RICHLAND — Elisha Dujue had a busy seventh inning for the Olympic Crosscutters in an elimination game at the American Legion State A Baseball Tournament on Monday.
Dujue doubled home the tying run and scored the eventual winning run on a Connor Reed double in the top of the seventh. And after taking the pitchers’ mound and allowing —what else — a leadoff double — Dujue caught a pop bunt, wheeled to shortstop Dalton Kilmer at second base and doubled the leadoff runner off the bag.
He followed up with a swinging strikeout to clinch the game and earn the victory.
Playing in 94-degree weather, the Cutters held a 5-0 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to a strong pitching performance from John Vaara, according to coach Anthony Koeninger. But relief pitcher Kole Acker walked five batters and Mount Spokane put up five runs and another on Dujue to take a 6-5 lead.
“It looked pretty grim for us,” Koeninger said.
Vaara drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch in Olympic’s final at-bats. Dujue’s double to left tied the game up and Reed followed up with an extra-base hit to right to score Dujue.
Dujue yielded a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh.
“They led off with a booming double to deep center,” Koeninger said. “Things looked grim again.”
But Dujue and Kilmer teamed on the double play and Dujue did the rest to ice the game.
“I told the kids it would have been great if we won 5-0, but that wouldn’t build anywhere near the confidence that losing the lead, gaining it back and almost losing it again would for us,” Koeninger said.
Koeninger marveled at the odds-defying win.
“To not only have to score to stay in it but then we had to hold them with a guy on second and no outs,” Koeninger said.
“And in a loser-out game at state.”
The Cutters played another elimination game late Tuesday against West Kootenay (3-0).
Olympic Crosccutters 7, Mount Spokane 6
Oly. 0 2 0 1 2 0 2 — 7 12 5
Mt. Spo. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0— 6 5 3
WP: Dujue LP:
Pitching
Olympic — Vaara 5IP, 2H, 7BB, 8K; Acker 0.2IP, 5R, 3BB; Dujue 1.1IP, 3H, R, K,
Hitting
Olympic — Reed 3-4, 2B, R, RBI; Nickerson 2-3, 2R; Dujue 1-1, 2B, R, RBI; Robinson 1-3, BB, RBI; Seelye 1-3, BB, R; Vaara 1-3, BB, R; Woodley 1-4, RBI; Flodstrom 1-4, R; Rancourt 1-3, BB, RBI.
