Hoquiam, Elma split league baseball doubleheader

This rain-soaked Evergreen 1A League baseball doubleheader satisfied both Elma and Hoquiam fans alike at Olympic Stadium on Thursday.

In the opener, Elma’s Barrett Burbidge threw a five-hit, complete-game shutout to give the visitors a 3-0 victory over Hoquiam. In the nightcap, the Grizzlies took advantage of all of the chances the Eagles gave them to ignite a 17-1, five-inning mercy rule win.

“First game, I thought Elma played great; (Burbidge) worked ahead and (catcher Carter Jacobson) was great,” HHS head coach Steve Jump said. “They did the little things that mattered and earned the first-game win. In the second game, we were loose and we played our style of baseball.”

“We are a Jekyll and Hyde team; we gave them the game in the second game,” Elma head coach Todd Baun said. “We gave them more chances than they needed. When we play well, everything works. When we don’t play well, nothing works. Barrett pitched very well. He’s worked hard in the off-season and it showed.”

Game 1

Burbidge and Brody Bennett were locked into a pitcher’s duel in the opener, thus chances were few and far between for both teams. Elma took advantage of theirs later in the contest.

Burbidge, working without a team-applied pitch count for the first time this season, made Hoquiam work. He scattered five hits for the complete-game win, striking out four and walking two. The only Grizzly threat came in the seventh inning, when Burbidge fought off a lead-off double to preserve the shutout.

The Eagles also benefited from a solid performance by Jacobson behind the plate. The sophomore threw out all three base stealers at second base easily, ending the fifth and sixth innings in the process.

Bennett was solid for the Grizzlies, striking out five and walking three for a complete-game performance. However, he was undone by four Hoquiam defensive errors and was charged with just one earned run.

In the fifth inning, Elma broke the shutout by parlaying two lead-off walks into a 1-0 lead. With runners at first and second, Colten French moved them over into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Freshman Raiden Aho picked up an unconventional sacrifice fly when he flew out to left field deep in foul territory. The ball was caught by outfielder Liam Odell, who was moving away from the plate, and pinch-runner Jon Yates smartly ran home from third.

Elma added two insurance runs in the seventh inning when Cody Williams slugged a full-count, two-run single to left field.

Game 2

Hoquiam’s offense took advantage of nearly all of its chances in the nightcap, using defensive miscues and a few timely walks from Elma to steamroll through to a doubleheader split.

After Elma took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Cody Robinette sacrifice fly, Hoquiam scored 17 unanswered runs.

The Grizzlies sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first to take a 4-1 lead. HHS starting pitcher Sean McAllister’s RBI single, along with a Walker Dunn sacrifice fly, a passed ball and a Marques Rivera bases-loaded RBI walk scored the runs.

In the second, Hoquiam added to the total with 16 batters to the plate and 10 runs scored with two outs in the inning. Freshman Kyle Larsen’s bases-loaded clearing double opened the flood gates for the Grizzlies.

Hoquiam scored runs in every inning of the contest off Elma pitchers French and Micah Swint. McAllister picked up the win, striking out six and walking one. French took the loss, walking seven in 1 2/3 innings.

McAllister helped himself out by leading the Hoquiam scoring parade with three hits and two RBI. Zach Spradlin added two hits and two RBI as well. Larsen led the team with three RBI and was cited by Jump for his play in his varsity debut.

Today, Hoquiam (3-2, 4-4) will travel to Forks, while Elma (1-5, 2-7) will host Tenino.

Game 1

Elma 000 010 2 — 3 5 1

Hoquiam 000 000 0 — 0 5 4

Burbidge and Jacobson; Bennett and Folkers.

RBI: Elma — Aho, Williams. Two hits: Elma — Williams. Hoquiam — Bennett. Doubles: Hoquiam — Bradley, McAllister.

Winning pitcher — Burbidge (four strikeouts, two walks). Losing pitcher — Bennett (five strikeouts, three walks).

Game 2

Elma 100 00 — 1 4 5

Hoquaim 4(10)1 2x — 17 8 3

French, Swint (2) and Coonse, Quinby (4); McAllister and Folkers.

RBI: Elma — Robinette. Hoquiam — Spradlin 2, McAllister 2, Dunn, Odell, Bennett, Larsen 3, Rivera. Three hits: Hoquiam — McAllister. Two hits: Elma — Robinette. Hoquiam — Spradlin. Doubles: Hoquiam — Larsen.

Winning pitcher — McAllister (six strikeouts, one walk). Losing pitcher — French (seven walks).