KELSO IS ALABAMA BOUND
Ace lefthander Nick LaRoy tossed seven innings of 4-hit shutout ball and Kelso collected 13 hits in an 8-0 victory over Astoria in Saturday night's Pacific Northwest 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth Regional Championship game at Ernie Aiken Field in Astoria.
Kelso knocked off Helena, Montana 11-2 in a semifinal game earlier in the day to finish the tournament a perfect 6-and-0 and improve their summer record to 36-2.
Astoria's Max Johnson went 3-for-5 with a double and three runs batted in and Ian Erickson and Dane Lund had three hits each in a 12-6 win over North Washington champion Central Basin in the semifinals.
Kelso's LaRoy, who pitched four dominating innings in a 12-2 win over Central Basin on the first day of the tournament, was a 1st-team all-Trico Division selection last spring as a freshman at Kalama High School.
Left fielder Parker Rodgers went 3-for-3 and catcher Cody O'Neil put the game out of reach with a long 3-run home run to center field in the seventh inning off Astoria starting pitcher Cody Strickland, who went the distance in the loss.
Lund and Erickson each had one of Astoria's four hits off LaRoy, giving them at least one hit in every game of the tournament. Astoria had the most hits and extra base hits in the tournament until LaRoy limited them to four singles, while striking out 10 and walking two batters.
Kelso heads to the Babe Ruth 13-15-year-old World Series at Andalusia, Alabama beginning August 17.
Another Kalama product, second baseman Robbie Neal doubled with one out in the first inning, scoring on Brandon Middleton's two-out base hit to put Kelso on the board.
Shay Dearing hit a line drive off the glove of a leaping Astoria shortstop Marc Gallegos to plate Rodgers in the second inning. That was the first of four straight base hits for Kelso, which plated two more runs on RBI singles by centerfielder Lane Sari and shortstop Dylan Slunaker, yet another Kalama kid.
Astoria's Gallegos led off the game with a hit, but was promptly picked off by the lefty LaRoy, who had struck out 11 of 13 batters faced at the tournament before Gallegos' leadoff safety.
Astoria put runners at first and second with one out in the third inning when rightfielder Zach Dursse walked with one out and Slunaker committed a rare error, underthrowing to first on Gallegos' grounder to short. LaRoy fanned Trevor Couch swinging at a ball in the dirt and pinchrunner Doug Montgomery was gunned down by some distance trying to advance to third base on the loose ball.
Dane Lund led off the fourth inning with a base hit and Marcus Brown walked, putting runners at first and second with nobody down, but LaRoy buckled down to fan Max Johnson on three pitches before Cody Strickland lifted a fly ball to right field for the second out. Lund advanced to third on the play, but just barely, as Dearing made a strong throw to the bag. Ian Erickson, who was batting .500 (3-6) in 2-out situations with runners in scoring position at the tournament, hit a topper back to the mound for the final out.
LaRoy retired nine straight batters until Johnson's leadoff single in the seventh. By that time, Kelso had an 8-0 lead, with O'Neil's 3-run jack in the top of the inning pretty much slamming the door on Astoria's hopes.
Neal went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Dearing was 2-for-2 in the game.
In the semifinals, Cannon Beach native Ian Dueber picked up his second win of the tournament, pitching into the sixth inning with nine strikeouts and two bases on balls. Johnson pitched two hitless innings of relief to close out Astoria's 12-6 win over Central Basin, a team comprised of players from Ephrata, Quincy and Coulee City, Washington.
Marcus Brown put Astoria on the board with a leadoff solo home run to left field in the second inning, Astoria's tournament-leading fifth long ball.
Astoria sent nine men to the plate in a 5-run second inning, featuring RBI singles by Lund, Johnson and Strickland. Lund stole home on a first and third double steal and Strickland gave Astoria a 6-0 lead when he trotted home from third after Central Basin relief pitcher Case Hinkins' pickoff throw sailed four feet over the head of third baseman Max Melburn.
Melburn blasted a 2-run homer in the bottom of the third as Central Basin halved Astoria's lead with three runs, but Astoria answered swiftly with a 3-run fourth inning, highlighted by Lund's RBI triple over the head of the Central Basin centerfielder.
Couch and Erickson delivered RBI singles in the fifth inning and Johnson capped a strong day at the plate with a ground rule double to score a run.
Kelso had little trouble with Helena, holding the Montana champions scoreless until the sixth inning while building a 6-0 lead. Brandon Middleton knocked in the sixth run with the most impressive hit of the tournament, a titanic home run to right field that cleared the center line on Marine Drive and bounced into the bushes across the road.
