Portland Barburs ice Legion field

PORTLAND - Ryden Nakamura produced another key hit and future college rivals Kainoa Santiago and Carter Stewart added run-scoring hits as the Portland Barburs won their second American Legion baseball state tournament in three years Wednesday with a 9-2 victory over the Corvallis Marketmen at Joe Etzel Field.

Nakamura, who hit a walk-off two-run single two nights earlier, hit an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to break a 1-all tie, and the Barburs added five more runs before the inning came to an end with a 7-1 lead.

Santiago, who is headed for Gonzaga, added a two-run single in the inning, and Stewart, who is headed for the University of Portland and more home games at Etzel Field, hit a two-run homer in the sixth to boost the lead to 9-1.

On the mound, Calvin Martinez, Jacob Bishop and Griffen Scott combined to allow just seven hits against a team it beat 7-5 on Sunday.

"This was a great tournament, a lot of close games," Stewart said. "We're excited to get the job done, and go to Montana."

Portland closed the double-elimination tournament with five wins and no losses, and will begin the Northwest Regional in Billings, Mont., Aug. 6. That tournament includes teams from Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, and the host team, which won the event last year.

The eight-team World Series is set for Shelby, N.C., Aug. 14-19. An Oregon team has not reached the World Series since 2015. Only one team from Oregon - in 1969, has won the World Series, which will be celebrating the 100th year of Legion baseball this year.

The Barburs program reached the regionals two years ago under coach Joe Duran, but finished 1-2, with its two losses by a combined three runs.

This years’ Barburs squad picked up both Jesuit High grads Stewart, who played for a regional travel team last summer, and Santiago, who was injured last summer, and they set about helping Duran and his staff reclaim the title they collectively lost to the Eugene Challengers last year. Duran, who is in his 15th year guiding the program, also recruited players from Sunset, Ida B. Wells, LaSalle and Scappoose High Schools.

“We all know how hard coach Joe has worked for us and the program, so it’s really fun to win this for him and go back to regionals,” said Stewart, whose travel team last summer was based out out Seattle. “This is my first time in Legion ball, and it was a good decision to play on this team.”

“Regionals and beyond, that’s been our goal all season,” said Santiago. “The games we played in this tournament were really competitive. They got us ready for that.”

In the state tournament, Portland won its first three games by five total runs, including a 4-3 win over the Hillsdale Merchants of Southwest Portland on Monday. That game included a two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh for the win, which was emotional for Duran because the opponent was coached by one of his former players.

“That was one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of,” Duran said of Monday’s win. “That win brought us together and carried us through the next two days."

Portland won its final two games by a combined 16-5.

“We saw a lot of great arms in this tournament - they aren’t going to be better at regionals," Duran said. "And, we played the kind of close games that happen in a regional. This tournament got us ready.”

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American Legion Baseball State Tournament

At Joe Etzel Field

University of Portland

FIRST ROUND

Hillsdale Merchants 4, Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s 2

Medford Mustangs 10, Stayton Canyon Crushers 2

Corvallis Marketmen 2, Hillsboro Wet Sox 1

Portland Barburs 3, Eugene Challengers 1

SECOND ROUND

Hillsdale Merchants 6, Medford Mustangs 4

Portland Barburs 7, Corvallis Marketmen 5

Eugene Challengers 9, Hillsboro Wet Sox 0 (loser out)

Stayton Canyon Crushers 4, Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s 1 (loser out)

THIRD ROUND

Portland Barburs 4, Hillsdale Merchants 3

Eugene Challengers 15, Medford Mustangs 3 (loser out)

Corvallis Marketmen 7, Stayton Canyon Crushers 2 (loser out)

SEMIFINALS

Portland Barburs 7, Eugene Challengers 3 (loser out)

Corvallis Marketmen 5, Hillsdale Merchants 3 (loser out)

FINAL

Portland Barburs 9, Corvallis Marketmen 2 (loser out)

Portland advances to Northwest Regional, Aug. 6-10, Billings, Mont.

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