L.C. 11'S BATTLE, FALL TO WESTERN
The Lower Columbia 11-year-old Cal Ripken All-stars put a scare into Western Longview, but fell to the South Washington champs for the third time this summer in their final game at the Pacific N.W. Regional Tournament in Eugene.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Western second baseman Taylor Mosier backhanded Kyle Kelly's hard ground ball up the middle and stepped on the bag for the final out, preserving a 4-2 victory.
Western, now 30-5 this summer including three wins over Lower Columbia, will move on to a 9:00 a.m. quarterfinal game against Wenatchee this morning.
Lower Columbia and Western met twice in a tournament hosted by Western Longview back in July. Neither game was particularly close, with Western winning 10-0 in pool play and 10-2 in the semifinals. Yesterday, both teams had multiple opportunities to put runs on the board but had trouble executing with men on base.
Western outhit Lower Columbia 11-to-4 but had two runners caught stealing, another thrown out at third base on an outfield assist and failed multiple times to execute a sacrifice bunt.
Meanwhile, Lower Columbia continued its tournament-long struggle of hitting with men in scoring position, going 1-for-10 in the game. On the plus side, L.C. showed an improved defense, despite missing a key starter due to an injury.
Jeremy Poyer went the distance on the mound, allowing 11 hits, but getting key outs when he needed them. Poyer struck out three and walked two batters, allowing four earned runs. Eric Rosellini pitched three innings of 2-hit shutout ball for the victors, striking out three and walking none. Rosellini also had the second of back-to-back doubles for Western in the second inning, giving them a 2-0 lead. A potential big inning was halted at two runs after Rosellini was thrown out at third on a failed bunt and run play and Garrett Cash was gunned down by rightfielder Josh Biel trying to go from first to third on a base hit by Jacob Yordy.
Lower Columbia had an opportunity to score in the first inning when leadoff man Kyle Lucore reached on an error and Ross Kukula grounded a base hit to right field, putting runners at first and third with nobody out. But Jeremy Poyer grounded hard to third base, freezing Lucore at the bag. Kyle Kelly followed with a grounder to shortstop Michael Giles, who threw home in time to get Lucore in a rundown. Lucore kept the pickle alive for five throws but was eventually tagged out and the runners were unable to advance. Keelin Cuifici struck out swinging on a pitch about three feet outside to end the inning.
A brilliant double play turned by Giles ended the third inning and L.C. left runners at first and second in the fourth inning.
In Western's half of the fourth, back-to-back-to-back base hits by Cash, Christian Legette and Yordy scored two runs. Poyer got a big strikeout, fanning cleanup hitter Brock Myklebust on a high fastball to strand runners at second and third and keep L.C. in the game down 4-0.
While Western got some big defensive plays, errors proved costly as well. Back to back boots in the infield, allowed Lower Columbia to put together a 2-out rally in the fifth inning. Kyle Kelly delivered the only hit of the game with runners in scoring position, a single up the middle to score Ross Kukula with Lower Columbia's first run. After Austin Wirkkala walked to load the bases, Western reliever Tanner Brill fell behing Andrew Bergeson two balls and no strikes, but threw three straight strikes to end the inning, retiring the Lower Columbia first baseman looking on a fastball on the outside corner.
Trailing 4-1 in their final at bat in the sixth inning, Biel greeted new pitcher Michael Giles with a base on balls and speedy Nick Freitas beat out an infield hit to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. Nathan Spurbeck grounded back to the mound with Giles getting the force at second, but Spurbeck beat the relay throw to first to put runners on the corners. Chandler Chapman followed with a walk to load the bases. Giles fanned Kukula, again looking, on an 0-2 pitch, but walked Poyer to force in a run. Kelly followed with a well struck ground ball that Mosier plucked cleanly at second base as the Western fans and coaches breathed a sigh of relief.
Giles went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI double and a run scored and also earned the high pressure save. Yordy and Cash each went 2-for-2 for Western.
