SEQUIM — The scheduled crew of umpires may not have shown up on time but the Olympic Crosscutters’ bats certainly did in a blowout win over Steilacoom.
A six-run third inning propelled the Cutters to a 12-2 American Legion AA victory in six innings against Steilacoom on Wednesday at Sequim High School.
“Everybody has been contributing,” Olympic coach John Qualls said.
“There’s been somebody throughout the lineup stepping up every game. It’s the whole team. It’s kind of amazing because you don’t know who its going to be from game to game.”
A.J. Prater scored the first of his three runs for the Cutters in the home half of the opening inning.
Prater was hit by a pitch to open the game, advanced to second on an error, stole third base and was brought home on a Nigel Christian sacrifice fly.
Prater ended up reaching base four times without garnering any hits.
He walked twice, was hit by a pitch and reached on an error.
Steilacoom put two across in the top of the third before Olympic answered back.
Errors and aggressive base running from Prater and Gavin Velarde helped score two runs, and an RBI single from Logan Shaw and a three-RBI single later in the inning from Blake Mann put the Cutters up for good, 7-2.
“Blake took high school season off, so it’s taken the first part of the season for him to get readjusted, but he’s really coming on lately,” Qualls said.
Mann finished the contest 2 for 3 with four RBIs.
Chimacum’s Logan Shaw also had a strong game, going 3 for 4 with two triples, two RBIs and three runs for Olympic.
Velarde also stole two bases and drove home two runs in the win.
Four Cutters’ pitchers combined on a two-hitter.
“Yeah, we went the pitcher-by-committee route,” Qualls said.
“That’s what we did to get through it and save the guys for the tournament this weekend.”
Eli Harrison started and went two scoreless innings, while Cole Dotson was tagged for a hit and two unearned runs in two innings pitched.
“Eli got a lot of ground balls and kept the ball low,” Qualls said.
Logan Hankinson and Jake Sparks also pitched scoreless innings in relief.
“They all did well at keeping the ball low and letting the defense do the work,” Qualls said.
The team competes in the Kennewick Duster Bowl Tournament through Sunday at LaPierre Field in Kennewick.
Temperatures well above 100 degrees are forecast.
“We have our work cut out for us with the competition and the weather,” Qualls said.
“Beating the heat is more of a mental approach than anything. They just have to focus and stay strong.
All Crosscutters games can be followed live online using Game Changer at www.tinyurl.com/pdnCutters. Fans also can email Crosscutters coach John Qualls at john@olympiccrosscutters to receive an invitation to follow the team.
Crosscutters 12, Steilacoom 2,
6 innings
Steilacoom 0 0 2 0 0 0 — 2 2 6
Crosscutters 1 0 6 1 3 1 — 12 9 3
WP- C. Dotson; LP- Kurtz
Pitching Statistics
Steilacoom: Kurtz 5 2/3 IP, 9 H, 12 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 2 K.
Crosscutters: Harrison 2 IP, C. Dotson 2 IP, H, 2 R, K; Hankinson 1 IP, BB; Sparks IP, H.
Hitting Statistics
Steilacoom: Smith 2-3, RBI; Postal 0-2, SAC.
Crosscutters: Shaw 3-4, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R; Mann 2-3, 4 RBI; Prater 0-1, 2 BB, HBP, 3 R; Beckett 2-3, R; L. Dotson 1-1, RBI, R; Christian 1-2, RBI; Velarde 1-4, 2 RBI, R.