Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Southern Humboldt Juniors.

An outstanding season ended in scary circumstances for the Southern Humboldt Junior Tournament of Champions team last week.

The young SoHum players completed an undefeated season with another dominating performance in the District 26 championship game, beating the Klamath Trinity Rangers 11-5 at the Arcata Ball Park.

However, a nasty collision near third base between two of the SoHum players — Tyson Mulder and Connell Murphy — ended the game early as both players were taken to hospital.

One week later, both are doing better, but neither is expected back on the field until the fall.

“It was really scary,” SoHum coach and Tyson’s mother Jessika Mulder said. “It’s hard to feel joy. It didn’t feel like a win. Nobody could have expected it to end the way it did.”

Both young players played huge roles for the team all season long and helped lead them to a perfect 13-0 record.

The team, which has yet to celebrate the championship, will be honored at this year’s District 26 All-Star Tournament, which will be hosted by Southern Humboldt Little League and gets under way on June 29.

“We’ll do something special on opening day,” Jessika Mulder said.

The Southern Humboldt coach also praised Klamath Trinity coach Scott Yoder for his help after the collision, when both players were knocked unconscious.

Yoder redirected the attention of players on both teams during such a scary situation.

“I think that’s what the local baseball community is all about,” said Jessika Mulder, who also paid tribute to the staff at the trauma center at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka.

Aside from the scary ending, it was an otherwise memorable season for the young SoHum players, who continue to build momentum and won their first District TOC title in 18 years.

Submitted photo

The TOC champs, who quickly took control of the final with seven runs in the opening inning, won all three of their tournament games and dominated all spring long, with several players contributing.

And it was the team defense that set the tone from the opening day.

“I felt throughout the season our defense is what won games for us,” Jessika Mulder said. 

That defense allowed just four stolen bases all year, with Tyson Mulder anchoring the unit from behind the plate when he wasn’t pitching.

Murphy and Mason Bell were the team aces on the hill, with the latter throwing the majority of the championship game and allowing just seven hits and three walks while striking out 12.

The hard-hitting Bell also had a big impact at the plate in the final and finished with a triple and a double.

Shayne Casey closed out the game on the mound and helped secure the win, allowing just one hit.

Murphy, Cohen Cardoza, Kael Puno and Tyson Mulder each also had a double in the win.

Murphy got the win on the mound against the Hoopa Braves in the TOC semifinal, pitching a complete-game five innings and giving up just one hit while striking out nine.

Brody Fowler, Dorje Johnston, Asher Hughston, Braeden Steinle and Marcel Florence each also made big contributions on the way to the championship, as did assistant coaches Thomas Mulder and Ian Bell.

“I feel we didn’t have a weak link anywhere,” the head coach added. “They could all play multiple positions. They could all hit the ball.”

But it was the team camaraderie all season long that really impressed the coaches.

“They have a really special bond,” Jessika Mulder said of her players.