Freeman Scotties put it together for a win
YAKIMA – With two outs in the seventh inning Saturday, a nasty defensive situation and the third-place trophy – and to some degree a successful season – on the line, the Freeman Scotties did what they always do. Talked it over.
The Scotties used a verbal signal to audible into the defensive coverage they wanted for an impending squeeze bunt and it worked. Starting pitcher Abe Mega made a nifty pickoff move to third, Joe Mills was hung out to dry and tagged out.
Walker smashed the next pitch to the left side, but Freeman third baseman Tyler Ford gobbled it up and threw to first to end the game, a 4-3 win over Naches Valley at County Stadium.
“We had a gut feeling based on who was at the plate and we have a verbal signal for that,” Freeman coach Chad Ripke said. “We were able to make the play we needed when we needed it.”
The play secured a 22-2 season for the Scotties, the most wins in school history. It also made a winner of starter Mega, who set a school record with his ninth victory.
The Scotties scratched out a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and fourth. Shamus Reilly doubled to left to drive in the first run. Mega’s single in the fourth drove in the second run.
Naches tied it up in the fifth on Jake Stiles’ two-out, two-run double to right-center that eluded a diving Beau Barnes, the first hit given up by Mega. Mega induced Joe Mills, the next hitter, to ground out to short.
The Rangers loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, but Mega got out of the jam with another groundout.
Jake Sullivan led off the bottom of the sixth for Freeman with a double. Mega laid down a bunt to move Sullivan to third, then Chris Miller slashed a single to right that scored Sullivan.
Wilcox relieved Naches starter Adam Ranger and Miller promptly stole second. With Shamus Reilly walked to create the force, Steven Burke flied out to short right field, then Jacob Kitterman slapped a single to score Miller.
Lake Quinault 18, Colton 5: The Wildcats fell under the weight of a 14-hit barrage by the Elks in the 1B championship game at Parker Field.
The loss came in the school’s first final since winning the Class B title in 1980.
Jake Druffel had a home run, the only extra-base hit for Colton.
Cedarcrest 16, Pullman 1: A night after being no-hit for 41/3 innings, the Greyhounds were stifled for five frames by Cedarcrest left-hander Evan Smith in the consolation game at County Stadium. The loss dropped Pullman to a fourth-place finish and a 15-8 record on the season.
Touchet 10, Northport 9: The Indians scored four runs in the top of the seventh to stun the Mustangs at Parker Field and send them to their second straight fourth-place finish,
The Mustangs opened with five runs in the bottom of the first and appeared to be in control until Touchet parlayed two hits, two errors and a walk into four runs. Saul Martinez had the big blow, a two-out RBI single that scored the winning run.