CLACKAMAS, Ore. — Wilder Baseball needs a pair of wins to claim a Clackamas Legion Tournament championship after going 2-1 during the last two days of play.
Wilder rebounded from a 7-4 loss to Wilson (Portland, Ore.) early on Friday with victories over Youngker (Buckeye, Ariz.) on Friday afternoon and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Saturday.
The Seniors topped Youngker 11-2 before pasting Coeur d’Alene 14-2 to move into the tournament semifinals.
Wilder is now 20-10 this summer, having rebounded from a 4-6 start to the season.
“We’re just young,” Wilder coach Rob Merritt said, “so all the hard work and the practice we were doing early on is starting to kick in now.
“We’re really playing good defense and we’re pitching really well.
“With a young team like this, once you start winning you start believing a little bit more.”
Port Angeles’ Danny Romero (5-2) came within one inning of tossing a no-hitter in Wilder’s victory over Coeur d’Alene, eventually finishing with three strikeouts, three hits and three walks in five innings pitched.
The left-hander also went a combined 6-for-9 at the plate in the team’s three games on Friday and Saturday.
Justin Williams (1-0) went the distance in Wilder’s 11-2 win over Youngker, striking out four, walking two and giving up just two hits.
Wilder plays in a semifinal matchup against either host Clackamas or Yakima today at 12:30 p.m.
Friday Wilson 7, Wilder 4
Wilder 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 – 4 4 0
Wilson (Ore.) 1 4 0 0 2 0 X — 7 10 1
WP- Jones; LP- Moore (5-1)
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Moore 5IP, 5K, 3BB, 9 hits, 7ER; Crain IP.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Williams 1-1; Napiontek 1-3 (RBI); Romero 1-2 (R, RBI); Sullivan 1-3 (2R).
Friday Wilder 11, Youngker 2
Youngker (Ariz.) 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 – 2 2 1
Wilder 1 0 5 0 0 5 X — 11 13 0
WP- Williams (1-0); LP- McClure
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Williams 7IP, 2 hits, 2BB, 4K.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Crain 2-4 (2R, RBI); Romero 2-4 (R, RBI); Bancroft 2-4 (R, RBI); A. Konopaski 3-4.
Saturday Wilder 14, Coeur d’Alene 2
Wilder 0 8 0 4 2 X X – 14 12 0
Coeur d’Alene 0 0 0 0 2 X X — 2 3 1
WP- Romero (5-2); LP- Not reported
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Romero 5IP, 3 hits, 3BB, 3K.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Romero 3-3 (3R, 2RBI); A.J. Konopaski 2-3 (2R, 2RBI); Jaksha 2-3 (2R, 2RBI); Bancroft 1-2 (2RBI).
