Perfect season, perfect ending

Led by a core of seniors and supported by stable of freshmen, the Maxwell High baseball team ended one of the most dominant seasons in Northern Section history with an 11-0 no-hitter Saturday in the Division V championship game against Tulelake.

Though the outcome was never in doubt, the Panthers (30-0) left Butte College's Cowan Park with plenty of memories in a game that served as a fitting send-off for the record-setting senior class.

Tyler Wells demonstrated why he's on his way to play baseball for the University of Nevada, Reno, by holding the Honkers hitless for six innings and nearly hitting for the cycle.

"You try to be loose but it's always a lie, you know you're going to be up-tempo and intense," Wells said. "The key part was the first inning, coming in and throwing strikes - starting off good."

Well struck out 14 and the only baserunners he allowed came on a hit batter in the third and on a passed ball third strike in the sixth. As good as he was on the mound, he was better at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a triple and two doubles. Though Wells technically missed out on the cycle, he scored on his third-inning double when the center fielder overran the ball.

But perhaps the most impressive play Wells made during the game was telling coach Eric Lay to put fellow ace Steven Perry on the mound for the final inning.

For Wells, that's just the way it was supposed to be.

"Steven deserves coming in, he's been great for us all year and I just thought, as a friend, he deserves it," Wells said.

The two grew up together on the diamond and there was never any doubt that Perry should be the one to end the season. After all, as good as Wells had been (12-0, 0.00 ERA), he's allowed five unearned runs in 60 innings this season - Perry was better (10-0, 3 saves and 0.00 ERA) and hasn't allowed a run in 54 innings.

And Perry didn't disappoint, striking out the side to trigger the celebratory dog-pile.

Senior Dylan deWit could barely walk but he found his way into the pile with the help of his teammates.

DeWit injured his ankle a week before playoffs started but started the game at third base before being replaced after the first pitch by his younger brother, freshman Riley deWit.

"The day I did it I talked to my parents and I told them that it didn't matter where I was, I was going to help out wherever I could and try to be that leader I was on the field and try to be that in the dugout," Dylan said.

He expected his day to be over but the Panthers built a 9-0 lead and with runners at first and third and two outs in the fifth inning, Lay called upon the injured deWit to re-enter the game.

He slowly hobbled to the plate and immediately took a pitch off the center of his back.

"It was great, it gave me a chance to get out there," deWit said. "It would have been nice if he gave me a pitch to hit, but no, it was awesome - I can't stop smiling."

The long walk to first base looked almost as painful as the pitch that sent him there, as deWit walked slowly, sometimes lifting his injured ankle and hopping a few steps before testing his footing and continuing on.

As he touched the bag he immediately turned around and began the long trek back to the third-base dugout to the cheers and jeers of his teammates and a pinch-runner took his place.

Jumping out to a big lead not only gave deWit a chance to bat, it allowed the Maxwell coaches to put in every player on the roster.

Tulelake (13-8) pitcher Adam Kandra pitched well in the loss but the Panthers ability to adjust as the game wore on was the key, Lay said.

"That kid threw well," Lay said. "He gave us fits the first time through the line-up. He had a pretty good fastball and good off-speed stuff."

Maxwell did score an unearned run in the first inning when Wells tripled and scored on an error with two outs.

Kandra settled down and struck out the side in the second inning, a feat Wells matched in the bottom half of the frame.

The Panthers figured out Kandra in the third inning. With two outs, Perry rapped a double and came around to score when Wells hit a deep fly ball that eluded the center fielder. As Wells rounded second base he hesitated, before realizing the fielder booted the ball and raced to the plate ahead of the throw.

Maxwell added two more runs when freshman catcher Blake Vierra walked, senior outfielder Lane Pearson was hit by a pitch and Riley deWit doubled both home for a 5-0 lead.

Wells doubled Perry home again in the fourth inning and scored on a single by Vierra. Pearson moved Vierra to third base with a double and both would score later in the inning.

The Panthers added two more runs in the fifth with the help of three walks, a hit by pitch and a Wells single.

It looked like Maxwell might threaten again in the sixth after senior James Bowen reached base on a walk, adding to his section career walks record, but Perry and Wells flied out to end the threat.

Then, in the top of the seventh, Wells moved to first base and Perry took the mound for the final three outs.

"It couldn't have been a more fitting ending after the season we've had," Lay said. "I couldn't have written a better script for it to finish that way."

Contact Kirk Barron at 458-2121 or kbarron@tcnpress.com.