Weston High School fell to top-ranked Pitkin 2-1 in a thrilling but heartbreaking championship-caliber contest on Thursday at the LHSAA Class B baseball state tournament played at McMurry Park in Sulfur, LA.

The 4th straight loss in the semi-final round of the state tournament and third loss to Pitkin this year, ended the District 1B champion Wolves’ season with a 23-13 record. Defending state champion Pitkin, who is the #1 seed in the 20-team Class B bracket, improves to 19-5 on the year and continues to the finals that will be played Wednesday, May 13th, against #2 seed Glenmore, which advanced by beating #3 Family Community 3-0.

No losers! While one team was eliminated and the other moved on, there were really no losers in the well-played contest between the two teams, only one team that executed more perfectly than the other. Both teams executed on offense when opportunities arose and performed brilliantly in the field, with neither team committing an error. 

Pitchers Duel! Fans were treated to a tremendous pitching duel between Bryce Tolar of Weston and Gage James of Pitkin, with neither allowing any extra base hits. For five innings, Tolar kept Pitkin at bay by limiting the defending Class B champions to just a second-inning single, while after giving up three hits and a run in the first inning that gave Weston a 1-0 lead, Gage James struck out 8 and allowed only two more hits the rest of the way for the complete game victory. 

Good Start! In the battle billed as a contest between Weston’s powerful offense and Pitkin’s stingy defense, early on, it looked like Weston’s batters would have their way. Ty Henderson got things started when, on the second pitch of the game, he hit a ground ball single through the left side of the infield, leading to Jase Borders reaching base after getting hit by a pitch. Drew Browning then hit a sharp single to right field that advanced Henderson to third, but Borders was called out following a perfect relay throw from the outfield to second base, leaving Weston with runners at the corners. Colton Blundell then followed with a hit that scored Henderson to give Weston a quick 1-0 lead after four batters had come to the plate, all getting on base. Pitkin pitcher Gage then settled down to get two quick outs, leaving Weston with two runners on base. 

Small ball! Gavin Holt led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a base hit for Pitkin, only the second hit of the game off of Tolar, who had pitched superbly in the tense, pressure-packed contest. Having started only two games prior and tossing just 25 innings all season, WHS head coach Joey Kemp sensed that Tolar was tiring and summoned to the mound Weston ace Ty Henderson, who had started and thrown the most innings for the Wolves during the season. Holt advanced to second on a wild pitch, and, recognizing the importance of moving the runner over, Pitkin head coach J.C. Holt called for a sacrifice bunt, which Kash Wisby perfectly executed, putting Holt on third base with just one out. Attempting to simply score the run, Holt called for another bunt that Lincon Stephens laid down perfectly for a base hit, tying the game. After Hendeson walked, Kemp then called Liam Weaver to the mound, who gave up an infield single to load the bases, but then stood firm to force a groundout and end the inning.

Walk-off win! Weaver opened the top of the final frame with a single but was left stranded on base, leading to Wyett Sasser coaxing a walk for Pitkin, and advancing to second on the third bunt in the last two innings. WHS coach Kemp then called for Holt to be intentionally walked, setting up what would be a force out at any base, but Wilsby spoiled the smart decision by hitting a single up the middle, which scored Sasser and gave Pitkin the “walk-off” win.