PORT ANGELES — Olympic walked all over Helena, Mont. in its 14U Babe Ruth Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament opener.
The Port Angeles-based team picked up a 10-0 win in five innings Wednesday night at Volunteer Field.
Olympic’s offense compiled nine walks, five hits and a hit batter in the rout.
“I thought we came out and played with a lot of energy,” manager Rob Merritt said.
“It helps to play in front of the home crowd.”
Playing as the visitors, Olympic started strong, going up 2-0 after one inning.
Ethan Flodstrom notched the first of his two extra-base hits leading off the opening frame.
Merritt said the leadoff double sent a charge through his bench.
“Absolutely,” Merritt said.
“That was a great way to get going.”
He moved to third on pitch in the dirt and scored on a Milo Whitman sacrifice fly.
Derek Bowechop was then hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a single to right field by Brodie Merritt.
Tanner Lunt followed up with an RBI single to score Bowechop before the Montana side got two outs to close the inning.
Flodstrom doubled to center to score Slater Bradley in the top of the second for a 3-0 Olympic lead. Bradley had reached on a fielder’s choice.
Olympic blew the game wide open by scoring seven runs in a walk-filled third inning.
Helena walked Bowechop, Merritt and Lunt to load the bases with no outs.
“They had to bring a guy in to pitch pretty quickly [after loading the bases] and I don’t think he was ready,” Merritt said
A Timmy Adams fielder’s choice brought home Bowechop, followed by another walk, this time to Nathan Miller, to score Merritt.
Helena also yielded run-scoring walks to Lucas Jarnagin, Bradley, Flodstrom and Whitman.
Bowechop rounded out the romp with a sacrifice fly for a 10-0 advantage.
Bradley picked up the win on the mound for Olympic, allowing no runs on two hits and two walks in three innings pitched.
Flodstrom came on in the fourth inning and walked the bases loaded.
He got out of the jam by getting a strike out and a double play.
“We turned two double plays on the game,” Merritt said.
“We had some good defense backing up our pitchers.
Merritt pitched a clean fifth inning, striking out two.
Olympic played Columbia Basin late Thursday.
They face Calgary, Alta. tonight at 5:30 p.m.
Results through Thursday afternoon are available on page A12.
Olympic 10, Helena, Mont. 0 5 innings
Olympic 2 1 7 0 0 — 10 5 0
Helena 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 2 1
WP- Bradley; LP- Keintz
Pitching Statistics
Olympic: Bradley 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB; Flodstrom IP, ) 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, K; Merritt IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K.
Helena: Keintz 2 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 4 BB; Steihmetz 1/3 IP, 0 H, 4 ER, 4 BB; Miller 2 2/3 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 K.
Hitting Statistics
Olympic: Flodstrom 2-3, BB, SB, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI; Lunt 1-2, BB, R, RBI; Bowechop 0-0, BB, HB, 2 R, , SF, RBI; Whitman 0-1, BB, SF, 2 RBI
Helena: Sell 1-2, Miller 1-1, BB.
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Compiled using team reports.
