MERIDIAN, Idaho — The North Olympic Babe Ruth squad opened strong at the 13U Pacific Northwest Babe Ruth Regional Championships with three straight wins, including a 15-5 victory Tuesday over Umpqua Valley Babe Ruth (Roseburg, Ore.).
On Monday, North Olympic also dropped rival Lynden 8-2 and beat Nampa, Idaho, 8-1 in National Division play.
In Tuesday’s victory, Kyler Williams and Cooper Merritt each had huge games as North Olympic got up 12-0 after three innings. Williams was 3-for-3 with two doubles, three stolen bases, three runs scored and four RBIs. Merritt was 4-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases.
Brycen Allen was 2-for-3 and Coleman Keate was 2-for-3.
On the mound Julian Dominguez pitched two scoreless innings allowing just one hit, while Carson Greenstreet pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits. He struck out two.
In Monday’s win over Lynden, Merritt had a pair of hits, scored twice and drove in two runs during North Olympic’s decisive five-run fourth inning.
Keate also came up clutch with a two-run single tying the game up at 2-all in the bottom of the third.
Gavin Doyle tossed five shutout innings in relief, scattering five hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts for North Olympic.
The team took its lumps at the plate, taking advantage of six batters being hit by pitches and had selective eyes, earning eight walks in the opener.
North Olympic strung together four runs in the first three innings to take an early advantage over Nampa and never let the Idaho squad into the contest in the game two victory.
Merritt drove in Williams on a first-inning ground out for a 1-0 North Olympic lead, and Williams earned his second walk with two out and the bases loaded to add a run in the second.
Keate drew another free pass with the bases loaded and Greenstreet added a sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead after three innings.
A Keate ground out, and RBI singles by Greenstreet and Drake Spence added three more in the fifth.
Jacob Kimzey put the game on ice with an RBI triple to go up 8-0 in the sixth.
Williams, Keate and Spence combined for a solid performance on the mound for North Olympic.
Williams tossed three shutout innings, Keate gave up one run on four hits in 3⅔ innings and Spence recorded the last out of the contest.
North Olympic played the Belgrade, Mont., Bandits late Tuesday after press deadline.
