BELLINGHAM — Wilder Senior only recorded one hit in its opening contest Saturday at the American Legion AAA State Baseball Tournament at Sehome High School, but the area squad made it count in a 1-0 win over Mount Spokane.
Ethan Flodstrom’s double to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning scored leadoff hitter Joel Wood, who had previously earned a lead-off walk and moved into scoring position on a Gavin Guerrero bunt.
“Early in games we like to let our guys hit, but there comes a point when you have to begin chasing [runs],” Wilder Senior head coach Karl Myers said. “Our guys did a great job of buckling down and focusing on executing.”
Starter Hayden Woods threw a complete-game one-hitter himself for Wilder, walking one batter, hitting another and striking out nine.
“Hayden threw a complete game on 80 pitches,” Myers said. “He was lights out.
“Our defense was solid all day, especially Tyler [Bowen] Timmie [Adams] and Ethan tracking balls down all over the outfield.”
Myers said second baseman Milo Whitman made a great play on a delayed steal attempt with runners at first and third base to preserve a run earlier in the game.
Wilder Senior will continue state tournament play today at 4 p.m. against the winner of a late game between the Kennewick Outlaws and the CP Spuds.
Wilder Senior 1, Mount Spokane 0
Mt. Spo. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 1 0
Wilder 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 1 1
WP: Woods
Pitching
Wilder — Woods 7IP, 0ER, H, BB, 9K.
Hitting
Wilder — Flodstrom 1-2, BB, 2B, RBI; Wood 0-1, 2BB, R.
Yakima Valley 8, Wilder Jr. 7, 8 innings
YAKIMA — Wilder Junior put the potential tying run at third base with two outs in extra innings but couldn’t pull off the comeback in its American Legion AA State Tournament opener Saturday at Davis High School.
“We had some chances to score some runs in that game and couldn’t get that timely hit,” coach Zac Moore said.
Trailing by two runs entering the bottom of the eighth, Wilder Junior’s Logan Olson reached base on a seeing-eye single with one out and moved to third on a Michael Grubb double down the left-field line.
A Silas Thomas fielders’ choice scored Olson.
“Trey [Baysinger] hit a screamer down the left side but their third baseman dove to his left and threw across his body across the diamond to throw him out. It was a pretty phenomenal play, I just wish our guys had made it.”
Thomas led the way for Wilder Junior with a two-run home run earlier in the game. He also threw a player out at home from center field.
Wilder Junior tied the game up at 6-apiece with a four-run bottom of the sixth inning.
Joey Hildebrandt drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a passed ball and to third on a line drive single to left by Beckett Jarnagin that also put Zach McCracken, who also walked, at second base.
Hildebrandt later scored when Ty Bradow reached on an error by the shortstop.
McCracken came in when Kamron Meadows was hit by a pitch, Jarnagin scored on a Logan Olson sacrifice fly and Landon Seibel, pinch-running for Bradow, scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.
Seibel also played well defensively at third base, Moore said.
Joey Hildebrandt started on the mound and went six innings, allowing five hits and three walks and giving up six runs, although just two of those runs were earned.
“It could have been a lot different if we had played better defense behind him,” Moore said.
Wilder Junior will face the loser of Saturday’s late game against Mount Vernon and the Pullman Posse today at 10 a.m. in a loser-out contest.
Yakima Valley 8, Wilder Junior 7
Peppers 1 0 0 3 2 0 2 — 8 9 4
Junior 0 0 2 0 0 4 1— 7 7 4
LP: Woods
Pitching
Wilder Jr. — Hildebrandt 6IP, 5H, 6R, 2ER, 3BB, 5K; Woods 1.1IP, 4H, 2R, ER, 2K; Jarnagin 0.2IP.
Hitting
Wilder Jr. — Thomas 1-3, HR, 2 BB, 3RBI; Meadows 1-3, RBI; Olson 1-4, RBI; McCracken 1-2, BB, R; Grubb 1-4, 2B.
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Compiled from team reports. Email scores to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or phone 360-417-3525.
