SELAH — Wilder Jr. came back from deficits in two straight games, putting them in position to get into the Yakima Valley Peppers Tournament title game.
In a game gone wild, Wilder Jr. scored nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat the Mount Spokane Wild 12-5 on Friday.
In their second game later in the day, they had an even more dramatic win, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to get past the Pasco Riverdogs 10-8 via a walkoff two-run hit by Ty Bradow.
The pair of wins were Wilder Jr.’s fourth and fifth wins in a row. Wilder Jr. is now 15-7 on the season.
“They were two really, really close games. That second game [with Pasco] was a real battle,” said Wilder Jr. coach Zac Moore.
“We played two good, complete team games. Our defense wasn’t the best, but we’ll work on that,” Moore said.
Moore said in the second game, pitchers Landon Seibel and Eli Cyr did a good job keeping Wilder Jr. in the game. Moore said Bradow had some clutch hits.
Wilder Jr. played the winner of Yakima/Mount Spokane late Saturday for the right to go to the tournament championship today.
In the Mount Spokane win, Wilder Jr. entered that sixth inning down 5-3. Wilder Jr. sent 13 batters to the plate in that monster inning.
The biggest blow was a bases-loaded double by Kamron Meadows that scored two runs, giving Wilder Jr. a 6-5 lead. Michael Grubb had a two-run single to make it 8-5 and Landon Seibel added a two-run single to finish the scoring at 12-5.
Trey Baysinger also hit a solo home run earlier in the game.
Meadows finished the game 2 for 3 with three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk; Baysinger ended the game 2 for 4 with two runs scored, a stolen base and an RBI. Silas Thomas was 1 for 3 with two RBIs, a sac fly and a stolen base, while Grubb was 1 for 3 with two RBIs, a stolen base and a walk.
Joey Hildebrandt had a hit, a run scored and an RBI, while Landon Seibel was 1 for 1 with a run scored, a walk and two RBIs.
In the second game, it was more of a seesaw affair. Pasco got up 6-2 at one point, but Wilder Jr. tied it with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and another run in the bottom of the fifth.
The Riverdogs scored two runs in the top of the sixth to put pressure on Wilder Jr. again with an 8-6 lead.
Logan Olson started the rally with a walk. Grubb and Thomas followed up with singles to load the bases and Baysinger picked up an RBI when he was hit by a pitch.
Adam Watkins walked to drive in another run to make it 8-8 and then Bradow hit a clutch two-run single to make it 10-8.
That turned out to be a walkoff. Though it was the bottom of the sixth inning, the game was called due to darkness.
Seibel went 3 1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs while striking out one and walking two. Cyr pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, going up one nit, one earned run and one walk while striking out three. Cyr picked up the victory.
Wilder Jr. 12, Mount Spokane 5
MtSpo 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 — 5 2 2
WJr. 1 0 1 0 1 9 x — 12 8 4
WP: Hildebrandt
Pitching
Wilder Jr. — Hildebrandt 6IP, ER, 7K 3BB; Watkins 1IP, K, 0H, 0R.
Hitting
Wilder Jr. — Meadows 2-3, 2B, 3R, 2RBI, BB; Baysinger 2-4, HR, 2R, RBI, SB; Seibel 1-1, R, 2RBI, BB; Thomas 1-3, R, 2RBI, SB, SF; Grubb 1-3, R, 2RBI, BB, SB.
Wilder Jr. 10, Pasco 8
Pasco 2 1 0 3 0 2 x — 8 8 2
WJr. 0 2 0 3 1 4 x — 10 9 4
WP: Cyr
Pitching
Wilder Jr. — Seibel 3.1IP, 7H, 5ER, K, 2BB; Cyr 2.2IP, H, ER, 3K, BB.
Hitting
Wilder Jr. — Grubb 2-2, 2R, RBI, 2B, HBP; Baysinger 1-4, R, 2RBI, 2B, SBP; Thomas 1-2, R, RBI, 2BB; Bradow 1-4, 2RBI; Jarnigan 1-1, 2B; Logan 0-2, 2R, BB, HBP.
