Thompson’s grand slam lifts Tumwater over Ridgefield

Through five and a half innings, Tumwater couldn’t get anything going. The T-Birds were stringing together good at-bats and making solid contact, but more often than not, those hard-hit balls went straight at defenders.

The T-Birds got on the board in the fifth and Jimmy Womach hit a solo home run in the sixth, but it was Derek Thompson’s grand slam that capped Tumwater’s eight-run rally and propelled the Thunderbirds to a 9-5 win in a 2A District 4 Quarterfinal against Ridgefield.

“We were just setting those at bats up and putting pressure on them,” Tumwater coach Lyle Overbay said. “The momentum kept going.”

Womach led off the sixth with his blast to right, and Wyatt Chase drew a walk. After a fly out, Cody Lambert singled. Peyton Davis hit an RBI single with two strikes to make it 5-3, then Will Bond hit a two-run single to tie the game.

After Luke Overbay was hit by a pitch, Landron Roy drew a walk to load the bases for Thompson.

“We knew we needed baserunners,” Lyle Overbay said. “I think these guys trust each other. They’re willing to let the next guy be that guy … I think that’s what makes this team so special.

Lyle Overbay was in the third base coach’s box, and he actually thought Thompson laid off the best pitch he was going to see.

“He just stepped out and looked at me like ‘yep, I got it,’” Lyle Overbay said.

On the next pitch, Thompson cleared the wall.

Thompson had struggled on the mound earlier in the game, and Lyle Overbay was proud to see him shake that off and come through at the plate.

“I think that just shows you his maturity and shows that he’s starting to trust his game,” Lyle Overbay said. “He was just smiling ear to ear. He hadn’t been smiling a lot before that. You can change that misery into happiness real quick with just one swing of the bat.”

The T-Birds (16-6) are back in the district semifinals, and they will take on Hockinson, which upset Columbia River in its quarterfinal.

The Thunderbirds and Hawks will meet at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Center on Wednesday. The winner will advance to the state tournament and the district title game.

“We just gotta keep putting pressure on the team and take advantage of what they give us,” Lyle Overbay said. “Every game from here on out is gonna be tough.”