PREP BASEBALL
Raymond, PWV split important early-season doubleheader
The Raymond Seagulls and Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans would likely rather have a few games under their belts before engaging in an important 2B Pacific League doubleheader on Saturday. Nevertheless, the two regional rivals squared off in Raymond, splitting the twin bill in the first weekend of the prep baseball season.
PWV (1-2 overall, 1-1 Pacific 2B) pounded out 14 hits and pulled away with a seven-run sixth inning in a 14-1 victory in the opener.
Raymond (1-1 overall and Pacific 2B) rebounded in the nightcap by scoring four runs in the sixth inning and getting some excellent relief pitching to earn a 7-5 win.
PWV 14, Raymond 1
PWV took a 4-0 lead after two innings and put the game out of reach with a seven-run sixth in the Titans’ victory in Game 1.
PWV scored at least one run in each inning of the six-inning game and got RBI hits from Luke Gerow, Kobe Hoffman, Donny Ward, Carson Cox, Wyatt Bush and Max Smith in the Titans’ seven-run sixth.
Kollin Jurek went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored to lead PWV, which had at least five players finish with no less than two hits apiece.
Titans starter Hunter Hoke earned the victory, allowing an unearned run on seven hits with five strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Raymond was led by Jack Jordan and Cesar Delgado with two hits apiece.
McCartney Maden’s RBI base-hit in the bottom of the sixth inning accounted for the Seagulls’ lone run of the contest.
Cole Enslow took the loss for Raymond, allowing five earned runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings pitched.
PWV 131 117 — 14 14 3
Raymond 000 001 — 1 7 1
WP — Hoke (6 IP, 7 H, R, 5 K, BB); LP — Enslow (2.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 K, 2 BB)
Top Players: PWV — Jurek (3-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI); Smith (2-2, 3 R, RBI); Ward (2-4, R, RBI); Hudson Barnum (2-4, R, RBI); Frank Roonsburg (2-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI). Raymond — Jordan (2-4, 2B), Delgado (2-3).
Raymond starting pitcher Jack Jordan makes a pitch during the second game of a doubleheader against PWV on Saturday. Raymond and PWV split the twin bill. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)
Raymond 7, PWV 5
Facing the possibility of losing two straight league games to start the season, Raymond got some solid pitching down the stretch and scored four runs in the sixth inning to earn a come-from-behind 7-5 victory in the nightcap.
Disappointed with how the first game got away from his team, Raymond head coach Luke Abbott talked to his team about playing to a level he knew they could play.
“We had a long discussion in between games and we talked about the score does not reflect how we performed and (the players) all agreed that souldn’t have happened,” he said. “I challenged them. I said, ‘Look, (PWV) is a good team, but we’re also a good team and the (Game 1) score doesn’t reflect that.’ They took it as a challenge because they knew that was not who they are.”
But despite the pep talk, Raymond still fell behind in the early going. Seagulls starter Jack Jordan allowed a Max Smith single then lost pitch control, walking the next two batters before hitting Kobe Hoffman to force in the game’s first run.
Kollin Jurek then singled to give PWV a 2-0 lead.
Jordan prevented any further damage by striking out Hudson Barnum and getting Donny Ward to fly out to end the frame.
Hoffman, who started for PWV, also ran into troubles in the second inning, hitting two batters and allowing two walks to allow Raymond to tie the game at 2-2 before being pulled by PWV head coach Kelly Barnum.
Luke Gerow replaced Hoffman and promptly walked Hayden Stephens to force in Mason Crawford and give Raymond the lead at 3-2.
Jordan cruised over the next few innings until running into trouble in the fifth. After getting two quick outs, the senior right-hander hit two straight batters before a Smith run-scoring single tied the game at 3-3.
PWV infielder Frank Roonsburg then doubled to right field to put the Titans in position to sweep with a 5-3 lead.
Raymond reliever Theron Hamlin replaced Jordan and loaded the bases by hitting Luke Gerow and walking Hoffman.
Abbott then brought in Stephens from his catcher position — where the sophomore had caught all 10 innings to that point — to pitch. Stephens got Jurek to fly out to end the inning, but he wasn’t done.
Hamlin kept PWV off the scoreboard from there on out, allowing no runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief.
“Hayden Stephens did a great job for us,” Abbott said. “With him being leg weary and to come in to finish the game, we were really happy with his performance.”
In the sixth inning, Mason Crawford and McCartney Maden drove in runs to tie the game at 5-5 before Cole Enslow’s two-out single scored two runs to give Raymond the 7-5 victory.
