LONGVIEW — Wilder Senior’s bid to win the Red Devil Tournament at Lower Columbia College fell short as the team lost 9-1 in the championship to a Black Hills squad it had beaten earlier in the tournament.
Wilder Senior won three out of four games at the tournament, winning two games Saturday with outstanding pitching to qualify for the championship game.
However, it was Black Hills’ turn to shine on the mound as Wilder could manage just seven hits, six of them singles, in Sunday’s championship game.
“Their pitcher had good stuff, he had a good arm. And they put balls in play,” said coach Karl Myers.
Wilder pitcher Brody Merritt managed to keep the game close until the bottom of the fifth. Wilder was behind just 3-1 entering the fifth, but Black Hills scored two runs to open up a 5-1 margin. They tacked on four more unearned runs in the sixth against Hayden Woods for the final margin.
Merritt went five innings, giving up seven hits and five earned runs. He struck out five and walked two. Woods gave up two hits in one inning, allowing four runs, all unearned.
Gavin Guerrero went 2 for 4 at the plate, while Timmy Adams hit a double and scored Wilder’s only run. Wyatt Hall drove in a run with an RBI. Joel Wood, Ethan Flodstrom, Bo Bradow and Milo Whitman all had singles.
Wilder (19-9 overall) next plays at the AAA American Legion state tournament in Bellingham on Saturday. Though Wilder tied for the NW Area 1 AAA League championship, they will be a No. 2 seed at the state tournament.
Black Hills 9, Wilder Sr. 1
Wilder 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 7 3
BH 0 0 3 0 2 4 x — 9 9 0
LP: Merritt
Pitching
Wilder — Merritt 5IP, 7H 5ER, 5K, 2BB; Woods 1IP, 2H, 0ER, K.
Hitting
Wilder — Guerrero 2-4; Adams 1-3 2B, R; Wood 1-2; Flodstrom 1-4; Whitman 1-4; Hall 0-2 SF, RBI.
Saturday’s Games Wilder 7, Centralia 1 Wilder 3, Kelso 2
Wilder got excellent pitching performances in both victories Saturday, as a trio of hurlers gave up just seven hits in 14 combined innings.
Wilder first beat Kelso 3-2 behind a gem from Flodstrom and Seth Scofield. Wilder also got the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning using old-fashioned smallball and patience at the plate. Hall got on base with a single, then Joel Wood and Guerrero both walked to load the bases. Flodstrom drove in Hall with a sacrifice fly.
Scofield then shut down Kelso with a perfect seventh inning to earn the victory.
Flodstrom went four innings, giving up no earned runs on two hits. He struck out five and walked three. Scofield went three innings, giving up just one hit and no walks while striking out one.
At the plate, Hall and Whitman had identical stat lines. They each went 2 for 3 at the plate and they both scored a run and drove in a run.
Wood and Flodstrom each hit a double, with Flodstrom scoring a run in addition to his go-ahead RBI. Guerrero walked twice.
In the Centralia win, Jadon Seibel had an even better game on the mound. Seibel went the entire seven innings, giving up four hits and no earned runs, while walking none and striking out five.
Wilder batters pounded out six extra-base hits. Wood was 2 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs.
Adams was 2 for 4 with a triple and a run scored. Flodstrom was 2 for 4 with a double a run scored and an RBI.
Tyler Bowen had a triple and two RBIs. Hall hit a double, walked twice and scored three runs.
Whitman scored a run and walked three times.
Wilder Sr. 7, Centralia 1
Wilder 2 2 0 1 0 0 2 — 7 8 4
Cent. 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 4 1
WP: Seibel
Pitching
Wilder — Seibel 7IP, 4H, 0ER, 5K, 0BB.
Hitting
Wilder — Wood 2-4, 2 2B, 3RBI, BB; Adams 2-4, 3B, R; Flodstrom 2-4, 2B, R, RBI; Hall 1-2, 2B, 3R, 2BB; Bowen 1-4, 3B, 2RBI; Whitman 0-1 R, 3BB.
Wilder Sr. 3, Kelso 2
Kelso 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 — 2 3 1
Wilder 0 1 1 0 0 1 x — 3 8 3
WP: Scofield
Pitching
Wilder — Flodstrom 4IP, 2H, 0ER, 5K, 3BB; Scofield 3IP, H, K.
Hitting
Wilder — Whitman 2-3, R, RBI; Hall 2-3, R, RBI; Flodstrom 1-3, R, RBI, SF, Wood 1-3, 2B; Bradow 1-3; Bowen 1-3.
