CHIMACUM — No. 9 batter Derek Ajax decided to hit like a clean-up batter with his first two home runs of the year to spark the Chimacum baseball team to a five-inning mercy-rule win over Vashon Island in its final regular-seaon game of the year Thursday.
The Cowboys, ranked No. 1 in Class 1A in state, finishes the regular season perfect in the Nisqually League at 12-0 and 18-1 overall after beating the Pirates 11-1.
Chimacum’s only loss was to 2A North Kitsap.
Vashon next opens the playoffs at home Wednesday against the No. 4 Nisqually League team.
“I assume that will be Vashon,” coach Jim Dunn said.
Ajax, meanwhile, had the game of his life against Vashon, going 3-for-3 with the two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored.
Egan Cornachione also had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs while Landon Cray went 3-for-4 with a run.
Starting pitcher Quinn Eldridge improved to 5-0 on the year by throwing a three-hitter, striking out six while walking one and giving up no earned runs.
Chimacum 11, Vashon Island 1
Vashon 0 0 0 0 1 x x — 1 3 0
Chimacum 4 1 0 1 5 x x — 11 14 2
WP- Eldridge (5-0)
Pitching Statistics
Chimacum: Eldridge 5IP, 3H, 0ER, 6K, 1BB.
Hitting Statistics
Chimacum: Cray 3-4, R; McConnell 1-4, 2B; Brown-Bishop 2-3, 2B, RBI; Cornachione 3-3, 2B, 4 RBIs; Ajax 3-3, 2HR, 3RBIs, 3R.
Softball Chimacum 16, Vashon Island 0
CHIMACUM — The Cowboys finished the Nisqually League season on a high note, ripping the Pirates in a five-inning mercy-rule game Thursday.
Chimacum concludes league with an 8-2 record, 12-3 overall.
The Cowboys now play a couple of nonleague games to get some innings in before tri-district play begins.
They host Steilacoom today at 4 p.m. and then have Seniors Night on Tuesday at home against Klahowya.
Chimacum had an easy time against Vashon on Thursday as Kaitlyn Cadero tossed a five-inning one-hitter and the Cowboys scored 15 runs in the first three innings.
Cadero (5-0) struck out six and walked two. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs.
Erin Bainbridge had the big bat by going 3-for-4 with three doubles and two RBIs.
Natasha Savage knocked in four runs and had a double.
Chimacum 16, Vashon Island 0
Vashon 0 0 0 0 0 x x — 0 1 6
Chimacum 4 5 6 1 x x x — 16 17 0
WP- Cadero (5-0)
Pitching Statistics
Chimacum: Cadero 5IP, 1H, 0R, 6K, 2BB.
Hitting Statistics
Chimacum: Bainbridge 3-4, 3 2B, 2RBIs; Savage 2-3, 4 RBIs, 2B; Cadero 2-3, 3 RBIs; Galle 1-2, 2 RBIs.
Boys Soccer Port Angeles 1, Olympic 0
SILVERDALE — Kyle Bingham scored the only goal the Roughriders needed in the ninth minute as they captured the Olympic League third seed in the playoffs.
Port Angeles finished the regular season 4-2-2 in league and 10-4-2 overall to end up just ahead of rival Sequim, which earned the league’s fourth playoff seed.
Backup goalkeeper Forrest Emmett recorded the shutout for the Riders and was named the game’s defensive player of the match.
Emmett took over for starting keeper Jack Doryland, who has a back injury and is out for the rest of the season.
Tamrat Haskins had the assist on the winning goal.
The Riders outshot the Trojans 19-6.
Bingham was named the offensive player of the match while Hayden McCartney took game transition honors.
The Riders start playoff action on May 14.
Kingston 1, Sequim 0
KINGSTON — The loss puts the Wolves in a subdistrict play-in game Wednesday, site and opponent unknown at presstime.
Sequim claimed the Olympic League’s fourth seed with a 4-4 league record and 8-7 overall mark.
The Buccaneers outshot the Wolves 12-4 but Sequim stayed close the whole game.
Keeper Byron Boots had six saves for the Wolves.
Sequim had a goal in the game that was called back because of an offsides penalty.
“We played playoff-intensity soccer,” coach Dave Brasher said.
“We are in good shape and we are ready to play Wednesday.”
PT in playoffs
PORT TOWNSEND — The Redskins, who had a bye on the final day of the regular season Thursday, advanced into the Class 1A playoffs after watching Bremerton beat North Mason.
As the Olympic League’s fifth seed, the Redskins will play Monday against today’s winner between Cascade Christian and Charles Wright of the Nisqually League.
Forks 3, Tenino 0
FORKS — The Spartans (6-9, 6-10) ended their season with the SWL-Evergeen Division victory Thursday.
James Salazar, Roberto Rodriguez and Geovany Miguel all scored while teammate Alexis Ayala had two assists.
Forks 3, Tenino 0
Tenino 0 0 — 0
Forks 2 1 — 3
Scoring Summary
First half: Goal 1 Forks, Salazar, 4th minute; Goal 2, Forks, Rodriguez (Ayala), 10th minute.
Second Half: Goal 1, Forks, Miguel (Ayala), 55th minute.
Chimacum 2, Life Christian 1
CHIMACUM — The Cowboys (1-9-2) won their final game of the season Thursday night.
Kobe Albright and Chris Pieter each found the back of the net for Chimacum.
Chimacum 2, Life Christian 1
Life Christian 0 1 — 1
Chimacum 1 1 — 2
Scoring Summary
First half: Goal 1, Chimacum, Albright, 18th minute.
Second Half: Goal 1, Chimacum, Pieter, 60th minute; Goal 2, Life Christian, 70th minute.
Track Sequim record
POULSBO — Haleigh Harrison broke the school record in triple jump for the second and third times this year at the Class 2A Olympic League championships at North Kitsap High School on Thursday.
Harrison, who broke the record earlier this year with a distance of 34 feet, 1 inch, set it again when she jumped 34-9.
Not willing to accept the new mark, she broke the record again with a leap of 34-10 to win the event.
She also broke a personal record in her 300 hurdles heat in the preliminaries.
There were just a few distance races and field events Thursday, with the finals in most events scheduled for Saturday at North Kitsap.
Placing in Thursday finals for the Wolves were Frank Catello, second in boys shot put at 51-½; Alex Jenkins taking sixth in boys 3,200 in 10:02.24, beating his personal mark by 22 seconds; and Audrey Lichten, breaking her personal record in girls 3,200 by 32 seconds, taking second in 11:30.69.
Overall, the Wolves had 11 personal records at the league championships. Sequim took only 15 athletes.
“I’m very happy with that,” Sequim coach Brad Moore.
