CENTRALIA — Wilder Baseball Club closed out pool play with an 11-0 win over Bulldog White of Kent at the 64-team GSL College Showcase.
The area team went 3-0 to win its pool at the wood-bat tournament, which is attended by scouts and coaches affiliated with numerous two and four-year universities.
Wilder was one of four teams to finish 3-0 in pool play and move on to the tournament’s final eight.
“We earned a first-round bye in the championship bracket, so we are doing great,” Wilder coach Mike Politika said Saturday.
“We’ve been clicking on all cylinders, and it’s been really fun to watch.”
Due to a rash of rainouts Thursday and Friday, Wilder had Saturday off and will face Northwest Reign Black today in the tournament quarterfinals.
Wilder plated 10 runs in the bottom of the second, capped by a three-run home run by Travis Paynter.
“I think we sent 14 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs in that inning,” Politika said.
“This tournament has a 10-run rule after four innings, so that’s why it was cut short.”
Wilder’s used the bunt as a weapon in the big inning.
“We played a lot of small ball,” Politika said.
“We bunted the ball four times that inning and they just couldn’t field the bunt or made the wrong decision on where to throw the ball.”
Paynter’s homer was a bomb to straightaway left field.
“There was no doubt it,” Politika said.
“He got a fastball and turned on it to score the eighth, ninth and 10th run of the inning.
“It was fun to watch him run around the bases, that’s for sure.”
Curan Bradley allowed one hit and three walks, while striking out three in three innings on the mound.
“Curan got into a couple of jams to open the game and in the second inning, but he got a double play to end it in the first inning and picked a guy off of second base in the second to get out of it,” Politika said.
“And Rodocker threw nine pitches and struck a guy out in the fourth to close it out fast for us.”
Wilder 11, Bulldog White 0, 4 innings
Bulldog White 0 0 0 0 — 0 1 4
Wilder 1 10 0 x — 11 8 1
WP- Bradley
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Bradley 3 IP, H, 3 BB, 3K ; Rodocker IP, K.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Grubb 1-3, 2 R; Hendry 1-2, R; Hurn 1-2, 2 RBI; Boyer 1-2; Pederson 1-2, RBI; Gochnour 1-1, RBI; Paynter 1-2, HR, 3 RBI
Crosscutters lose pair
The Olympic Crosscutters also are in action at the GSL Showcase but dropped its first two contests, 2-1 to CDA Lumbermen and 7-1 to Northwest Bandits Elite.
Cutters manager John Qualls said the Bandits were one of the best select teams in the state before the tournament opened.
The Cutters will close out the tournament with a game today against Tugs Wagnar of Tacoma.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