Middleton, Kelso's top righthanded pitcher, went 2-for-4 at the plate and pitched four innings of 1-hit shutout ball to get the win. Chase Fick, getting the start at second base, scored two runs and drove in two and hit one of two Kelso triples in the game. Dearing hit a 2-run triple in the fourth inning, Rodgers and Neal each had two hits and two runs scored and Neal went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI's.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
KELSO 1-3-0-0-1-0-3 8-13-1
ASTORIA 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0-4-2
W-LaRoy (7ip, 4h, 0r, 10k, 2bb)
L-Strickland (7ip, 13h, 8r, 7er, 3k, 3bb, 3wp)
E-Slunaker, Strickland, Montgomery. LOB-Kelso 6, Astoria 6. 2B-Neal. HR-O'Neil. SB-Dearing. CS-Rodgers, Gallegos, Montgomery. DP-Kelso 1, Astoria 2. PB-Lund.
SEMIFINAL
KELSO 0-1-1-3-1-3-2 11-13-0
HELENA 0-0-0-0-0-1-1 2-4-6
W-Middleton (4ip, h, 0r, 6k, bb)
L-Lopez (4ip, 6h, 5r, 4er, 2k, 3bb, hp)
E-Harris 4, Conway, Lopez. LOB-Kelso 8, Helena 4. 2B-O'Neil. 3B-Dearing, Fick. HR-Middleton. SB-Slunaker, Rodgers 2, Fick, Sari. SF-Fick, Dirks. PO-Neal, McGurn. PB-O'Neil.
SEMIFINAL
ASTORIA, OR 0-1-4-3-3-0-0 12-14-2
CENTRAL BASIN 0-0-3-3-0-0-0 6-9-1
W-Dueber (5+ip, 9h, 6r, 6er, 9k, 2bb, 3hp)
L-Robinson (2 1/3ip, 4h, 5r, 5er, 3k, 3bb)
E-Brown 2, Hinkins. LOB-Astoria 9, CB 9. 2B-Johnson, Hubbard. 3B-Lund. HR-Brown, Melburn. SB-Gallegos 3, Lund, Brown 3, Johnson 2, Couch 2, Hubbard. SF-Hinkins. DP-Astoria 1, CB 1. PO-Lund.
Kelso knocked off Helena, Montana 11-2 in a semifinal game earlier in the day to finish the tournament a perfect 6-and-0 and improve their summer record to 36-2.
Astoria's Max Johnson went 3-for-5 with a double and three runs batted in and Ian Erickson and Dane Lund had three hits each in a 12-6 win over North Washington champion Central Basin in the semifinals.
Kelso's LaRoy, who pitched four dominating innings in a 12-2 win over Central Basin on the first day of the tournament, was a 1st-team all-Trico Division selection last spring as a freshman at Kalama High School.
Left fielder Parker Rodgers went 3-for-3 and catcher Cody O'Neil put the game out of reach with a long 3-run home run to center field in the seventh inning off Astoria starting pitcher Cody Strickland, who went the distance in the loss.
Lund and Erickson each had one of Astoria's four hits off LaRoy, giving them at least one hit in every game of the tournament. Astoria had the most hits and extra base hits in the tournament until LaRoy limited them to four singles, while striking out 10 and walking two batters.
Kelso heads to the Babe Ruth 13-15-year-old World Series at Andalusia, Alabama beginning August 17.
Another Kalama product, second baseman Robbie Neal doubled with one out in the first inning, scoring on Brandon Middleton's two-out base hit to put Kelso on the board.
Shay Dearing hit a line drive off the glove of a leaping Astoria shortstop Marc Gallegos to plate Rodgers in the second inning. That was the first of four straight base hits for Kelso, which plated two more runs on RBI singles by centerfielder Lane Sari and shortstop Dylan Slunaker, yet another Kalama kid.
Astoria's Gallegos led off the game with a hit, but was promptly picked off by the lefty LaRoy, who had struck out 11 of 13 batters faced at the tournament before Gallegos' leadoff safety.
Astoria put runners at first and second with one out in the third inning when rightfielder Zach Dursse walked with one out and Slunaker committed a rare error, underthrowing to first on Gallegos' grounder to short. LaRoy fanned Trevor Couch swinging at a ball in the dirt and pinchrunner Doug Montgomery was gunned down by some distance trying to advance to third base on the loose ball.