Pe Ell 020 00 0 — 5 9 2
Raymond 030 004 0 — 7 4 0
WP — Stephens (3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 K, BB); LP — Gerow (5.1 IP, 4 R, ER, 4 H, 4 K, 3 BB)
Top Players: Raymond — Enslow (1-4, 2 RBI); Stephens (1-3, RBI), Hamlin (1-4, 2 R); Maden (1-3, RBI). PWV — Smith (2-4, 2 R, RBI), Roonsburg (1-2, 2B, R, 2 RBI); Jurek (1-3, RBI); Carson Cox (2-3, R), Kaden Ritzman (1-3, R).
Ocosta routs Northwest Christian in sweep
The Ocosta Wildcats moved to a perfect 4-0 on the season by cruising to a doubleheader sweep over Northwest Christian Academy on Saturday in Westport.
Ocosta 16, Northwest Christian 1
Ocosta’s Colby Scheuber went 4-for-4 and drove in five runs as the Wildcats scored four in the first, six in the second and four in the third in the mercy-rule win.
Cole Hatton and Dylan Mefford also had big offensive games. Hatton going 3-for-3 with a double, four runs and an RBI while Mefford went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI.
Kobe Beck and Harley Figueroa each pitched two innings of one-hit baseball, with Beck picking up the win.
NWC 001 0 — 1 2 6
Ocosta 464 2 — 16 12 1
WP — Beck (2 IP, H, 2 K, 2 BB); LP — Daniel Dominguez (2.1 IP, 11 H, 12 R, 8 ER, K, 3 BB)
Top Players: Ocosta — Scheuber 4-4, 5 RBI); Hatton (3-3, 4 R, RBI); Mefford (2-3, 3 R, 3 RBI); Jayden Matthews (1-1, 4 R, 2 BB).
Ocosta 12, Northwest Christian 0
Ocosta’s offense stayed hot, pounding out 12 hits en route to a 12-0 victory over the Lancers in the nightcap of Saturday’s double header.
Matthews went 2-for-3 with a triple, a run and two RBI to lead Ocosta.
Beck also had a multi-hit game for the Wildcats (4-0, 2-0 Pacific 2B), going 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI.
Ocosta scored five in the second and three in the third to put the game out of reach early, earning the Wildcats their second mercy-rule victory of the day.
Hatton, Jose Sevilla and Scheuber all pitched for Ocosta, allowing just two hits combined.
Hatton picked up the win, allowing no hits while striking out six with a walk in two innings pitched.
Ocosta 053 13 — 12 12 0
NWC 000 00 — 0 2 4
WP — Hatton (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 6 K, BB); LP — Hamilton Summers (5 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 2 BB)
Top Players: Ocosta — Beck (2-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Matthews (2-3, 3B, R, 2 RBI); Figueroa (1-4, 2 R, 2 RBI), Mefford (1-3, 2B, 2 R).
Lake Quinault 19, Tacoma Baptist 9
Kalon Neeland had a double, a triple and drove in four runs to lead the Lake Quinault Elks to a 19-9 win over Tacoma Baptist in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday in Amanda Park.
Elks starter Thunder Mowitch earned the victory, striking out six with eight walks in two innings pitched.
Tacoma Baptist 120 15 — 9 2 3
Lake Quinault 416 71 — 19 11 2
WP — Mowitch (2 IP, 6 K, 8 BB); LP — N/A
Top Players: LQ — Neeland (2B, 3B, 4 RBI); Mowitch (2B, 3 RBI); Perry (2B, 3 RBI).
Tacoma Baptist 8, Lake Quinault 6
The Elks missed a chance to sweep the twin bill, allowing seven runs over the final three innings in an 8-6 loss to Tacoma Baptist in the nightcap.
Neeland took the loss, allowing three walks with a strikeout in three innings pitched.
Juan Vega led the Elks (1-1) with a triple and two RBI.
Tacoma Baptist 012 23 — 8 6 3
Lake Quinault 200 13 — 6 3 3
WP — Lakner (3 IP, 3 K, 3 BB); LP — Neeland (3 IP, 3 K)
Top Players: LQ — Vega (3B, 2 RBI)
Other Scores
Saturday’s Games
Prep Baseball: Aberdeen 8, Sequim 7
Junior College Baseball: Blue Mountain 9, Grays Harbor 1
Blue Mountain 12, Grays Harbor 3
Sunday’s Games
Junior College Baseball: Blue Mountain 12, Grays Harbor 3
Blue Mountain 12, Grays Harbor 3
