Titans Drop Battle Atop League Standings to Fishermen

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PE ELL — Playing a doubleheader, but with the first contest being the ever-important Pacific 2B League matchup for a league title, the Pe Ell-Willapa Valley baseball team gave up too many unearned runs via error in a 4-1 loss to Ilwaco Tuesday afternoon in Pe Ell. 

The Titans committed three errors over the course of the seven-inning contest, with the bulk of mistakes coming in a 3-run second inning for the Fishermen. 

Combined with an unlucky day at the plate that saw plenty of hard-hit balls knocked right toward the Ilwaco outfielders, the Titans loss in the first game puts them out of contention for a league championship. 

“We just couldn’t string any hits together,” PWV coach Kent Smaciarz said. “We were hitting the ball right at guys, you saw line drives right at people, there’s nothing you can really do about that, we were making good contact. It just didn’t happen for us today.”

Garrett Keeton had a strong day on the mound, pitching six innings and giving up all four runs, with just one earned, on five hits and three walks. The senior also struck out three before Riley Pearson relieved him for the final scoreless inning. 

Pearson scored the Titans only run, with PWV racking up just five hits from him, Brayden Ruddell, Kannyon Clements, Wil Clements, and Derek Fluke. 

Despite the loss in the league contest, the Titans fired back to win the non-league tune-up against the Fishermen in the second game of the doubleheader, 13-8, after celebrating their seniors between games. 

The Titans peppered 11 hits across the field in the second contest, led by a strong game from Pearson, who went 3 for 4 with four runs scored with a double. Derek Fluke and Blake Howard also recorded multi-hit games in the second contest. 

Pearson started the second game and pitched a strong first five innings, striking out five and allowing two earned runs. Howard finished the final six outs, and had two strikeouts. 

“I’m proud of the way we battled all day,” Smaciarz said. “Those guys don’t give up.” 

The Titans have just one home series left this season against North Beach next week, but the win in the second game honored seniors Wil Clements, Tristan Baker, Garrett Keeton, Riley Pearson, Kail Homan, Trey Ritzman, and Derek Fluke. 

“These guys are a special group, they’re competitors,” Smaciarz said. “They won at every level, it's no surprise that we were here and battling for a league title today. We're going to make a push in the postseason with these guys and hopefully they can continue that winning tradition.”