Baseball: Sunnyslope rallies to take Division II title
LeBrun's ability, 'guts' help key championship win over Liberty
by Kelsey Perry - May. 16, 2012 12:20 AM Special for The Republic
May 15, 2012 - Sunnyslope celebrates after winning
their Division II high school baseball championship
against Liberty.
"It's been a great run," LeBrun said. "From Day 1, we wanted this and we knew we had the great team to do it."
LeBrun took the ball from starter Cody Bergkamp at the end of first inning when Sunnyslope trailed 4-1. The young pitcher said he wasn't shaken by the deficit.
"I knew I just had to stay calm, stay relaxed and not overthink anything," LeBrun said.
Liberty would score on a wild pitch in the second inning to extend the lead to 5-2, but LeBrun would hold the Liberty offense scoreless for five innings after that. He allowed one run off six hits while walking one batter and striking out two through 6 and 1/3 innings.
Sunnyslope coach Jeff Shillington, who first noticed LeBrun's talent when he was still in junior high, said he had complete faith in the underclassman.
"He has every intangible you can think of," Shillington said. "He has great stuff, too, but I think it's what he has that you can't coach that really makes him special. I don't even really know what it is -- guts."
LeBrun has only lost one high school game in his two seasons as a starter. He's finished this season undefeated at 11-0.
Before he threw his final pitch, a strike to end the game, LeBrun stepped off the mound for a moment. Fully aware, he said, just a single pitch now stood between him and victory.
But, with so much on the line, his thoughts remained pretty simple.
"Relax and have some fun," he said.