POULSBO — Quite the rebound and quite the tune up.
Wilder Baseball moved on from its disappointing fourth-place finish at the Firecracker Classic over the weekend to blast North Kitsap American Legion AAA 15-4 in a nine-inning game Wednesday at North Kitsap High School.
It was Wilder’s last game before the state tournament in Ephrata next week.
“It was good to finish the season with a win like that heading into state,” Wilder manager Mike Politika said.
“Good performance by everybody.”
Especially for Wilder’s bats, which pounded North Kitsap, the Firecracker Classic runner-up, for 21 hits.
Not surprisingly, Zach Withrow and Eathen Boyer were part of the onslaught.
Withrow, who has been swinging a hot bat recently, led Wilder with four hits to go along with three runs and two RBIs.
“It seems like every at-bat he’s putting a good swing on the ball, seeing it well,” Politika said.
“He’s giving himself good opportunities.”
Boyer, who has been hot all summer, finished with three hits, three RBIs and two runs.
Travis Paynter added three hits, three runs and two RBIs; Evan Hurn doubled twice, drove in four runs and score once; and Curan Bradley and Janson Pederson had two hits apiece.
Wilder’s offense started fast, plating four runs in the top of the first inning. The area team added another run in the second before completely going off in the fifth inning with six runs to stretch its lead to 11-1.
Larsson Chapman brought in two runs that inning with a two-out single, and Bradley and Pederson also drove in runs.
Wilder used five pitchers in the game. Only one pitched more than two innings.
Paytner started and went two innings, allowing four hits and a run and striking out three.
Pederson came in next and had the longest outing of the five pitchers, going 2 1/3 innings and allowing two runs on one hit.
Tanner Rhodefer, who missed the Firecracker Classic with an ankle injury, held North Kitsap scoreless over 1 2/3 innings while striking out two.
Brady Shimko pitched two innings and James Grubb pitched the ninth.
Wilder travels to Ephrata on Monday and opens the four-team Senior Babe Ruth state tournament Tuesday.
The other teams competing are Lakeside Recovery, Columbia Basin Desert Dogs and Columbia Basin River Bandits.
“We feel great going into state,” Politika said. “We’re all excited, ready to go.”
Wilder 15, North Kitsap 4
Wilder 4 1 0 0 6 2 1 0 1 — 15 21 2
North Kitsap 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 — 4 9 4
WP- Pederson
Pitching Statistics
Wilder: Paynter 2 IP, 4 H, R, 3 K; Pederson 2 1/3 IP, H, 2 R, K, HBP; Rhodefer 1 2/3 IP, H, 0 R, 2 K, BB; Shimko 2 IP, 3 H, R, K, 2 BB; Grubb IP, 0 H, 0 R, K.
Hitting Statistics
Wilder: Withrow 4-5, 3 R, 2 RBI; Boyer 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI; Hurn 2-5, 2 2B, R, 4 RBI; Paynter 3-5, 3 R, 2 RBI; Bradley 2-3, 2B, RBI; Pederson 2-2, R, RBI.
