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Jeff Yoder

Your Prep Sports

One out away.

Camanche was one out away from the dogpile, the banner, and a trip to Principal Park.

Four times a West Branch Bear denied the Indians the final out.

Trey Eagle’s single drove in two runs and West Branch walked off with a 3-2 nine-inning victory in the substate final.

“I think even a few of us started to shed tears, thinking it was over with,” Eagle said.

“But you get that second guy on base, you’re like, alright, we got this in the bag.”

Brady Lukavsky was that second guy on base, reaching on an infield single after Tanner Lukavsky extended the inning by reaching base on an error.

“It was very nerve wracking,” said Brady, a West Branch senior.

“I didn’t want it to be my last game of the year, my last at bat, so I wanted to get on base to help my team.”

Pete Espensen drew a walk in a seven-pitch at-bat to load the bases for Eagle.

“I’ve had a problem popping up the last few games and I was really just looking to make solid, line drive contact,” Eagle said.

“I knew that Brady was going to hustle all the way around to home no matter what.”

West Branch had just two baserunners in the ball game before four straight Bears reached base with one out remaining.

“You just don’t stop fighting, you just don’t quit, you fight through adversity.” Andy Lapel told his team heading into the ninth inning.

“These guys are so mentally tough, you just knew that they weren’t out of it. You just knew it.

“It means so much to me. For those four seniors that have given everything for this program, I didn’t want to be done and they didn’t want to be done.”

West Branch kept Camanche off of the scoreboard early in the game, but it took Trey Eagle 72 pitches to get out of the third inning.

“I came and they told me that and I was like, ‘I’ve really got to lock down, get more efficient and get to Ted.”

Camanche went down 1-2-3 in the fourth inning on seven pitches.

Eagle went 5 2/3 innings, allowing a run on three hits, five walks, while striking out eight.

Matt Paulsen became the first Bear to reach base with a single to lead off the fourth inning and later scored on a sac fly by Espensen. Tanner Lukavksy also had a hit in the inning.

Ted Bridges allowed two hits, a walk and an unearned run in 3 1/3 innings of relief. He had four strikeouts.

West Branch (20-7) was seeded eighth for the state tournament and will face No. 1 seed North Linn (38-5) in the quarterfinal round on Monday, July 29 at Principal Park in Des Moines. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 am.

Camanche             000  010  002  –  2  5  1

West Branch         000  100  001  –  3  4  1

W – Ted Bridges                L – Mason McManus 

2B – CAM: Mikey Delzell

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