WENATCHEE — The North Olympic 12U Cal Ripken team didn’t just win a state championship, it did it in utterly dominating fashion.
North Olympic pitched three shutouts, including a one-hitter and a pair of no-hitters and outscored its opponents 80-9 in six games while winning the state championship held in Wenatchee. The team now moves on the Pacific Northwest regionals being held July 25-27 in Meridian, Idaho.
Coach Rob Merritt said that while the team, which has a great record of 22-3-1, scored a lot of runs, it was pitching and defense that carried it to the title. North Olympic pitchers allowed just 17 hits and five earned runs in the six games and the defense committed a total of four errors.
Merritt also said no one kid on the team stood out as the entire team played well.
“I hate to say it was any one kid. We didn’t have anyone like a ‘dude.’ It was the entire team. It was crazy,” he said.
North Olympic cruised through the pool play portion of the tournament, beating Cashmere 9-4, Wenatchee 17-4, Moses Lake 26-0 and Ephrata 15-0. In the Moses Lake game, Noah Kiser and Drake Spence combined for a one-hitter. Against Ephrata, Kade Johnstad pitched a no-hitter while Jacob Kinzey hit a home run and drove in four runs.
In the semifinals, North Olympic beat Spokane 10-0 behind a combined no-hitter from Cooper Merritt and Coleman Keate.
In the finals against the Lynden Lobos, North Olympic finally got some stiff competition, having to come from behind to beat Lynden 3-1. Kyler Williams went the distance, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out five. Liam Shea had two hits, including a double, and scored a run.
The team is looking to raise funds to help pay for the trip to Meridian with a lemonade and bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the corner of East Third Street and South Chambers Street, a block away from Civic Field.
