LACEY — Wilder Baseball Club manager Mike Politika said his team showed him something at the United States Specialty Sports Association/GSL State Tournament.
“We played our best baseball so far this summer,”
Politika said.
“We still have a few things to work on, but we are really moving in the right direction.”
The area Senior Babe Ruth team went 2-1 to win its pool-play bracket over the weekend and advance to the 20-team tournament’s eight-team championship bracket.
Needing two wins to advance to the tournament championship game at Cheney Stadium, home of the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, Wilder hit a bump in the road late in a 5-4 loss to Northwest Premier Baseball Club of
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Wilder starting pitcher Curan Bradley was on point against the Idaho club, throwing a no-hitter through five innings and hitting a two-run single to help give Wilder a 4-1 lead.
He started the sixth inning by getting a ground-ball out, but a double broke up the no-hitter and started a rally.
“The next guy reaches on infield error, we booted a ground ball,” Politika said.
“That made it runners at the corners with one out, and we get another ground ball, a chance at a double play, and we make another error to score a run.”
Politika put in reliever Tanner Rhodefer and he allowed a run-scoring single to tie the game at 4-4 before working his way out of the frame.
“So a couple of errors that inning really ended up costing us three runs,” Politika said.
Rhodefer opened the seventh by walking the leadoff hitter.
The base runner moved to second on a sacrifice.
Wilder intentionally walked the next batter to set up a potential inning-ending double play.
But Rhodefer allowed a walk to load the bases and Northwest Premier won the game and knocked Wilder out of the tournament on a walk-off RBI single.
After losing its opener to Tugs Ford of Tacoma 702, Wilder had fought its way back into contention with a 10-1 six-inning spanking of Centerfield Roosters and an 8-0 shutout in five innings against Seattle Select Elite.
Politika said the latter contest was the team’s best showing of the tournament.
“Just the way we played both offensively and defensively,” Politika said.
“We took advantage of running situations, we got some timely, productive hits.
“And they were a solid team. By winning that game and shutting them down it allowed us to win our pool and advance to the championship bracket.”
Wilder received a strong outing by ace Travis Paynter in that game.
Paynter allowed no runs on five hits, walking two and striking out seven.
“I want to say he pitched his best game of the year,” Politika said.
“Good command, good location, efficient. He showed everything we ask from a starting pitcher.
“And it was good to see him step up against such a good team and perform the way he did.”
Paynter received a big boost from the bat of Tanner Gochnour in Wilders’ four-run third inning.
“Tanner hit a three-run homer, a really nice shot,” Politika said.
Wilder also beat up on the Centerfield Roosters of La Center.
The Roosters will play in Wilders’ 19th annual Dick Brown Memorial Firecracker Classic Thursday through Sunday.
Ben Basden, Paynter and Rhodefer sparked Wilder offensively in the win.
Basden went 3 for 3 with a triple, a double and a walk. He scored a run and also drove another in.
Paynter went 2 for 3 with a triple, a double, two runs and three RBIs.
Rhodefer reached base in all four plate appearances, going 3 for 3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI.
“This was our first longer road trip of the summer and it was good for the kids to get out and bond,” Politika said.
Northwest Premier 5, Wilder 4
Wilder 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 — 4 4 3
NW Premier 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 — 5 4 3
LP- Rhodefer
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Bradley 5 1/3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K; Rhodefer 1 IP, 2 H, R, BB.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Bradley 1-2, 2 RBI, Gochnour 1-3, Chapman 1-3, Rhodefer 1-4, SB, R.
Wilder 8, Seattle Select Elite 0, 5 innings
Seattle 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 5 2
Wilder 0 1 4 3 0 0 0 — 8 5 1
WP- Paynter
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Paynter 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Rhodefer 1-2, BB, 2 R, RBI, SB; Gochnour 1-1, 2 BB, HR, R, 3 RBI; Boyer 0-1, BB, HBP, 2 R, 3 SB; Hendry 1-2, SB, RBI; Chapman 1-2, R; Bradley 1-1, BB, R.
Wilder 10, Centerfield Roosters 1, 6 innings
Wilder 0 3 1 1 2 3 — 10 11 2
Centerfield 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 5 5
WP- Pederson
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Pederson 2 1/3 IP, H, R, 3 BB, 4 K; Shimko 3 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Basden 3-3, BB, R, RBI, 2B, 3B; Paynter 2-3, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI; Rhodefer 3-3, BB, 2 R, RBI; Wilson 1-1, R, SB; Guerrero 1-1, R.
Tugs Ford 7, Wilder 2, 6 innings
Wilder 0 0 0 2 0 0— 2 4 1
Tugs 3 0 0 0 4 0— 7 7 1
LP- Grubb
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Grubb 4 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 7 K; Pederson 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, K.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Hurn 1-3, 3B, R, RBI; Pederson 1-2, RBI.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
