Time to bounce at Berkey. ASIJ players celebrate their D-I baseball title. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea – Decisions, decisions. Let Colin Schrader hit and possibly have him torpedo Zama’s entire season? Or walk the E.J. King senior, even with the bases loaded, just to limit the damage?

Trojans coach Dirk Schmiedel opted for the former – and Schrader sent a Rhino Aumua pitch over the left-field fence at Osan’s Mustang Field to knot the Far East Division II baseball final at 7-7.

It only delayed Zama repeating their title of a year ago, as the Trojans got a walk-off RBI single from Schmiedel’s son, Will, in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge the Cobras 8-7.

“I should have walked Colin. We thought about it” once King loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, the elder Schmiedel said. “I said let’s see what Rhino could do. An absolute hero moment. The kid (Schrader) has ice in his veins. But I was as calm as I was all day.”

He had reason to be. The game was still knotted in the seventh when with one out, Zama’s Hiroki Davis walked for Zama and stole second.

“At that point, I turned to (assistant coach) Kekua (Aumua) and said, ‘It’s over,’” Schmiedel said.

With a one-strike count, Will Schmiedel followed by stroking a hard-hit single to left field, and Davis wheeled around third base with the winning run.

It was a tight battle that saw Zama seemingly pull away with a four-run third. The Trojans led 7-0 before King rallied in the fifth and sixth.

With two out, Shan Casimiro walked, advancing Ryan Fenwick to second base. Trojans reliever Toro McClendon balked, advancing the runners to second and third, then Aumua came in to relieve and promptly hit King’s Nolan FitzGerald with a pitch to load the bases.

That set the stage for Schrader’s blast. “He always does” come through, King coach Matthew Carl said of Schrader. “Grand slam with two outs. Ice cold veins.”

But Aumua remained settled, Schmiedel said, “and got the next kid out. He has that kind of composure. He responded perfectly. These kids were fearless, absolutely fearless.”

Of the two titles Schmiedel has won at the Trojans helm, he said this one was especially bittersweet for losing four seniors to graduation, including Aumua’s older sister, four-year infield starter Kierstyn Aumua, and Schmiedel’s son Caleb.

“He pitched lights out this week,” the elder Schmiedel said of Caleb. “Four seniors. I’ve known these kids for six or seven years, watched them grow up together. This is going to be a hard one.”

E.J. King starter Nolan FitzGerald delivers against Zama in the D-II baseball final. (Jonessa Jones/Special to Stripes)

Senior right-hander Caleb Schmiedel started for the Trojans but did not figure in the decision. He's one of four seniors leaving Zama after this season. (Jonessa Jones/Special to Stripes)

Hiroki Davis ignited Zama's seventh-inning rally with a walk and a stolen base; he scored the winning run. (Jonessa Jones/Special to Stripes)

ASIJ's Ray Takizawa connects in front of Kubasaki catcher Skylar Waltz. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)

ASIJ right-hander Toby Halloran was named the DI baseball tournament MVP. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)

Kubasaki's Luka Koja dives into first base ahead of the throw to ASIJ's Leo Mentzas. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)

Kadena's Hajime Reed gets to first base too late to beat the throw to Humphreys' Beckett Babb. The Blackhawks won the fifth-place game against the Panthers. (Tiffany Okamura/Special to Stripes)

ASIJ returns to top of D-I baseball heap by dethroning Kubasaki

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – In the Division I baseball final, in which drama was hardly a bother, Billy Freund and MVP Toby Halloran combined on a five-hit shutout as American School In Japan avenged its 2-0 finals loss to Kubasaki last year, blanking the Dragons 4-0.

It was the Mustangs’ eighth D-I title, while denying the Dragons their second straight and third overall. Ray Takizawa went 2-for-4 and Ryan Chon and Halloran each drove in runs for ASIJ, which earlier this season beat Kubasaki in two games at Mustang Valley.

Left-handed ace Luka Koja took the loss for the Dragons. He helped his own cause by batting 2-for-4 for Kubasaki.