SPORTS: Wilder Baseball tunes up for state by claiming 3rd at Clackamas tourney

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, July 17, 2013

CLACKAMAS, Ore. — Wilder Baseball tuned up for the North Washington state championships by capturing third place at the tough Clackamas Diamond Classic this past week.

Wilder went 3-3 in the 12-team tournament, improving to 18-7 on the year.

The Port Angeles-area elite Senior Babe Ruth team dropped the first two seeding games but then won three of its final four games for the third-place trophy.

In the third-place game, Michael Konopaski and Kyle Kelly combined to pitch a shutout for Wilder, winning 1-0 against an Oregon pitcher who was throwing 84 to 87 mph and being scouted by Oregon State University.

No-hitter going

The opposing pitcher had a no-hitter through 6 2/3 innings before Brady Konopaski walked and Devon Courtney drove him home with a hit off the wall which should have been a triple but Courtney fell between second and third and had to retreat back to second for a double.

“It was a great game by both sides, and pitching was phenomenal in that game,” Wilder coach Chad Wagner said.

“Michael Konopaski is a flat-out competitor and will do anything it takes to get the job done.”

Wilder next opens state Senior Babe Ruth 18U play at Ephrata on Thursday.