Pitching dominates day one of the NWAC Baseball Championship as Edmonds, Tacoma, Everett, and Linn-Benton all advance to winners bracket games on Friday. Meanwhile, Spokane, Bellevue, Blue Mountain, and Lower Columbia are all in win-or-go-home mode the rest of the way.
Game 1: Edmonds 1, Spokane 0
It was a pitchers’ duel to open the NWAC Baseball Tournament as Edmonds edged out Spokane 1-0. Edmonds pitcher Will Franklin was stellar, tossing a complete game shutout while allowing just one hit, one walk, and striking out eight batters over 9 innings. The lone run of the game came in the 2nd inning when Chris Rogers drove in a run with a sacrifice fly for Edmonds. Spokane’s Troy Shepard also went the distance, giving up just 4 hits and 1 run over 9 innings, but took the hard-luck loss.
Game 2: Tacoma 3, Bellevue 1
Another pitcher duel in this one as TCC defeated Bellevue 3-1. Tacoma scored two runs in the 2nd inning after Kaleb McNeely and Chase Cretti hit back-to-back RBI doubles. The Titans added one more in the 7th on a fielders choice. Elijah Higginbottom was stellar on the mound for Tacoma, tossing 8 innings and allowing just one run on four hits with five strikeouts. Marcel Mercado earned the save pitching a clean ninth and striking out one. For Bellevue, Tristan Aasland took the loss, surrendering two runs over 4.2 innings, walking none and striking out two. Bryan Sfanos drove in the only run for Bellevue on an RBI single in the 5th.
Game 3: Everett 3, Blue Mountain 1
Blue Mountain struck first with a run in the 2nd inning on an RBI single from Joel Romo. The game remained 1-0 until the bottom of the 6th when Everett rallied for 3 runs. Micah Coleman drove in a run on an RBI single and pinch hitter Baylor Hill added a 2-run single to put Everett ahead 3-1. Starter Wyatt Queen tossed 6 innings for Everett, allowing just the 1 run and striking out 3. Otho Savage went 6 innings for Blue Mountain, giving up 3 runs. In relief, Everett’s AJ Hendrickson earned the save, dominating by striking out 5 over 3 perfect innings to close out the 3-1 victory. Nathanael Warwick tossed the final two frames for the Timberwolves, allowing no runs and striking out 3.
Game 4: Linn-Benton 1, Lower Columbia 0
Ethan Kleinschmit (Oregon State commit) was brilliant on the mound for Linn-Benton in this one, tossing 7.1 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 9 batters. Russell Holly secured the final 5 outs for the save, striking out 3. Kace Naone drove in the game’s lone run with an RBI double in the 6th inning for the Roadrunners. Lower Columbia’s Hunter Lutman (Utah Valley commit) took the hard-luck loss, surrendering 1 run over 5 innings of work. Stephen Hammergren was solid in relief with 3 hitless innings for Lower Columbia.
Friday’s Schedule:
Elimination games:
- 935am – Spokane vs. Bellevue
- 1235pm – Blue Mountain vs. Lower Columbia
Winners Bracket games:
- 435pm – Edmonds vs. Tacoma
- 735pm – Everett vs. Linn-Benton
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