"Never, never, never give up."
-Winston Churchill
Although I have lived in Wenatchee, Washington for 47 years, I was born and raised in Oregon. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Oregon State Beavers, where I went to college. And, if the University of Oregon Ducks are playing I root for them... unless they are playing the Beavers.
The double elimination format College World Series has been playing in Omaha, Nebraska for the last couple of weeks. Weather has been a challenge throughout the series and has played havoc on the published schedule.
Although, one of the heavy favorites to win the title, my Oregon State University Beavers lost their very first game of the tournament. That meant every single game through to the Finals was win-or-go home. They did win all the rest of their games and earned a spot in the Championship games.
Eventually, the best of 3-Game Finals series between the Oregon State University Beavers and the University of Arkansas Razorbacks was set.
The first game, which was scheduled to be this last Monday was pushed back to Tuesday due to rain and lightning in the area. From Tuesday on, though, it was clear sailing... weather wise and the fight for the title of National Champion was on. The games themselves, however, were not "clear sailing" for either team and were not recommended for those with a weak heart. LOL
Game 1 was won by the Razorbacks. No particular drama there.
Game 2 was really the heartstopper. It was win-or-go-home for my beloved Beavers. Last at bat, top of the 9th and the Beavers were behind 3-2. They had 2 outs. The Beaver batter sent a pop-up int foul territory on the first base side of the field. 3 Razorback players converged to catch the ball and it dropped between them. That would have been the game winner for the Razorbacks but, instead, there was still life for the Beavers. That fielding error proved to be the game changer and a dagger into the hearts of the Razorbacks. The Beavers went on to score 3 runs in that inning and win 5-2.
Game 3 was a pleasure to watch. The Oregon State pitcher threw a complete game shut-out and the Beavers won 5-0 to become the 2018 College World Series Champions. This is their third national title in school history.
What a lesson in never giving up, persevering and taking advantage of life's miracles of hope.
Here is a 1:44 clip of the miracle top of the 9th in that critical Game 2:
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