College Baseball: Blazers Break Even with Boxers

The Trailblazers received a spark from an unexpected spot in the lineup here on Saturday in order to salvage a split in a non-league doubleheader with the Pacific University junior varsity squad.

The Blazers dropped the first game of the day 10-3 after their pitching and defense got sideways, but they bounced back with a 11-7 victory in the nightcap thanks in large part to their utility man in the nine-hole, Ethan Hori.

Hori led the Blazers with three hits in the second game and scored three runs while he was at it. A sophomore from Orting, Hori saw time at second base, centerfield, and pitcher on the day.

“He is our spark plug. Every time he gets on base something happens. He’s been kind of struggling at the plate so it was great to see him come through today and get some confidence and let him get his groove back,” said Centralia coach Kawika Emsley-Pai. “He’s one of those guys that we need to produce in order for our team to be firing on all cylinders.”

For his part, Hori says he’s just trying to do whatever he can to help the Trailblazers win.

“For me, honestly, I just see where the basepaths are and get the job done. I do whatever coach tells me,” Hori said. “First pitch I’m always trying to hit it into the gaps. Other than that, once I’ve got a strike, I’m giving myself to help my teammate.”

Hori said he’s happy trying to set the table when the top of the lineup features sluggers like Colton Titus, Robbie Wall, Josh Parks and Nole Wollan.

Parks drove in four runs and ended the game with a diving catch in right field. Like Hori, Wollan also wrapped three hits in Saturday’s second game against Pacific University. The freshman from W.F. West also drove in a pair of runs in the game.

Zach Weinert started the game on the mound for Centralia and went 4 ⅔ innings while allowing six hits, and four runs. He also struck out three batters and only one of his runs allowed was earned due to a few defensive miscues.

“Zach’s a bulldog. He’s one of those guys who you always know what you’re going to get from him. That’s why he got the ball. We’ve had some other starters who have been struggling throwing strikes, we needed a guy to come in and set the tone and he did that today,” noted Emsley-Pai. “I look forward to seeing him start more. He did a great job for us today.”

Zach Blake and Marco Quintero combined to close the game out for the Blazers, with Blake earning the win in relief.

The first game of the day was not as fun for the Blazers. After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Centralia tied the game up in the third inning but then surrendered three more runs in the top of the fifth frame. The home team answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the fifth before allowing six unanswered runs to close out the game.

“We had a pretty good start by Adrian Stacy, he got in a groove early in the game but around the fifth inning he got a little tired. Put a couple of guys on, gave up some free 90’s, and that cost us,” explained Emsley-Pai.

Stacy finished with a modest line of four innings pitched, three hits, four runs (three earned), three walks and three strikeouts. Dylan Stakelin, Zach Vetter, Tate Hensley, Gavin Manheimer, and Ethan Hori all had to pitch to get the final 15 outs of the game.

“As a group we need to come out and be a little more aggressive with our pitching and get ahead early. As you saw, when we do that, good things happen. We’ve just got to stick to the process,” Emsley-Pai said.

Festus Gilligan and Parks each had a pair of hits in the opener with Gilligan picking up two RBIs along the way. Wollan drove in the Blazers’ only other run of the game.

Emsley-Pai said he was proud of the way his team bounced back from their poor finish in the first game of the double header.

“My leaders kind of took control of that. I had to help prepare the field and I look over and one of my leaders, Colton Titus, got all the guys together. I could see him having some heart to heart with the guys. They all respond well to Colton,” Emsley-Pai said. “I was really proud of them and how they responded after that first game didn’t go our way. They could have easily folded but they didn't. That’s what we look for here. It’s not just about what happens, it’s about how you respond to it. That’s not just in baseball, that’s in life.”

Sunday’s Result

Tritons Top Blazers Twice

EDMONDS — Centralia College managed to hang with one of the top-three ranked teams in the NWAC for the bulk of their game here on Sunday but couldn’t figure out a way over the hill as they dropped a pair of non-league games to Edmonds in non-divisional NWAC baseball.

The Tritons took the first game by a score of 1-0 in 10 innings and then doubled down with a 6-2 win in the second affair.

Josh Myer threw eight scoreless innings for Centralia. He allowed six hits and struck out six batters along the way to help preserve the empty scoreboard.

However, the Blazers were held to just four hits and zero walks in the extra inning defeat. Josh Parks, Nole Wollan, Tysen Paul, and James Hook each had a hit for Centralia.

A single to left field by Sokol of Edmonds brought the winning run around to score in the bottom of the tenth. Rory Escuadro was saddled with the loss.

Centralia’s bats came alive in the second game of the double header but the end result was the same.

The Blazers pounded out ten hits in the game but four defensive errors contributed to their undoing. Robbie Wall, Parks, and Wollan all had two hits. Gavin O’Donnell, Kalib Johnson, Ethan Hori, and Colton Titus all added one hit each to Centralia total but Josh Krause was the only batter to drive in a run.

Cam Hale pitched 6 ⅓ innings, allowing three hits and six unearned runs due to those defensive woes. Cole Doughty registered 1 ⅓ innings of scoreless relief.

Centralia (3-9) will play host to Shoreline College on Wednesday for a non-league double header. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Wheeler Field.