CENTRALIA — The Olympic Crosscutters got the experience and exposure they were seeking at the GSL College Showcase.
They concluded the baseball tournament with two consecutive wins, and end the five-day tournament with a 2-2 record.
All four games were decided in the final inning.
Olympic defeated NPA Ford 18U 4-3 in a consolation game at Borst Park on Sunday.
Blake Mann scored the winning run on a two-out single by Austin Hilliard with two outs in the top of the seventh inning.
Cutters pitcher Daniel Harker worked the bottom of the seventh, striking out two batters to earn the save.
Harker was one of seven pitchers Olympic used.
That was by design. Each threw one inning. When one took the mound, the other started warming up.
“We went and just got everybody a little action,” Cutters manager John Qualls aid.
“They embraced it and loved it.”
The seven — in order: Nigel Christian, Eli Harrison, Cole Dotson, Nick Faunce, Logan Hankinson, Jake Sparks and Harker — combined to hold the Northwest Prospects Academy team to two hits and three runs, despite being backed by a defense that committed five errors.
“It worked out great,” Qualls said. “They got to go out 100 percent, and give it all they got.”
Adept base running in a three-run third inning gave the Cutters a 3-1 lead.
Hilliard reached on an error and stole second and third before scoring.
A.J. Prater also reached safely due to an error. He stole second and advanced to third base on a single by Gavin Velarde, and then scored on a bad throw to home.
Velarde swiped second base, went to third on a passed ball and stole home for the third run of the frame.
It doesn’t always work — Olympic was 5 for 9 stealing Sunday, and Qualls points out that all three outs in the top of the six were base runners who were caught stealing — but aggressive base running is the Cutters’ strength.
“We keep the pressure on people,” Qualls said.
“And a majority of the time, we’re going to be successful.”
In fact, the winning run in both of Olympic’s win at the GSL College Showcase came on steals of home. Prater stole home in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Showtime Junior Prep.
Those victories came after close losses Wednesday and Thursday by the Crosscutters, who are in their first year of existence.
“It was all uncharted territory for them. They were a little bit tense and nervous those first two games,” Qualls said.
“Once the nerves wore off, we realized we can compete with every team out there.
“The games lost came from lack of experience in a high-caliber tourney.
“Now they’re paving the way for kids on Olympic Peninsula.”
Scouts from more than 40 schools attended the tournament.
The Cutters were able to play in front of and network with those scouts. Qualls said some players arranged workouts with the schools.
He also said that Centralia College scouts are now planning to attend this weekend’s American Legion AA district tournament hosted by the Crosscutters in Port Angeles.
“One comment we got [from scouts] is they’ve been waiting for representation from the Olympic Peninsula to get into a big tourney like that for a long time,” Qualls said.
Qualls added that the scouts were aware of the baseball talent on the Peninsula, they “just haven’t been able to get to the tournaments.”
The district tournament, featuring eight teams from throughout Western Washington, is Friday through Sunday at Civic Field.
The seeding and schedule have yet to be finalized, but Qualls said the Crosscutters will for sure play Friday at 7 p.m.
After playing with wooden bats all summer, the Cutters will switch to aluminum bats for the postseason.
Olympic finishes its American Legion slate with two road games prior to the district tournament.
The Cutters travel to Poulsbo to face North Kitsap for their final North League game today, and then they face Tumater on Wednesday.
Crosscutters 4, NPA Ford 3
Crosscutters 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 — 4 5 5
NPA Ford 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 — 3 2 3
WP- Sparks, SV- Harker; LP- Jones
Pitching Statistics
Crosscutters: Christian IP, 0 H, R, K, BB; Harrison IP, 0 H, K; C. Dotson IP, 0 H, R, BB; Faunce IP, 0 H, R, K, BB; Hankinson IP, H, 0 R, K; Sparks IP, H, 0 R, K; Harker IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K.
NPA Ford: Jacobson 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 2 BB; Allen 2 IP, H, 0 R, 2 K; Jones 2 IP, H, R, 0 ER, 4 BB.
Hitting Statistics
Crosscutters: Velarde 2-3, R, 2 SB; Hilliard 1-3, R, RBI, 2 SB; Bradow 1-1; Dennis 1-3; Prater 0-2, BB, R, SB; Mann 0-1, BB, R.
NPA Ford: Champlain 1-2, 2 R; Ott 1-2; Roeser 0-3, R.
