and The Dalles has been there before. They've won the state championship seven of the last 10 years, and are the defending state champs."

Making the finals was an accomplishment and bodes well for the future.

"We did well to come this far, and we gave the people in Sisters a lot of excitement," Garrettson said. "This was a great experience for us. We'll be back next year, as we have 10 players returning, including eight starters."

Sisters finished the season with a 26-4-1 record.

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