A six-run inning at the bottom of the fourth combined with steady pitching handed the Rainier Mountaineers (4-2) an 8-4 win at home over the Napavine Tigers (3-4) on Wednesday.
The Mountaineers tallied 15 hits over six and a half innings and pitcher Bailey Elwell threw 13 strikeouts and allowed four walks for the win.
Miah Reynolds was solid at the plate for Rainier, going 4-for-4 and scoring two runs. Brooklynn Swenson tripled in the fourth inning off a high-flying hit to outfield, allowing Raychel Hansen and Trinity Anderson to score. Alisha Adamski was 2-for-3 for Rainier while Madalyn Wilson was also 2-for-3 with two RBIs
The Tigers nearly made a late-game revival in the top of the seventh inning with a pop-fly triple from Tanner Simpson to secure two runs, but Elwell struckout Napavine’s final count to secure the four-point win.
Simpson went 3-for-4 on the plate against Elwell, and she scored one run and totaled three RBIs for the Tigers. Kayla Bornstein was 2-for-4 as the Tigers tallied eight total hits.
“A lot of it was finding the timing of the pitches,” Rainier coach Kyle Greenwood said of his girls’ mid-game momentum. “You just keep that ball rolling, and that’s why it’s really important once you get a couple, you’ve got to keep the momentum going.”
Greenwood said Reynolds was consistent in getting the ball in play and had a good read on Napavine’s pitches.
“Her hand-eye coordination has been so key,” Greenwood said. “She’s not the tallest, but she wants to hit every pitch that comes her way.”
Cailyn Milton had a solid day in the circle for Napavine. Over four innings, Milton struckout six and walked only one, but allowed nine hits. Patricia Helsing threw the final two innings, fanning two while allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk.
“From a defensive standpoint, Cailyn did a great job of throwing strikes,” Tigers Head Coach Josh Fay said. “She didn’t walk people, she hit her spots, changed her speed. We did a lot of good things defensively, which we’ve struggled with this year.”
Fay said his girls were aggressive at the plate against Rainier’s pitching. The Tigers managed eight hits and four walks.
The Tigers are still working out how to stifle those big-play innings, Fay notes.
“When you play good teams and you give them extra at-bats, they’re going to eventually find some success. And they found some success,” Fay said.
The Tigers (3-4) host an undefeated Adna Pirates at home Saturday as they enter the final week of the shortened COVID season. The Mountaineers (4-3) host Kalama on Friday and are away Monday at Winlock.
By The Chronicle staff
Adna exploded for a 10-run second inning and the undefeated Pirates snapped Onalaska’s five-game win streak with an 18-1 road victory Wednesday.
The Pirates improve to 8-0 on the season and were led offensively by four home runs, including back-to-back bombs from Kooper Mohney and Danika Hallom. Emma Eko also crushed one over the fence.
Hallom finished with a game-high four RBIs, while Eko and Haley Rainey each drove in three runs. Rainey, Hallom and Keaton Dowell each collected two hits. The Pirates tallied 18 total hits as a team.
“They’re a hitting club,” Onalaska coach Rich Teitzel said. “It’s always a pleasure to play them. They make you play ball.”
In the circle, Rainey struck out two and allowed one hit in one inning as the Pirates’ starter. Karlie Von Moos pitched the final two innings, striking out four.
For the Loggers, Dylan “Pickle” Zigler went all three innings, striking out two and walking seven. Offensively, the Tigers collected three hits, including a solo home run by Raelee Holmes and hits by Desi Smith and Hailey Naillon.
Onalaska falls to 5-3 and travels to Randle to take on Morton-White Pass on Saturday. Adna (8-0) travels to Montesano for both a JV and a varsity matchup on Thursday.
Toledo scored 16 runs on just five hits but drew a staggering 13 walks as the Indians walked away with a 16-1 victory in three innings over Kalama at home on Wednesday.
“It was a chance for us to get a bunch of kids in today,” Toledo coach Chad Williams said.
Toledo ace Bethany Bowen threw all three innings, striking out five while allowing three hits and one run. Freshman Mialeigh Jurica was 2-for-2 at the plate, scoring three runs and driving in two.
Toledo improves to 6-1 and travels to Toutle Lake on Monday.
Jaiden Linder struck out seven and allowed just three hits in 5.1 innings of relief as Morton-White Pass held off Stevenson, 18-13, to pick up a road win Wednesday.
“Jaiden pitched really strong after throwing against Toutle yesterday,” MWP coach Derek Bowen said.
Chloee Justice pitched the first 1.2 innings and led the offensive onslaught, tallying three hits and drawing two walks. Every Timberwolves player recorded a hit, as well, in an impressive hitting display.
“We jumped on them in the first inning, they came right back and we persisted, kept battling and stuck with it,” Bowen said. “ The bats were hot and our fielding was good for the first five innings.”
MWP improves to 3-4 and heads to Mossyrock on Friday for a non-league matchup.
