Ferris claims 4A title; Mead ousts U-Hi

Catcher Kyle Krustangel and pitcher Caleb Rath are making their third state baseball appearances in four years with Ferris.

Saturday’s come-from-behind 4-2 victory over University at Avista Stadium, however, makes it Ferris’ first as District 8 4A champions since 1999. The Saxons battery was a reason why.

Ferris plays Saturday at Avista. Surprising Mead, which won twice and eliminated the second-seeded U-Hi Titans 6-1, has a chance to join them.

The Panthers (15-8) play Southridge in Richland Tuesday, 4 p.m. for the remaining berth.

Rath overcame a shaky start to pitch into the seventh inning and give the Saxons (19-2) a chance against U-Hi which had led from the outset.

Krustangel doubled to set up a second-inning run and his hard infield single that bounced off of Titans relief pitcher Billy Moon scored some insurance in Ferris’ decisive three-run sixth.

But the triumph was scarcely a two-man show. With 10 veterans, the league favorites from the season’s outset had plenty of contributions.

“One through nine, we all hit the ball,” said Krustangel, who played first base last year. “This is the best team in our years of going (to state).”

Still, it took a stirring comeback after the visiting Titans scored twice in the first inning.

Rath had put the first four men he faced on base, giving up a pair of walks, an RBI double to Dan Jordan, and a single.

That prompted a visit from Ferris coach John Thacker. Although a groundout scored U-Hi’s second run, Kyle Olson lined to Beau Brett for an unassisted double play.

The Titans (17-6), though they threatened several times, never scored again.

”(Caleb) wasn’t getting his backside through and we told him to keep his focus, which he did,” said Thacker. “That really stabilized us. It gave us a chance to get to the right situation and maybe score some runs.”

U-Hi starter Nick Burger had retired 10 straight Saxons and led 2-1 into the bottom of the sixth inning.

“Both pitchers are normally around 80-some pitches by then and that’s the time when things start to unravel,” said Thacker.

Pat Burke and Bud Kittredge led off with back-to back doubles and Rath singled. After Brett was hit by a pitch, Chad Berland singled for the lead and Krustangel scored the final run.

“Bottom line, against a team like Ferris, is you got to score more than two runs,” said U-Hi coach Don Ressa. “We started out great then Rath got in a kind of groove.”

In the top of the seventh U-Hi put runners at second and third with one out, but reliever Andy Greenslitt shut the door.

Krustangel had slumped at bat this year, but he had four hits in Ferris’ two district wins, including two doubles on Friday against Gonzaga Prep.

“I struggled, but worked with (Whitworth baseball coach) Keith Ward,” he said. “I got my hands moving and finally got my backside through the last couple of days.”

By getting their backsides through, Krustangel and Rath helped Ferris reach State 4A baseball via the front door.

Mead 6, U-Hi 1: In three previous losses to the Titans over the past 10 days, Mead had been outscored 34-9, including 13-2 in district on Friday.

What a difference a day made. Little-used junior pitcher Marshall Cain limited U-Hi to two runs in nine innings of work over the weekend, including six for the win over U-Hi.

Matt Walsh and Andy Mattingly did the rest.

Walsh pitched 15 innings during district, winning Wednesday and in extra innings over G-Prep prior to the U-Hi game.

He doubled in two runs with two outs in the third inning against U-Hi.

“My arm was feeling really good all weekend,” he said. “I was throwing harder today than I was the other day.”

Mattingly spanked a three-run homer over the left-field fence in the fifth, finished with five hits for the day and had seven of Mead’s 11 outfield putouts.

“It starts with the key guys,” said coach Jason Reich,

Mead 6, G-Prep 5: The Panthers were on the verge of elimination, but got a reprieve when the Bullpups, leading 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, dropped a two-out fly ball.

Prep regained the lead before Mattingly’s bases-loaded one-out base hit in the bottom of the eighth kept Mead playing.