CHIMACUM — The Chimacum Cowboys are accustomed to getting production from the top half of their batting order, and Friday’s Nisqually League game against Seattle Christian was no different.
But coach Jim Dunn was especially pleased with the rest of the lineup in the Cowboys’ 17-1 win over the Seattle Christian Warriors in Nisqually League action.
The Cowboys, still perfect at 12-0 overall and 9-0 in league, begin their final stretch with just two regular-season games left.
Then it’s the playoffs and the defense of their 2011 Class 1A state championship.
Friday’s game
Egan Cornachione, who batted ninth in the order, was particularly effective, going 2 for 3 with a team-high four RBIs while scoring two runs.
The No. 7 and 8 hitters, Carter Tjemsland and Victor Cienega, also produced.
Tjemsland had two hits and a run while Cienega scored twice.
“It’s always a good feeling when the bottom of your lineup is hitting the ball, or just getting on base,” Dunn said.
“Because getting back around to Landon Cray, Mike Nordberg, Austin McConnell and Quinn Eldridge — it’s a good feeling to have no outs and those guys up with runners on.”
The Cowboys put the Warriors away early with a huge first inning after giving away one run.
Seattle Christian took advantage of mistakes by Chimacum’s defense, and led 1-0 going into the bottom of the first.
The Cowboys’ offense more than made up for the defense’s struggles with a 16-run outburst.
McConnell started the scoring with an RBI-single that scored Cray and Nordberg.
McConnell stole second and third base, and then scored when Quinn Eldridge snuck a single around the third-base bag.
Eldridge, too, was aggressive on the bases.
He stole second base, took third on a passed ball, and scored after another passed ball.
“If we’re on base, we’re going,” Dunn said. “We don’t stick around to see what happens.
“Just be aggressive, have them make plays, and make them be perfect is the [plan]. The more errors they make, the more runs we get.”
After Tjemsland and Cienega, got on to load the bases, Cornachione blooped a single to shallow left to score Derek Ajax to make it 5-1.
With the score 12-1, Cornachione again came to bat with the bases loaded.
This time, he emptied them with a three-run triple.
Cornachione scored after Cray — in his third at bat of the inning — got a triple of his own.
The Cowboys didn’t score again until the fourth when Alex Morris came home on Brady Anderson’s sacrifice ground-out.
Chimacum’s pitching kept the Warriors from even threatening to cut into the lead.
In the second inning, Nordberg struck out all three batters that came to the plate.
Eldridge pitched the third inning, striking out two and allowing a walk.
In the fourth inning, Cray came in and struck out the side.
Casey Settjie finished the game by fanning two and walking one in the fifth.
Dunn gave Cray and Eldridge, Chimacum’s top two pitchers, some time on the mound because they hadn’t pitched in over a week and he wants to make sure both are sharp in their upcoming starts against Cascade Christian.
The Cowboys close out their regular season with two games against the Cougars, Monday at Tacoma Community College, and in Chimacum on Tuesday.
Tuesday will be Senior Night when Chimacum’s powerhouse senior class, 70-9 during their four years, will be feted in their final regular-season home game.
Chimacum 17, Seattle Christian 1
Seattle Christian 1 0 0 0 0 — 1 0 1
Chimacum (16) 0 0 1 x — 17 15 1
WP- Nordberg
Pitching Statistics
Chimacum: Nordberg, 2 IP; Eldridge, 1 IP, 2 K; Cray 1 IP, 3 K; Settjie 1 IP, 2 K.
Hitting Statistics
Chimacum: Cornachione 2-3, 3B, 4 RBIs, 2 R; Cray 2-3, 3B, 3 RBIs, 2 R; McConnell 2-3, 3 RBIs, 2 R.