By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
INDEPENDENCE, Ore.– Central Head Coach Ben Kramer stood by home plate. Hands on his waist. Taking it all in.
He had a smile on his face. Wiping off a tear after the Panthers punched their ticket to the 5A State Championship Game on Tuesday afternoon following their 4-2 victory over Ridgeview of Redmond at home.
His team, when the season started, sought out this moment. They battled all year long. Battled through a tough non-league, a tough Mid-Willamette Conference, through the playoffs that saw three home games. Three home games as the six-seed. And they defend their home turf to make this moment a reality.
Cheers were around the Central Head Coach as his players went out to celebrate with fans and family. Panther nation showed out for their home squad.
The last two games, against Silverton and now against the Ravens, saw big crowds to support the local sandlot team.
“The boys in the dugout, they mean the world ot me and this was the goal that they set out for and there’s still a lot more left with this team. That moment (at the plate) was something that we visualized over, and over, and over, and over again…and that is to put ourselves in positions to be able to have that last out, at our field,” said Kramer. “And who would have thought, with seedings and all that stuff going in, I’m just so proud of the boys.
“Three home playoff games at home and wow, it’s pretty special to do it in front of these fans. It’s packed and Panther Nation came out and supported.”
And though Tuesday’s game started off slow, Ridgeview scoring in the first inning and led 1-0 after the first inning, the Panthers settled in.
J.T. Girod and his team dug deep to keep the Ravens in check. Over the course of the next three innings, they held Ridgeview scoreless. Girod went the distance on 87 pitches, striking out nine batters in the process.
The Panther bats came around, buzzing to life in the third inning as they took the lead off a two-run inning. One run came off a Joe Mendzaona double. Another run came off an error during the next At-Bat. Central tacked on two more in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead into the fifth inning.
Ridgeview added one in the top half of the fifth, but that was all they could muster as Central stayed locked-in to close out the game, taking the game 4-2 to advance to their first State Title Game since 2019.
It’s that brotherhood, that playing for each other, that has led them to this point. And it’s going to be the focal point for them entering Saturday’s 5A State Championship Game.
“We’re all so close as a team…Staying together is important to us, especially when we’re playing well. We do it every day in practice, it’s a community and it’s a brotherhood with how close we are,” said Tyler Olafson.
In front of them, to get that first State Title since 2019, is Thurston. The Panthers will head to PK Park in Eugene to play the Colts on Saturday with a 1:30pm first-pitch.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