Dane Lund led off the fourth inning with a base hit and Marcus Brown walked, putting runners at first and second with nobody down, but LaRoy buckled down to fan Max Johnson on three pitches before Cody Strickland lifted a fly ball to right field for the second out. Lund advanced to third on the play, but just barely, as Dearing made a strong throw to the bag. Ian Erickson, who was batting .500 (3-6) in 2-out situations with runners in scoring position at the tournament, hit a topper back to the mound for the final out.
LaRoy retired nine straight batters until Johnson's leadoff single in the seventh. By that time, Kelso had an 8-0 lead, with O'Neil's 3-run jack in the top of the inning pretty much slamming the door on Astoria's hopes.
Neal went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Dearing was 2-for-2 in the game.
In the semifinals, Cannon Beach native Ian Dueber picked up his second win of the tournament, pitching into the sixth inning with nine strikeouts and two bases on balls. Johnson pitched two hitless innings of relief to close out Astoria's 12-6 win over Central Basin, a team comprised of players from Ephrata, Quincy and Coulee City, Washington.
Marcus Brown put Astoria on the board with a leadoff solo home run to left field in the second inning, Astoria's tournament-leading fifth long ball.
Astoria sent nine men to the plate in a 5-run second inning, featuring RBI singles by Lund, Johnson and Strickland. Lund stole home on a first and third double steal and Strickland gave Astoria a 6-0 lead when he trotted home from third after Central Basin relief pitcher Case Hinkins' pickoff throw sailed four feet over the head of third baseman Max Melburn.
Melburn blasted a 2-run homer in the bottom of the third as Central Basin halved Astoria's lead with three runs, but Astoria answered swiftly with a 3-run fourth inning, highlighted by Lund's RBI triple over the head of the Central Basin centerfielder.
Couch and Erickson delivered RBI singles in the fifth inning and Johnson capped a strong day at the plate with a ground rule double to score a run.
Kelso had little trouble with Helena, holding the Montana champions scoreless until the sixth inning while building a 6-0 lead. Brandon Middleton knocked in the sixth run with the most impressive hit of the tournament, a titanic home run to right field that cleared the center line on Marine Drive and bounced into the bushes across the road.
Middleton, Kelso's top righthanded pitcher, went 2-for-4 at the plate and pitched four innings of 1-hit shutout ball to get the win. Chase Fick, getting the start at second base, scored two runs and drove in two and hit one of two Kelso triples in the game. Dearing hit a 2-run triple in the fourth inning, Rodgers and Neal each had two hits and two runs scored and Neal went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI's.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
KELSO 1-3-0-0-1-0-3 8-13-1
ASTORIA 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0-4-2
W-LaRoy (7ip, 4h, 0r, 10k, 2bb)
L-Strickland (7ip, 13h, 8r, 7er, 3k, 3bb, 3wp)
E-Slunaker, Strickland, Montgomery. LOB-Kelso 6, Astoria 6. 2B-Neal. HR-O'Neil. SB-Dearing. CS-Rodgers, Gallegos, Montgomery. DP-Kelso 1, Astoria 2. PB-Lund.
SEMIFINAL
KELSO 0-1-1-3-1-3-2 11-13-0
HELENA 0-0-0-0-0-1-1 2-4-6
W-Middleton (4ip, h, 0r, 6k, bb)
L-Lopez (4ip, 6h, 5r, 4er, 2k, 3bb, hp)
E-Harris 4, Conway, Lopez. LOB-Kelso 8, Helena 4. 2B-O'Neil. 3B-Dearing, Fick. HR-Middleton. SB-Slunaker, Rodgers 2, Fick, Sari. SF-Fick, Dirks. PO-Neal, McGurn. PB-O'Neil.
SEMIFINAL
ASTORIA, OR 0-1-4-3-3-0-0 12-14-2
CENTRAL BASIN 0-0-3-3-0-0-0 6-9-1
W-Dueber (5+ip, 9h, 6r, 6er, 9k, 2bb, 3hp)
L-Robinson (2 1/3ip, 4h, 5r, 5er, 3k, 3bb)
E-Brown 2, Hinkins. LOB-Astoria 9, CB 9. 2B-Johnson, Hubbard. 3B-Lund. HR-Brown, Melburn. SB-Gallegos 3, Lund, Brown 3, Johnson 2, Couch 2, Hubbard. SF-Hinkins. DP-Astoria 1, CB 1. PO-Lund.
posted by Matt Richert at 6:21 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home