Twin Cities is given their trophy after winning the Babe Ruth 13-Year Old District 3 Baseball Tournament Championship Monday in Elma.
Twin Cities Connor Tardiff makes contact with the ball during the Babe Ruth 13-Year Old District Baseball Tournament Championship Monday in Elma.
Mt. St. Helens' Gavyn Higdon tries to avoid getting tagged out by Twin Cities' Colton Barker during the Babe Ruth 13-Year Old District Baseball Tournament championship game Monday in Elma.
Twin Cities' Tyler Milton dives for the ball during the Babe Ruth 13-Year Old District Baseball Tournament Championship Monday in Elma.
Mt. St. Helens' Sawyer Burdick delivers a pitch against Twin Cities during the Babe Ruth 13-Year Old District Baseball Tournament championship game Monday in Elma.
Twin Cities' Colton Baker steals third base during the Babe Ruth 13-Year Old District Baseball Tournament Championship Monday in Elma.
Twin Cities' Brock Jones delivers a pitch during the Babe Ruth 13-Year Old District Baseball Tournament Championship Monday in Elma.
Twin Cities' Brock Jones recieves the pickoff attempt while Mt. St. Helens' Sawyer Burdick dives back to first base during the Babe Ruth 13-Year Old District Baseball Tournament Championship Monday in Elma.
ELMA — Twin Cities didn't have nearly as much offense as it had become accustomed to here on Monday night.
When they found their opportunities, however, the Chehalis-Centralia players made the most of them — and after a longer-than-expected day at the ballpark, had a sizable trophy to show for it.
Twin Cities scored 4 runs in the sixth inning to break a knotted game wide open, and shut down Mount St. Helens in the seventh for a 7-3 victory in the championship game of the 13-year-old District 3 Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament.
"It was pretty important to get the banner again," said Twin Cities' Gabe O'Neil, who pitched three hitless innings to close out the game and earn the win. "I think it was for bragging rights, pretty much."
The winners, indeed, had already secured one of the two District 3 berths into the Southern Washington State Tournament, which will be played July 16-20 in Camas and Washougal. Mount St. Helens — a team comprised of players from Adna, Mossyrock, Morton/White Pass, Napavine, Onalaska, Pe Ell and Toledo/Winlock school districts — had its dramatic win in Monday's winner-to-state semifinal game, beating Grays Harbor by a 12-11 margin in eight inning on a walk-off single from Trevor Minkoff.
That left just the matter of a district title on the line in Monday's finale, which began nearly an hour after its scheduled 5:30 p.m. start time. Neither team was particularly explosive on the offensive end, but Twin Cities managed 2 runs in the first frame on a hit batter, an RBI single from Brock Jones and an error. It pushed the lead to 3-0 in the second frame, when Ryan Pedersen reached on an error, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and came home on another miscue.
Mount St. Helens starter Sawyer Burdick, though, settled in and retired the only nine batters he faced over the next three innings. Having tossed the final two frames of the semifinal win, however, he was removed after the fifth with three strikeouts, two hits and nary an earned run to his credit.
Jones, on the other hand, started for Twin Cities and fanned eight in his four innings of work. He didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, when a walk, a hit batter and a single from Camden Ryan set up a 2-run single by Kody Cooper. Minkoff then scored the tying run when an infield ground ball was dropped on an attempted tag.
Twin Cities broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth. Leadoff man Colton Baker singled, stole second, stole third and came home on a wild pitch for the go-ahead run, and a series of errors by Mount St. Helens allowed the eventual district champions to tack on 3 insurance runs to give O'Neil plenty of breathing room.
"It was pretty good relief," O'Neil said. "I wouldn't mess it up or anything. I had a good cushion."
O'Neil struck out the first two hitters in the top of the seventh, then got a line drive to first base to end the game.
Baker, Jones and Colby Steele had the only hits for Twin Cities, while Ryan and Cooper had the only knocks for Mount St. Helens.
Semifinals
Mount St. Helens 12, Grays Harbor 11 (8 inn.): Jordan Purvis, Camden Ryan and Elmer Loose all drew walks to start the bottom of the eighth inning for Mount St. Helens, setting up an RBI single up the middle by Trevor Minkoff that ended the game and Grays Harbor's playoff run.
Bryer Fuchs and Kody Cooper each had two hits for Mount St. Helens, which sealed a spot in the Southern Washington State Tournament with the 12-11 victory. The loss — which lasted just shy of three hours — ended Grays Harbor's season.
Sunday's Results
Twin Cities 11, South Thurston 1: Colby Steele, Gabe Fuller and Troy Yarter each had two hits for Twin Cities in an 11-1 win over South Thurston in round-robin district action on Sunday. Fuller also pitched three shutout innings in the win.
Twin Cities 12, Mt. St. Helens 6: In a precursor to the district championship game, Connor Tardiff and Colton Baker each had two hits for Twin Cities in a 12-6 win over Mount St. Helens. Gabe O'Neil hit a triple and allowed a run in three innings on the mound, while Ryan Pedersen gave up a run in two innings of pitching work. Kody Cooper and Sawyer Burdick each went 3 for 4 for Mount St. Helens, while Dawson Stanley was 2 for 3.
Saturday's Results
Twin Cities 8, Grays Harbor 2: Brock Jones went 2 for 3 with a triple and a home run, Gabe O'Neil was 2 for 2 with a triple, and Connor Tardiff hit a double as Twin Cities opened district tournament action with an 8-2 win over Grays Harbor. Jones started on the mound and struck out five in three innings, with Cooper Viggers pitching two hitless innings.
Mt. St. Helens 33, South Thurston 1: Mount St. Helens opened District 3 tournament action with a resounding 33-1 win over South Thurston. Jordan Purvis and Trevor Minkoff each had five hits for the winners.
Mt. St. Helens 9, Grays Harbor 7: The Lewis County squad's first district contest against host Grays Harbor was nearly as tight as the eventual semifinal matchup. Jacob Purvis went 3 for 3 at the plate to pace the winners.
