2A/1A Baseball: Warriors Rally on Senior Night to Stump Elma, 8-7

ROCHESTER — The Warriors played from behind until the sixth inning, but made their move when it mattered most and Rochester celebrated senior night with an 8-7 Evergreen 2A/1A League baseball win over Elma here Tuesday.

A hard-hit ground ball by Josh Larson was misplayed at shortstop with two outs in the sixth to bring in a run and give Rochester its first lead of the game, and Wyatt Singer followed that up with a sharp RBI single to put the hosts up 8-6 heading into the final inning.

The Eagles responded, with Rio Ortega lacing a triple to right field and scoring on a ground-ball out to second base. A strikeout, a Warrior error and a single gave Elma runners on first and third with two outs in the top of the seventh, but pitcher Dylan Urvina got a grounder up the middle for a force at second to end the threat and the game.

“We tried to make it interesting,” Rochester coach Jerry Striegel joked. “But, hey, the kids kind of did in the clutch what they had to do.”

Elma pushed across 2 runs in the top of the first with three base hits, but Rochester answered with a run in the bottom of the first without a hit. Elma added 2 more in the third, but the Warriors tied things up, with an RBI single from Larson and a 2-run double by Brock Hawes down the left-field line.

Elma, again, took the lead in the top of the fourth with 2 more runs on a pair of hits, and Rochester again answered, getting an RBI double from sophomore Bradden Schneider and an RBI single from Dominick Ware.

Urvina worked all seven innings, allowing 11 hits and striking out five with two walks.

“He looked good. I don’t think it’s his best stuff, as far as throwing strikes, but he did a good job,” Striegel said. “He’s been solid for us all year.”

The win marked the final home game of the season for Rochester which, at 10-7 overall and 7-6 in league play, will close out the season at Elma on Thursday and will not qualify for a play-in game to the 2A district tournament. It was also the final home game for seniors Larson, Urvina, Ware, Andy Sommer, Chase McCarthy, Juan Jimenez and Curtis Haley.

Beavers Seal Top-Two Finish With Win Over Hoquiam

HOQUIAM — The Beavers picked up a key win over Hoquiam, 10-3, here Tuesday to clinch at least second place in the final Evergreen 2A/1A League baseball standings.

Tenino tallied 11 hits and got solid outings from three pitchers in the win, with Kaleb Strawn starting and fanning nine in three innings of work. Zeb Chamberlain and Thomas Pier finished out the win, with the trio combining to hold Hoquiam to seven hits.

“What was nice about our pitchers was we saw a lot more strikes out of them,” Tenino coach Conner Hogue said. “Today they came out and threw well, and made Hoquiam earn it.”

At the plate, meanwhile, the Beavers faced off against hard-throwing 6-foot-7 Hoquiam ace Kyle Standstipher.

“He’s a house,” Hogue said. “We came in just thinking make him earn it, and make him throw strikes to us.”

Standstipher was relieved by twin brother Kyle in the fourth inning, with sophomore Jerod Steen closing out the game for Hoquiam — and with the trio issuing 10 walks to the Beavers.

Robbie Wall went 3 for 3 with a double and 3 RBIs, with a pair of walks, and Dakota Bellrose was 1 for 3 with a double, 2 RBIs and two walks for Tenino. Thomas Pier went 1 for 1 with a triple and walked four times.

Tenino scored 2 runs in the first, on a squeeze bunt for an RBI by Wall and Pier tagging up from third on a foul ball.

“The goal was just to manufacture runs as best we could,” Hogue said. “The kids were up to the challenge.”

Tenino (11-6, 11-2 league) trails only Montesano (11-1) in the league standings. The Bulldogs face Eatonville (4-8 league) Wednesday and Thursday to close out the regular season. Tenino will host Hoquiam (9-4 league, third place) on Thursday for senior night.