MERIDIAN — The stakes were high as Twin Cities faced 13-year-old Pacific Northwest Babe Ruth Regional Tournament host Meridian in their final game of pool play here on Friday. On the line if Twin Cities won was a trip to bracket play and a chance to advance to the Babe Ruth World Series.
The result? Perhaps the best game of the season for the combined Chehalis and Centralia baseball squad. Twin Cities punched their ticket to regional bracket play with a 9-5 victory over Meridian.
“It was huge,” Twin Cities coach Ron House said. “We had to win that game and we knew going in we’d be playing for Saturday. It was huge for the kids to not get down on themselves in the game and they had a lot of high intensity and energy. That was the best game we’ve played since we’ve gotten together.”
Twin Cities scored 3 runs in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead, but Meridian answered back in the top of the fifth with a 2-run rally in the fifth. In the bottom of the frame, the Lewis County boys notched a 4-run rally that helped secure their victory.
Brock Seymour and Carver Brennan each had three hits, while Seymour made several plays at third base that got Twin Cities out of jams. Jeremy Wood, Tristan Ellison and LeAndre Gains each had two hits with Ellison and Gains notching doubles.
Wood went the distance on the mound, striking out four and holding Meridian to just five hits.
“Jeremy had his breaking ball going and it was dominating,” House said. “He threw as well as I’ve seen him throw and he worked his tail off, maintained composure and worked out of a couple jams. He set the tone.”
Twin Cities advances to bracket play where they’ll face an old foe in Camas at 9 a.m. this morning. Camas defeated Twin Cities 11-10 in the South Washington 13-Year Old State Tournament last week in the championship game. If the Lewis County squad wins, they’ll play in the regional championship game at 2 p.m.
Twin Cities 15, Montana 10
Twin Cities gave up 9 runs in the fifth inning but was able to hold on for the 15-10 victory over Montana on Thursday in the bracket round of the 13-year-old Pacific Northwest Babe Ruth Regional Tournament. LeAndre Gains and Tristan Ellison each had two hits for the combined Centralia-Chehalis squad, and Gains added a triple in a win that kept their season alive.
“We jumped out to a big start and we kind of cruised through the first five innings,” House said. “After we had played flat in the first game [and lost to East Boise 4-2], it was good to see them bounce back and start out strong.”
Twin Cities scored 6 runs in the first inning, then added 5 more in the fourth inning and 3 more in the third for a 14-1 lead.
“We were able to work a lot of base on balls, a couple of hit batters and force errors,” House said.
Montana notched 9 runs in the fifth after five errors committed by the Lewis County squad.
“The main thing was our kids were able to maintain our composure and hang on to win,” House said.
East Boise 4, Twin Cities 2
Twin Cities committed two errors in the fourth inning which led to 2 East Boise runs as the Lewis County squad dropped their first game of 13-year-old Pacific Northwest Babe Ruth Regional Tournament, 4-2, in pool play on Thursday.
“It was a tight game, we just came out flat for our 9 a.m. game,” House said. “We didn’t hit like we were capable of and was just off-balance at the plate.”
Twin Cities was held to two hits, trailed 2-1 after three innings before East Boise padded their lead en route to the victory. Derrick Beairsto and Jackson Hull combined to hold East Boise to just four hits, but the Chehalis-Centralia squad could just muster a run in the third and one in the sixth.
“We pitched well enough to win the game as both Derrick and Jackson threw really well,” House said.
