By Don Ketchum

It appeared as if Peoria Liberty’s baseball team might become a runaway stagecoach in the Division II championship game on Tuesday night (May 15).

Liberty overcame a 1-0 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the first inning and threatened to score more against Phoenix Sunnyslope.

Sunnyslope needed someone to climb aboard and pull in the reins.

The Vikings turned to sophomore left-handed pitcher Calvin LeBrun after junior left-hander Cody Bergkamp struggled.

LeBrun, the team’s ace most of the season, gave up one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. His team’s offense, meanwhile, followed up single runs in the first and second with four in the third and held on for a 6-5 win to claim the title at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Sunnyslope, which came into the double-elimination tournament as the No. 8 seed, won all of its games in the tournament, including an earlier game against Liberty, to finish at 28-4. Liberty, the fifth seed, finished 26-4.

“Calvin has every intangible you can think of, and great stuff, too,’’ said Sunnyslope coach Jeff Shillington.

Bergkamp was taking his regular turn on the mound, and Shillington thought he would be able to do well because he had pitched well during the season and had an earned-run average of less than 2.

LeBrun said it was his goal to take the mound “and try to keep us in the game. I knew the offense would come back. I wanted to stay calm and relaxed, not overthink everything.’’

Sunnyslope scored its four runs in the third on a single by Collin O’Neil, a single by Robert Heath and a two-run single by Max Fabricant.

LeBrun got defensive help from O’Neil at shortstop in the sixth inning. O’Neil recorded the first out by diving full out in short left field to snare a looping line drive by Tyler Wyatt, and later charged a grounder that short-hopped into his glove and made the throw to first for the third out.

And LeBrun helped himself with the first out of the seventh. He turned his back and made an infield version of a Willie Mays over-the-shoulder catch of a pop fly that appeared to be headed for a hit.

With two outs and a runner at first, LeBrun had two strikes on Zach Johnston, Liberty’s starting pitcher who remained in the game after leaving the mound. LeBrun turned his back to the plate again, stepped off the mound and took a deep breath.

Asked what he was thinking, LeBrun said, “Try to relax and have some fun. One strike to win it. Just relax and embrace the situation.’’

And so he did, getting Johnston on a swinging strike three.

The celebration that followed was special for LeBrun, whose father, Mark, and brother, Tyler, are on the coaching staff, and another brother, Cory, giving advice as a junior-college player. LeBrun also was happy to share his interview time with his friend, senior infielder Mitchell Hanson, one of the team’s key reserves.

As his players loomed in the background, ready to shower him with ice and water, Shillington said that “everyone knew this game was going to be a dogfight.

“But I’ve had faith in these guys all year.’’