This was the second straight year that Lower Columbia sent an 11-year-old All-star team to regionals. Last year's team did not reach the single elimination round playing in a different format. Lower Columbia finished the summer with an 11-7 record, having played in half as many games as their upriver counterparts.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Western second baseman Taylor Mosier backhanded Kyle Kelly's hard ground ball up the middle and stepped on the bag for the final out, preserving a 4-2 victory.
Western, now 30-5 this summer including three wins over Lower Columbia, will move on to a 9:00 a.m. quarterfinal game against Wenatchee this morning.
Lower Columbia and Western met twice in a tournament hosted by Western Longview back in July. Neither game was particularly close, with Western winning 10-0 in pool play and 10-2 in the semifinals. Yesterday, both teams had multiple opportunities to put runs on the board but had trouble executing with men on base.
Western outhit Lower Columbia 11-to-4 but had two runners caught stealing, another thrown out at third base on an outfield assist and failed multiple times to execute a sacrifice bunt.
Meanwhile, Lower Columbia continued its tournament-long struggle of hitting with men in scoring position, going 1-for-10 in the game. On the plus side, L.C. showed an improved defense, despite missing a key starter due to an injury.
Jeremy Poyer went the distance on the mound, allowing 11 hits, but getting key outs when he needed them. Poyer struck out three and walked two batters, allowing four earned runs. Eric Rosellini pitched three innings of 2-hit shutout ball for the victors, striking out three and walking none. Rosellini also had the second of back-to-back doubles for Western in the second inning, giving them a 2-0 lead. A potential big inning was halted at two runs after Rosellini was thrown out at third on a failed bunt and run play and Garrett Cash was gunned down by rightfielder Josh Biel trying to go from first to third on a base hit by Jacob Yordy.
Lower Columbia had an opportunity to score in the first inning when leadoff man Kyle Lucore reached on an error and Ross Kukula grounded a base hit to right field, putting runners at first and third with nobody out. But Jeremy Poyer grounded hard to third base, freezing Lucore at the bag. Kyle Kelly followed with a grounder to shortstop Michael Giles, who threw home in time to get Lucore in a rundown. Lucore kept the pickle alive for five throws but was eventually tagged out and the runners were unable to advance. Keelin Cuifici struck out swinging on a pitch about three feet outside to end the inning.
A brilliant double play turned by Giles ended the third inning and L.C. left runners at first and second in the fourth inning.
In Western's half of the fourth, back-to-back-to-back base hits by Cash, Christian Legette and Yordy scored two runs. Poyer got a big strikeout, fanning cleanup hitter Brock Myklebust on a high fastball to strand runners at second and third and keep L.C. in the game down 4-0.
While Western got some big defensive plays, errors proved costly as well. Back to back boots in the infield, allowed Lower Columbia to put together a 2-out rally in the fifth inning. Kyle Kelly delivered the only hit of the game with runners in scoring position, a single up the middle to score Ross Kukula with Lower Columbia's first run. After Austin Wirkkala walked to load the bases, Western reliever Tanner Brill fell behing Andrew Bergeson two balls and no strikes, but threw three straight strikes to end the inning, retiring the Lower Columbia first baseman looking on a fastball on the outside corner.
Trailing 4-1 in their final at bat in the sixth inning, Biel greeted new pitcher Michael Giles with a base on balls and speedy Nick Freitas beat out an infield hit to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. Nathan Spurbeck grounded back to the mound with Giles getting the force at second, but Spurbeck beat the relay throw to first to put runners on the corners. Chandler Chapman followed with a walk to load the bases. Giles fanned Kukula, again looking, on an 0-2 pitch, but walked Poyer to force in a run. Kelly followed with a well struck ground ball that Mosier plucked cleanly at second base as the Western fans and coaches breathed a sigh of relief.
Giles went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI double and a run scored and also earned the high pressure save. Yordy and Cash each went 2-for-2 for Western.
This was the second straight year that Lower Columbia sent an 11-year-old All-star team to regionals. Last year's team did not reach the single elimination round playing in a different format. Lower Columbia finished the summer with an 11-7 record, having played in half as many games as their upriver counterparts.
posted by Matt Richert at 9:22 AM
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