The Crook County Senior baseball Little League all-star team won the District 5 title Saturday, June 21.

The Senior title highlighted the Crook County league’s results at the multi-division tournament, this year hosted by The Dalles.

The Senior boys rolled through the only other team in their tournament, Bend North, winning game one 20-2 then taking the second game 17-0. The Crook County boys will take the hot offense and stingy defense to the state tournament, set for July 12-14 in Klamath Falls.

The Crook County Junior baseball team was a game away from reaching the championship. Crook County got a first-round bye then took a wild one, 17-16, over Bend South. That put them into the semi-final round against The Dalles. Playing on their friendly confines, The Dalles beat Crook County 14-4, which sent the Crook County squad into the elimination game against Bend North. The Northsiders came won a tight one, 7-5, to advance to the title. There, they beat The Dalles to get the district title.

In the Little League division, where the boys dream of making it to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Crook County got a first-round bye, then faced The Dalles and lost to a tough squad 16-0. That dropped the boys into the elimination bracket, where they fell to Redmond 9-1 to end their run.

Although the squad didn’t win in the tourney, head coach Ben Van Alstine said, “We had a great time and made some lasting memories. As a first-year head coach and having my son make my team, it was truly an amazing experience! I can’t wait for next season!”

Crook County’s 9-11 team opened against Bend North and were steamrolled 20-1 by a strong squad. But Crook County rallied in their next game to beat The Dalles in a great game, 3-2. That gave the local boys at shot at Bend South and they shut out Crook County and won 10-0. In the finals, Bend North topped Bend South.

Crook County’s 8-10 team finished 1-2. They opened by falling to Bend North, then beat Sisters, but fell to Redmond in their third game.

In softball action, the Crook County squad in the Little League All-Star division (ages 11-12) had a wild tourney.  They opened with a bye then faced Bend North and the North-enders won a tight one, 6-4. That dropped the local girls into the elimination round, where they caught fire. They beat Bend South 4-3, then got past Sisters via forfeit. That set them up against Redmond where the winner would advance to the title game. Crook County got it done, winning 5-1 to advance to the district championship.

There, however, they ran into Bend North again and lost to a hot squad, 16-1.

The Crook County Juniors softball squad battled the Warm Springs Nation in a two-team tourney. Warm Springs took the opener 14-4, but the Cowgirls took game two 18-7 to set up a winner-take-all battle for the title. In the final game Monday, June 23, the Warm Springs girls had the magic and took home a 19-7 leaving, ending the Crook County season.

Crook County’s 8-10 softball team got a first-round bye then took on Bend South and won an exciting 13-10 game. That brought them to the semi-final round against The Dalles and the host squad won 13-1. Dropped into the elimination round, the local girls faced Bend north and lost in a football score, 20-10, to end their season. The Dalles eventually topped Bend North for the title.