Orofino Maniacs win state baseball title, honor fallen teammate

May 19—Usually in sports, the result on the scoreboard is what matters, but sometimes the athletes play for much more than themselves — or the victory.

The Orofino Maniacs won their first Idaho Class 2A state baseball championship in a decade with an 8-4 decision over the Grangeville Bulldogs on Saturday at Halliwell Park in Pocatello.

The Maniacs didn't fully grasp their victory until the postgame medal ceremony. As Orofino's players accepted their individual medals and team trophy, teammates reverently passed around the No. 2 jersey that had belonged to their fallen comrade, Drew Hanna.

Hanna died in a car crash in August, leaving a devastating impact on the small town.

The impression Hanna left on his community was so strong that, according to an Idahosports.com article from Jason Chatraw, even his memorial service, held in the biggest venue in town at the Best Western Conference Center ballroom, was unable to accommodate the overflow crowd.

Orofino dedicated its season to the former all-state pitcher, went undefeated in Central Idaho League play, recorded its highest win total (25) in years, and culminated the remarkable season by capturing a state championship.

"Drew was a wonderful young man, and his life was taken too soon," Orofino coach Scotty Tondevold said. "These guys grew up with him from a young age, and it just means so much to each of them. They were doing it for a higher purpose. Whether they won or lost this year, it didn't matter because it was important that his family knew how much he is missed and cared for within our organization. ... Every one of us recognized Drew because he would've been on the mound with us and winning the state championship. ... There were a lot of tears shed and a lot of hugs in remembrance of a teammate. But there was a lot of happiness as well."

Back and forth to start

Orofino's offense, which had been sluggish in the first inning, came alive in the top of the second.

Sophomore Jaeger Tondevold crushed the first pitch of his at-bat for a two-RBI double, putting the Maniacs ahead 3-0 with the bases loaded and no outs.

Grangeville (23-5) wouldn't go away silently, though, scoring three runs during its half of the inning to tie the game, 3-3.

David Goicoa opened the scoring for the Bulldogs with an RBI double to center field. Two at-bats later, Cody Klement added an RBI single, and an errant throw to third base allowed another runner to score, tying the game.

Goicoa's 14th double of the season tied the school record.

Orofino (25-2) scored one run in the top of the third to put itself up for good.

Putting an exclamation point on it

In the sixth and seventh innings, the Maniacs totaled four runs, essentially putting the game out of reach for the Bulldogs.

"That's the fifth time we played Orofino," Grangeville coach Lee Nadiger said. "There were no secrets, we knew it was going to be a dog fight. I have to give credit to Orofino. They fielded the ball well in some big spots."

In the top of the seventh inning, Orofino scored three runs, highlighting its late-game surge.

Silas Naranjo brought home the first runner with an RBI single, and his younger brother Quinton Naranjo extended the Maniacs' lead to 7-3 with another RBI single.

Silas Naranjo scored the final run of the inning, tagging up at third base and raced home to give Orofino an 8-3 lead.

"We've done that all year," Tondevold said. "We let teams get ahead of us early, and that's an unfortunate thing that's been happening. But we kept fighting and grinding. We never have that give-up menality. We get back to work ready to be hit in the face and compete until we're back in it."

Quinton Naranjo had "one of his best games" at third base, according to Tondevold, highlighting a stellar defensive night from the left side of the diamond.

Jaeger Tondevold also made his share of plays from the shortstop position.

"They made a couple of big plays coming across the diamond," Tondevold said. "(Quinton) Naranjo had five putouts, and none of them were routine. He had to cover a lot of ground and make some impressive throws."

A rematch on the bump

The pitching duel between Orofino's Aiden Olive and Grangeville's Goicoa was a rematch from a Class 2A district championship.

Olive narrowly outperformed Goicoa on the mound, mirroring the outcome of their matchup 10 days ago.

The junior pitcher surrendered two earned runs on four hits while striking out one batter in 5 2/3 innings.

"Aiden did a spectacular job today," Tondevold said. "He had a bit of a rough start, but then he settled in. He knew his role, and he had already been in this situation, and we ended up with the same outcome."

Goicoa wasn't too shabby either, allowing three earned runs on three hits and striking out five batters in six innings.

"He threw a great game," Nadiger said. "Even when there were a couple of mistakes behind him, he kept his head down and got some outs. ... He really battled. He's done what he's done all year and gave us a chance to be in the game, and that's all you can ask for."

North central Idaho represent

This was the fifth time the two league foes met this season, with Orofino winning every contest.

The state title bout was the farthest the two CIL foes had to travel to settle their differences on the diamond, with both squads having to make a more than an eight-hour trek for the tournament.

However, it was fine for both teams, as they helped piece together what was a stellar weekend for north Idaho baseball teams.

Grangeville and Orofino made the title tilt in the 2A; north central Idaho took all four spots in the 1A; and Moscow won the state championship in the 4A.

"I think the truth is in the results," Nadiger said. "It felt like we were the best two teams down here. It felt like it was going to come down to us, and we played some of those 1A schools this year, and they're tough. ... We got a lot of talent up here."

Orofino 031 001 3—8 5 3

Grangeville 030 000 1—4 6 3

Aiden Olive, Ethan Gilmore and Silas Naranjo; David Goicoa, James Aragon and Cody Klement.

Orofino hits — Quinton Naranjo 2, Jaeger Tondevold, Dashel Barlow, Silas Naranjo.

Grangeville hits — Taven Ebert 2, Goicoa (2B), Klement, Sam Lindsley, Aragon.

Pixley may be contacted at (208) 848-2290, tpixley@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @TreebTalks