Little League Roundup: Elma Intermediate splits over the weekend, plays in double-elimination playoffs this week

Also: Elma, Montesano Little League teams open play in state championship tournaments

It was a busy weekend for East County Little League teams at their respective state and regional tournaments.

Here’s a rundown of Elma and Montesano Little League games.

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West Region Intermediate 50/70 Tournament in Nogales, Arizona

Pool Play Game Three

Elma (Washington) 2, Northern Lights (Colorado) 1

Elma capitalized on two key errors to beat Northern Lights Little League (Thornton, Colorado) 2-1 in a pool-play game of the West Region Tournament on Saturday in Nogales, Arizona.

In what turned out to be a low-scoring pitcher’s duel, Elma took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Darwin Borts doubled with two outs and came in to score on a ground-ball single to left off the bat of Parker Anensen.

The game remained that way until the bottom of the fourth when a leadoff walk followed by a double tied the game at 1-1, ending Elma starting pitcher Falen Verville’s shutout bid.

Verville rebounded to record three straight outs – retiring the side with back-to-back strikeouts – to keep the game tied heading to the fifth.

With the game still knotted at 1-1 in the top of the seventh, Elma had nobody on with two outs when Jett Vansyckle reached and advanced to second on an error at third base.

Elma’s Grahm Rupe stepped to the plate and hit a ground ball to second, but another Northern Lights error allowed Vansyckle to score the go-ahead run.

Rupe retired the side in the bottom half of the frame, striking out the final two batters to earn the victory and keep Elma unbeaten in three pool-play games.

Rupe went 1 1-3 innings of relief without surrendering a hit or a walk with two strikeouts to pick up the win.

Verville sparkled in the taking a no decision, allowing one earned run on three hits and three walks while striking out 13 in 5 2-3 innings of work.

Elma 010 000 1 – 2 4 1

Northern Lights 000 100 0 – 1 3 4

WP – Rothmeyer (1.1 IP, 0R, 0H, 2K). LP – n/a.

Leading hitters: Elma – Anensen (1-2, RBI); Borts (1-2, 2B, R); Clarkston (1-2); Crawford (1-2); Vansyckle (0-2, R).

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Pool Play Game 4

Douglas (Arizona District 8) 7, Elma (Washington) 3

Elma stumbled on its way to the playoff rounds with a 7-3 loss to Douglas Little League (Douglas, Arizona) on Sunday in Nogales.

Elma fell behind early and never recovered, trailing 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.

Elma scratched across a run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Connor Olson to score Grahm Rupe followed by a run in the sixth and Maycinn Crawford’s RBI base hit to plate Darwin Borts.

Down 7-2 in the seventh, Elma loaded the bases with one out and pulled to within 7-3 when Izaiah Clarkston drove in Lucus Peterson with a single to right.

But with the tying run at the plate, Elma’s Falen Verville and Logan Rothmeyer struck out to end the game as Elma suffered its first defeat of the tournament.

Elma’s pitching staff – which had been sharp for the majority of the tournament – struggled in Sunday’s game. Three Elma pitchers combined to allow more walks than hits (9-8) to Douglas while Elma’s defense committed three errors, leading to three unearned runs.

Elma finished pool play with a 3-1 record and awaits its playoff seed and first-round opponent, which is to be determined Monday evening.

The double-elimination playoff round is set to begin on Tuesday.

Douglas 320 001 1 – 7 8 1

Elma 000 011 1 – 3 8 3

WP – n/a. LP – Borts (0.1 IP, 3R, 3ER, 2H, K, 2BB).

Leading hitters: Elma – Rupe (2-3, R); Olson (1-2, RBI); Clarkston (1-3, RBI); Rothmeyer (1-3); Borts (1-2, R); Crawford (1-2, RBI); Branscomb (1-2); Peterson (0-1, R, BB).

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8-10 State Tournament in Poulsbo

Richland National 19, Elma 1

Elma opened the double-elimination Little League 8-10 State Tournament with a 19-1 loss to Richland National on Saturday in Poulsbo.

Elma struggled against Richland National pitching, managing just one run when Connor Sample – on board with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first – came in to score on a fielder’s choice RBI groundout off the bat of Chase Sample for a 1-0 lead.

But aside from a Tucker Anensen one-out single in the bottom of the second – Elma’s only base hit of the game – the East County all-stars were shut out the rest of the way.

Richland had no such problems, erupting for three runs in each of the third and fourth innings before blowing the game open with a 13-run top of the sixth.

Four Elma pitchers combined to allow 19 hits – four for extra bases – while surrendering three walks and striking out five in the game.

Elma plays an elimination game when it takes on Anacortes at 4 p.m. on Monday.

Richland National 003 30(13) – 19 19 1

Elma 100 000 – 1 1 1

WP – n/a. LP – Nolan (4 IP, 6R, 5ER, 8H, 4K).

Leading hitters: Elma – Anensen (1-2); Ch. Sample (0-2, RBI); Co. Sample (0-0, R, 2BB).

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9-11 State Tournament in West Richland

Richland National 11, Montesano 0

Errors proved costly in Montesano’s 11-0 defeat to Richland National in the second round of the Little League 9-11 State Tournament on Sunday in West Richland.

All 11 runs scored by Richland National were unearned as Monte’s defense was its own worst enemy with five errors in the game.

Five Montesano players recorded a hit apiece in the game, with Shayde Pascoe earning Monte’s lone extra-base hit of the contest, a one-out double that put runners on second and third in the bottom of the third. But back-to-back strikeouts stranded the runners and ended Monte’s best scoring opportunity of the game.

Madden Maruska took the loss for Monte, allowing eight runs – none earned – on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in two innings pitched.

Monte plays an elimination game against Camas at 4 p.m. on Monday.

Richland National 260 3 – 11 8 2

Montesano 000 0 – 0 5 5

WP – n/a. LP – Maruska (2 IP, 8R, 0ER, 5H, 2K, 2BB).

Leading hitters: Montesano – Pascoe (1-2, 2B); Eaton (1-2); Maruska (1-2); Lalka (1-2); Graves (1-1).