PORT ANGELES — North Olympic brought some serious fireworks to the division play finale of the Junior Babe Ruth 14U state championships at Volunteer Field on Saturday.
Unfortunately for the tournament hosts, so did North Kitsap.
North Olympic’s bid to move on to the single elimination bracket came to an end Saturday, as North Kitsap topped the area all stars 16-12.
The loss came a day after North Olympic kept its state championship hopes alive with a 10-5 victory over Burlington.
Olympic needed another victory to move on, but instead had to settle for finishing third in the American Division with a 15-5 record for the summer.
The tournament continues today at Volunteer Field.
American Division champion Ellensburgh will face off against Sedro Woolley at 10 a.m. in one semifinal.
National Division champion Ferndale will go up against North Kitsap at 1 p.m. in the other.
The winner of those games will play for the title at 4 p.m.
12U in semifinals
MOSES LAKE — The North Olympic Cal Ripken 12U all-stars reached the state semifinals after topping Ephrata 12-6 on Saturday.
The team has outscored opponents 47-9 in reeling off four straight blowout victories at state.
By winning Saturday, North Olympic put itself in today’s semifinal against either Lynden or Ellensburgh.
The winner of that game moves on to the championship game, where it will play for the right to go to regionals.
Ricky Crawford came up big in Saturday’s win against Ephrata.
He pitched three strong innings on the mound, allowing only one run. Yet Crawford did most of his damage at the plate, where he was 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
North Olympic finished off pool play 3-0 on Friday with a 10-1 win over Ferndale and a 13-2 mercy rule drubbing of Cashmere.
North Olympic used four pitchers to scatter 6 hits while recording 12 strikeouts in the win over Ferndale.
Meanwhile, Tanner Gochnour had two doubles and scored once and Adam Iseri Fujii hit his second home run of the day.
It was a line drive three-run shot that manager Richard Stone said cleared the fence by nearly 20 feet.
Corey Stone added a bases loaded three-run double that essentially put the game out of reach at 8 – 1.
North Olympic’s victory over Cashmere didn’t come quite as easily . . . at least early on.
Fielding miscues led to a pair of unearned runs in the first inning, as the Central Washington squad took a 2-0 lead.
North Olympic fought back, however.
Crawford and Stone combined for a two-hitter on the mound. Stone struck out six of the 11 batters he faced, and Crawford three of four.
Iseri Fujii delivered the game’s big blow, a three-run homer.
Crawford provided the game-ender: a two-run shot with Eathen Boyer on base.