- State Champions Varsity 2004 -

How The Reds Won It

Regional Semifinals:
Eaton 3, Machebeuf 2
1st Inning: Hungenberg strikes out the leadoff batter and then after a hit by pitch, he induces a groundout and records another strikeout to end the top of the inning, the Reds are struck out in order, Reds tied 0-0
2nd Inning: Hungenberg retires the side in order on just 11 pitches, the Reds are retired in order as well, Reds tied 0-0
3rd Inning: After a strikeout and then a walk, two straight singles and a sacrifice fly and a fielding error lead to 2 runs allowed, but then Dominguez takes the mound and records a bases-loaded strikeout to end the inning, Nation hits a one-out single and advances on a wild pitch, but is left stranded, Reds trail 0-2
4th Inning: Dominguez retires the side in order with two strikeouts and a groundout, Myatt then leads off the inning with a hit by pitch, Noblitt singles, and Dominguez knocks in Myatt on a throwing error, Reds trail 1-2
5th Inning: Dominguez records 4 strikeouts in the inning as one of them bounces away to lead to a runner on base, then after a walk Dominguez strikes out two more batters to strand runners on 2nd and 3rd base, Hungenberg leads off with a double, Nation then reaches on an error, and Monfort knocks in Hungenberg to tie up the game, Reds tied 2-2
6th Inning: Dominguez retires the side on just 8 pitches, Noblitt singles with one out but doesn't advance past 1st base, Reds tied 2-2
7th Inning: After a leadoff double, Dominguez records the first out on a sacrifice bunt, and then throws out the runner trying to score from 3rd base on a suicide squeeze as catcher Carlson applies the tag, then after a walk and a stolen base, the Reds issue a 2-out intentional walk to Machebeuf's #3 hitter, but then after a hit by pitch, the Reds face a bases loaded situation, but Dominguez ends the inning on a 3-1 pitch that is grounded to third baseman Myatt and thrown to second baseman Nation to end the top of the inning, Dyer then draws a leadoff walk and on the next pitch, Hungenberg doubles to left-centerfield to score pinch runner Trujillo to win the game, Reds win 3-2
Game Highlights: Hungenberg pitched well and Dominguez was dominant in relief with 8 K's and managed to get out of a couple of very difficult situations, as the Reds manufactured their first two runs aided by an error and a fielder's choice, and then Dyer drew the leadoff walk that allowed Hungenberg to step up to win the game with a double.

The previous weekend in a relatively meaningless District Tournament game (as both teams had already qualified for State), Valley picked off a rare win against the Reds and celebrated wildly stomping on the plate and chanting their school's name. That excitement was likely subdued the following day when the seeding committee put Eaton in the same 4-team regional as Valley for a winner take-all matchup. The Reds could hardly wait all week for the battle...

Regional Championship:
Eaton 8, Valley 5
1st Inning: Anderson and Noblitt reach on errors, but are left on base to end the top of the 1st inning, after a hit by pitch, a single and a throwing error, Valley plates the first run of the game, Reds trail 0-1
2nd Inning: Dyer hits a one-out double, followed by another double from Hungenberg to tie up the game, after a single and a two-out double Valley scores another run but Noblitt induces a foul popout to end the inning, Reds trail 1-2
3rd Inning: Noblitt gets down in the count 1-2 but battles back for a leadoff walk, and then scores on a triple by Dominguez to dead centerfield to tie up the game, two Valley hits and a hit by pitch load the bases, and then another hit by pitch brings in another run for Valley, but then down 3-0 in the count with the bases loaded, Noblitt comes back with 3 straight strikes to strikeout the final batter of the inning, Reds trail 2-3
4th Inning: The Reds go down in order, after a leadoff batter reaches on a hit by pitch, Noblitt induces a groundout and first baseman Hungenberg then throws to third baseman Myatt to turn a double play as the runner tried to advance, Noblitt then strikes out the final batter of the inning, Reds trail 2-3
5th Inning: A walk by Anderson and a single by Noblitt are not enough to produce a run for the Reds, Noblitt then retires the side in order on just 6 pitches, Reds trail 2-3
6th Inning: Walker leads off with a single, then Dyer walks, then Hungenberg singles to load up the bases, then the Reds tie the game on a wild pitch, and Monfort singles to knock in 2 more runs, Anderson then singles and Myatt hits a 3-run home run to give the Reds a commanding lead, Noblitt then hits a batter with one out, but induces groundouts to Nation and Dyer to end the inning, Reds lead 8-3
7th Inning: The Reds go down in order, with the bases loaded and no outs, Dominguez takes the mound and induces a sacrifice fly, and then a groundout to second baseman Nation, and then a 3-pitch strikeout in the dirt that Carlson threw to first baseman Dyer to end the game, Reds win 8-5
Game Highlights: Noblitt threw well and kept the game close as the Reds then exploded for 6 runs in the 6th inning to take a commanding lead, with a 2-RBI hit by Monfort and a 3-run home run from Myatt, and Dominguez came in to finish off the win, after hearing a lot of talk over the past week and throughout the game, Dominguez silences Valley in the 7th inning.

