Galena punches ticket to state with its 6-3 win over Wooster

RENO -- Steve Lerud was a second-class citizen on the 2001 Galena team that advanced to state championship game. He was a power hitter that just wasn't as powerful as Billy Paganetti, Dustin Hahn and Joey Hoot.

Two years later, and now the biggest Grizzly around, Lerud now has a chance to redeem himself for a play nobody else probably remembers, except for him.

"I was a sophomore on the team two years ago that made the title game. I made the last out in that game and I still remember that," Lerud said of the 2001 state title game, which Galena lost to Green Valley, 6-2. "I can't wait to get back down there again."

Lerud went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Warren Whitley and Tim Thompson combined to pitch a five-hitter as the Grizzlies earned the final spot into the NIAA/U.S. Bank 4A State Tournament with a 6-3 win over Wooster on Saturday at Zunini Field.

Galena (28-7), which won the zone championship two years ago before advancing to the state title game, upended the defending zone and state champions to get back to state this year.

The Colts (16-17), who surprised many just by getting into the 3rd-4th place game of zone, were 10-run ruled by the Grizzlies earlier this season. But that didn't mean anything.

"You gotta respect the game and respect the other team," said Lerud, who has already signed with Santa Clara University, but might sign with whichever major league team drafts him in June. "I knew the Wooster team we played today wasn't going to be the same team we played earlier this season. Wooster will always come at you and they play tough. Look what they did last year."

The Grizzlies broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth by scoring four runs. Lerud's RBI double that scored Tyler Stafford made it 3-2 and Ryan Plemmons, Jason Romero and Brian Evans each added RBI singles. Wooster went through three pitchers in the fifth and none of them were able to slow Galena down, at least not before the damage was already done.

Whitley struck out four batters and walked only one in five innings before getting replaced by Grizzly ace Tim Thompson.

"As soon as we lost to Carson (Friday night), I was just worried about how I was going to work my pitching staff," said second-year coach Gary McNamara. "We knew we would throw Warren Whitley four or five innings and then bring Thompson in to close the game because he had innings left. That was the plan and it worked out."

Thompson only faced four batters in the sixth. He struck out the first two batters in the seventh before the Colts, who unexpectedly won the zone and state titles last year, attempted a comeback. Cody Williams singled and Zach Stone, Wooster's No. 9 hitter, followed with an RBI triple. But Thompson struck out Derek McNeil to end the game.

"I didn't even look at the charts in that first game between us," McNamara said. "I knew they would be a completely different team. All I know is we're going to state and we're playing a No. 1 seed from somewhere down there and you're going to have to beat all the teams down there to win this thing."

Galena opens the first round of state against Centennial, which earned the Sunset Region's No. 1 seed after its 12-2 win over Bishop Gorman on Saturday.