W.F. West gets first title
 
Pehl's bat, Gueller's arm lift Bearcats to 8-1 victory

By ROGER UNDERWOOD
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Having been king of the hill one night and king of the state the next, Chehalis' Robert Pehl had no trouble picking which experience he'd enjoyed most.

"Oh, this -- tonight, winning the state championship, no doubt," he said after leading the Bearcats past R.A. Long 8-1 for the Class 2A state championship Saturday night at Yakima County Stadium. "It's an awesome feeling -- amazing. I can't even describe it."

The junior had pitched Chehalis' 7-6 defeat of Archbishop Murphy in Friday's semifinal, then went 3-for-3 with a homer and double while scoring three runs in the title game.

Pehl's two-out, opposite-field solo blast put the Bearcats (21-3) ahead in the bottom of the first inning and they never looked back en route to the school's first state baseball crown.

He then started a five-run rally in the third by doubling off the left-field wall with two out.

Sophomore Mitch Gueller scattered eight hits and benefited from some sparkling defensive play by junior shortstop Erik Forgione.

"This is what we've been pointing toward from day one," Pehl said. "We hit a few rocks in the road, but now we're here and it's a great feeling."

The Lumberjacks of Longview, appearing in their first baseball state title game, finished 20-4.

R.A. Long seventh: Weaver strikes out; pinch-hitter Richards strikes out, reaches first on wild pitch; Welch grounds into 6-4 fielder's choice; Look flies out to center. No runs no hits, no errors, one runner left on base. 

W.F. West sixth: McCarty flies out to left; Gueller doubles to right; Casteel RBI double to right; Khan flies out to right; pinch-hitter Bonagofsky grounds out to short. One run, two hits, no errors, one runner left on base. 

R.A. Long sixth: Peterson doubles to right; Gomez grounds out to second, Peterson advances to third; Chamberlain RBI grounder to first, safe on error; Puvogel grounds into 6-4-3 double play. One run, one hit, one error, no runners left on base.

W.F. West fifth: Wilson walks; Boucher bunt single to third; Forgione lines out to left; Schoelkopf strikes out looking; Pehl strikes out. No runs, one hit, no errors, two runners left on base.

R.A. Long fifth: Williams grounds out to second; Welch grounds out to short; Look grounds to third, safe on throwing error; Wegdahl grounds into 5-4 fielder's choice. No runs, no hits, one error, one runner left on base.

W.F. West fourth: Schoelkopf grounds out to first; Pehl singles to right; McCarty single to right; Gueller flies out to right; Casteel RBI single to right, McCarty advances to third; Khan strikes out. One run, three hits, no errors, two runners left on base.  

R.A. Long fourth: Peterson grounds out to short; Gomez doubles to right; Chamberlain flies out to center; Puvogel walks; Weaver grounds out to short. No runs, one hit, no errors, two runners left on base.

W.F. West third: Boucher grounds out to third; Forgione strikes out; Schoelkopf walks; Pehl RBI double to left-center; McCarty bad-hop RBI single to right; Gueller singles to left; Casteel walks; Weaver replaces Look on mound; Khan RBI walk; Wilson grounds to short, safe on booted grounder; Boucher RBI walk; Welch replaces Weaver on mound; Forgione grounds into 1-4-6 fielder's choice. Five runs, three hits, one error, three runners left on base.        

R.A. Long third: Welch grounds out to short; Look grounds out to second; Wegdahl grounds out to second. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

W.F. West second: Casteel grounds out to short; Khan flies out to right; Wilson pops out to short. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

R.A. Long second: Gomez strikes out; Chamberlain singles inside the third-base line; Puvogel singles to right; Kilgore strikes out looking; Williams flies to center. No runs, two hits, no errors, two runners left on base. 

W.F. West first: Forgione pops out to catcher; Schoelkopf flies out to right; Pehl homers to right; McCarty reaches on booted grounder to second; Gueller grounds out to first. One run, one hit, one error, one runner left on base. 

R.A. Long first: Welch grounds out to short; Look grounds out to pitcher; Wegdahl reaches on booted ball by shortstop; Peterson strikes out. No runs, no hits, one error, one runner left on base.

Starting lineups
   R.A. Long -- Welch, 2b; Look, p; Wegdahl, ss; Peterson, cf; Gomez, 3b; Chamberlain, rf; Puvogel, 1b; Kilgore, dh (for Johnson, lf); Williams, c.
   W.F. West -- Forgione, ss; Schoelkopf, c; Pehl, 1b; McCarty, lf; Gueller, p; Casteel, dh (for Sanchez, rf); Khan, 2b; Wilson, cf; Boucher, 3b.