State Semifinals:
Eaton 6, Faith Christian 5
1st Inning: Dyer records a strikeout and then after one run scores and the bases are loaded with only one out, Dyer induces a groundout to shortstop Noblitt that takes the out at 2nd base himself and throws to first to end the rally, Myatt singles with one out, then Noblitt walks, Dominguez singles in a run, Dyer reaches on an error, and Hungenberg hits a two-out single to score another run, Reds lead 3-1
2nd Inning: Dyer retires the side in order, Myatt reaches on an error with two outs, then Noblitt doubles, and Dominguez knocks in both of them, Reds lead 5-1
3rd Inning: Dyer allows 5 straight hits that score 3 runs, though the 5th hit results in an out as the hitter misses 1st base on the way to 2nd base, then Dyer records the final out on a groundout to first baseman Hungenberg, the Reds then go down in order to end the inning, Reds lead 5-4
4th Inning: After a two-out hit, Noblitt takes the mound and on a routine throw from third baseman Myatt to first baseman Hungenberg, the runner steps well into the field of play to intentionally step on Hungenberg's Achilles' tendon, a potentially career threatening injury, the Faith Christian player is ejected from the game for doing this and Hungenberg continues to play through the pain, Anderson then draws a leadoff walk and steals 2nd base, but is left there, Reds lead 5-4
5th Inning: After allowing a leadoff walk, Noblitt retires the next three batters in order, the Reds then hit into a double play after Dominguez's leadoff walk and are retired in order, Reds lead 5-4
6th Inning: After a hit by pitch and a walk and a steal lead to runners on 2nd and 3rd base with two outs, Dominguez takes the mound and strikes out the final batter to end the threat, the Reds then are retired in order, Reds lead 5-4
7th Inning: After a leadoff single and stolen base, Dominguez strikes out the next two batters before an error scores him to tie the game, Dominguez then strikes out the final batter of the inning, the Reds go down in order, Reds tied 5-5
8th Inning: Dominguez strikes out the first batter, then allows a hit, then records another out on a sacrifice bunt, and after an intentional walk and a balk, Dominguez and catcher Carlson combine to perfectly kill a steal attempt of home and tag the runner out to end the top of the inning, with two outs, Dyer doubles, and then after an intentional walk to Hungenberg, Nation singles and scores pinch runner Rundle to win the game, Reds win 6-5
Game Highlights: The Reds took an early lead and Dyer, Noblitt and Dominguez got the job done on the mound as the Reds then provided 8th inning two-out heroics by Dyer and Nation to advance to the State Championship.

State Championship:
Eaton 8, La Junta 5
1st Inning: Anderson leads off with a single, then Myatt doubles to knock in a run, Noblitt doubles to score another run, Walker draws a walk, and Hungenberg hits a 2-out double to score 2 more runs, Noblitt then allows a one-out walk and a two-out hit, but induces a flyout to leftfielder Walker to end the threat, Reds lead 4-0
2nd Inning: Myatt draws a two-out walk, and Noblitt doubles again to score him, Noblitt records two quick outs, but then after two hits, a walk and a throwing error, La Junta picks up 3 runs to get back into the game, Reds lead 5-3
3rd Inning: Dyer singles and Hungenberg is hit by a pitch, but the Reds don't produce any runs, after an error and a single, Dominguez takes the mound and induces a sacrifice fly and then strikes out the next two batters to end the inning, Reds lead 5-4
4th Inning: Myatt singles, Noblitt singles, and Dominguez doubles to score them both, then after a leadoff hit by pitch and a stolen base, La Junta scores one run on a two-out single, Reds lead 7-5
5th Inning: Hungenberg singles off the La Junta relief pitcher, then after moving to 2nd base on a fielder's choice, scores on a single by Monfort to add an insurance run, Dominguez then retires the side in order, Reds lead 8-5
6th Inning: The Reds go down in order, then after allowing a walk, Dominguez records an out on a sacrifice bunt and then strikes out the next two batters to end the inning, Reds lead 8-5
7th Inning: The Reds go down in order, Dominguez induces a weak groundball that he picks up and throws routinely to first baseman Dyer for the out, but the La Junta runner moves well inside the baseline and throws an elbow into Dyer that dislocates Dyer's elbow, after a 20-minute delay that included wild La Junta fans and some of their players yelling at Eaton's players, including Dyer, and even threatening them after the game, Dyer is carried off the field to a hospital, and with the La Junta dugout mouthing off to Dominguez despite being only 2 outs away from yet another State Championship loss to Eaton, Dominguez responds simply by taking off his glove and showing them 6 fingers, and yelling "six pitches, just six" to denote how much longer this game was going to last, Dominguez then gets a weak groundout on the next pitch to second baseman Nation and then, as promised, a 3-pitch strikeout to end the game, Reds win 8-5



Game Highlights: The Reds again took an early lead and Reds pitchers' Noblitt and Dominguez prevented La Junta from clawing their way back into it, and by their actions in the top of the 7th inning, it was clear that La Junta players and their fans knew they had no chance against Dominguez. This was the Reds' 4th straight spring State Championship, with 3 of those Title Game victories during the stretch over La Junta.

Game Winning Pitcher:
Dusty Dominguez

Tournament MVP:
Dusty Dominguez

Last Out:
Strikeout


Note: The Reds' wins in the 2004 State Tournament by margins of just 1 run, 3 runs, 1 run, and 3 runs respectively (for a total margin of 8 runs) are the lowest by far in Eaton history at the Final Four in years in which the Reds won the Title; in 1994 the Reds won by a total of 36 runs, 1995: 40 runs, 1998: 34 runs, 2001: 17 runs, 2002: 22 runs, and 2003: 25 runs.

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