MOUNT VERNON — Wilder Senior struggled early this season because the team’s bats were quiet, but thanks to the team’s ability to manufacture runs and some spectacular pitching, the seniors are suddenly red-hot, winning three straight Friday and Saturday at the Mount Vernon tournament.
In fact, Wilder Senior has actually won four straight, counting a 3-0 victory Monday over the Kitsap County Rebels.
Wilder Senior won with a 15-0 shutout Friday over Crush Baseball Orange at the Mount Vernon tournament, won 4-0 over the Mount Vernon Riverdogs on Saturday morning, nearly getting a no-hitter from Rylan Politika and won again 6-3 Saturday afternoon over Whatcom Post No. 7, scoring six runs on just three hits. After a slow start to the season, Wilder Senior’s record is now 6-8.
Counting the Kitsap Rebels game, Wilder Senior pitchers had three straight shutouts and went 22 straight innings without allowing a run. Even in the 6-3 win over Whatcom, all three runs were unearned, so Wilder pitchers have gone 26 straight innings without allowing an earned run.
In the Whatcom game, pitcher Colton Romero was solid as usual, going 6⅔ innings, allowing just three hits, no earned runs and striking out nine. Braydan White got the final out for the save.
Wilder only had the three hits, but the Seniors were helped by 11 extra baserunners on six walks, four hit batsmen and an error. In the first inning, Wilder scored two runs without a hit as White drove in two runners on a fielder’s choice. In the second inning, Bryant Laboy hit a single and Politika drove him in with a double.
In the sixth, Wilder again scored two runs without a hit on four straight walks and a hit batsmen.
In the Saturday morning game, Politika had a no-hitter going for 4⅔ innings when he finally allowed a single. The game ended after five innings as Wilder Sr. had another game in the early afternoon. Politika struck out five and walked two.
Wilder again had just three hits, but scored four runs and that was more than enough. Landen Olson had a hit and an RBI, while Josiah Gooding, coming off a monster game Friday, had a hit, a run scored and a stolen base. Alex Angevine had a hit and Nate Basden walked twice, stole a base and scored a run.
In Friday’s 15-0 victory, the Wilder Senior bats woke up with 12 hits and nine walks in the team’s best offensive output all year. Wilder was led by Gooding’s three doubles. He also scored a run, had an RBI, walked and stole a base.
Ezra Townsend was 2-for-3 with a double and Olson had a triple and two runs scored. Angevine had a hit, scored two runs and drove in two. Basden had a hit and two RBIs.
Ethan Staples went the distance, going six innings and allowing just three hits while striking out nine and walking two.
Wilder Senior’s pitching has been strong all season with losses of 2-1, 3-1 and 3-2 earlier in the season. Wilder’s difficulty in scoring had been the team’s biggest issue.
Wilder Senior next plays at noon Sunday in the finale of the tournament.
Wilder Sr. 6, Whatcom 3
What. 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 — 3 3 1
WSr. 2 1 0 1 0 1 x — 6 3 1
Pitching
Wilder Sr. — Romero 6.2 IP, 2 H, 9 K; White 0.1 IP.
Hitting
Wilder Sr. — Politika 1-1, 2B, R, RBI, SB, HBP; Angevine 0-2, 2 R, RBI, SB, 2 HPB; White 0-2, HBP, 2 RBI; Flodstrom 1-2, RBI, BB.
Wilder Sr. 4, Mount Vernon 0
WSr. 0 0 1 2 1 x x — 4 3 0
MV 0 0 0 0 0 x x — 0 1 1
Pitching
Wilder Sr. — Politika 5 IP, H, 5 K, 2 BB.
Hitting
Wilder Sr. — Angevine 1-3; Gooding 1-3, R, SB; Olson 1-2, RBI; Basden 0-1, 2 BB, R, SB.
Wilder Sr. 15, Crush Orange 0
Crush 0 0 0 0 0 0 x — 0 3 0
WSr. 5 0 6 3 1 x x — 15 12 0
Pitching
Wilder Sr. — Staples 6 IP, 3 H, 9 K, 2 BB
Hitting
Wilder Sr. — Gooding 3-3, 3 2B, R, RBI, BB, SB; Townsend 2-3, 2B, R; Olson 1-1, 3B, 2 R; Angevine 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB; Basden 1-4, 2 RBI; Shumway 1-4, R, RBI; Dearinger 1-2, R; Williams 1-1, RBI.
Wilder Jr. splits pair
SELAH — Wilder Jr. split a pair of games at a Selah tournament, beating the Yakima Valley Peppers 5-4 in extra innings Friday night after losing to FG Plakata 18U 5-1 earlier in the day.
In the Peppers game, Wilder Jr. was tied 3-3 after seven innings and scored two runs after Clay Abrams led off the eighth with a double. Bryce Deleon drove him in with an RBI single.
Wilder Jr. then used small ball to manufacture an insurance run, which turned out to be the winning run. Ryland Proiette had a bunt single and moved to second on a bunt sacrifice by Carson Waddell. Ian Smithson drove in a run with a bunt single
On the mound, Braedyn Boulden went 4⅓ innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs. Rylan Dunn went 3⅔, allowing three hits, an earned run and striking out one.
Deleon went 3-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Smithson was 2-4 with run, an RBI and two stolen bases. Lincoln Bear was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
In the early game, Wilder Jr. managed just one hit, by Bear, who also scored the lone run of the game.
Deleon took the loss, going four innings and allowing seven hits and four earned runs. He struck out three. Owen Leitz went two innings, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Wilder Jr. plays a Saturday night game against the Sunnyside Monarchs.
Wilder Jr. 5, Yakima Valley Peppers 4
WJr. 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 — 5 11 3
YVP 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 — 4 5 2
Pitching
Wilder Jr. — Boulden 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, K; Dunn 3.2 IP, 3 H, ER, K.
Hitting
Wilder Jr. — Deleon 3-4, R, RBI, SB; Bear 2-5 2B, R; Smithson 2-4, R, RBI, 2 SB; Abrams 1-1, 2B, R.
FG Plakata 5, Wilder Jr. 1
WJr. 0 1 0 0 0 0 — 1 1 1
Pla. 3 0 1 1 0 0 x — 5 8 1
Pitching
Wilder Jr. — Deleon 4 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 K; Leitz 2 IP, H, K.
Hitting
Wilder Jr. — Bear 1-1, R, BB, SB.
