Fuller Market Basket burned through a majority of its pitching staff during this past weekend's five-game weekend tournament while graduation and sore arms kept several of Hamer Electric hurlers on the shelf during the two clubs' American Legion game at Ed Wheeler Field on Monday.
Centralia and Longview combined to throw 10 pitchers but the Baggers' Danny Cox was the difference as he nearly hit for the cycle in leading Centralia past Hamer 12-9 in nonleague action.
Cox finished the game 4-for-4 at the plate with a walk, five RBIs and three runs scored. He banged out two singles, a double and a home run.
"I just went up there and swung," Cox said. "I'm just looking for a pitch to drive."
Baggers coach Larry Heinz said Cox has been in a groove since the summer season began.
"Since he's been playing with us this summer, he's just been on fire," Heinz said after his team improved to 7-2 overall. "He's obviously swinging the bat very well and playing a solid shortstop."
"(Cox) just put the ball in play," Longview coach Donegal Fergus said. "Without our top pitchers we had to throw a lot of fastballs, and he adjusted. It was a great approach."
The Baggers started Brett Phillips on the mound, and Phillips threw three innings while giving up three runs — one earned — on three hits. He struck out one and walked one in the no-decision.
Reliever Josh Lewis — one of four pitchers to throw for Centralia on the day — picked up the victory after throwing two innings. He gave up four runs on six hits while striking out one and walking none.
Cale Shelton threw the sixth and seventh innings and Chris Beard finished out the game for the Baggers, who placed second at the Mike Hagert Memorial Tourney in Selah Sunday.
Ryan Krauser — one of six pitchers to throw for Longview — tossed just ‚ of an inning and picked up the loss. The Baggers tagged Krauser for four runs on three hits.
"It looked like both teams threw a lot of guys," Heinz said. "We were looking for anyone who could give us an inning. The kids that came in gave us some quality innings."
Centralia fell behind 3-0 after Longview scored two runs in the second and one more in the third.
But the Baggers came back and scored three runs of their own in the bottom half of the third with the big blow coming on an Andrew Martin two-run single.
Hamer bounced back for two runs in the fourth to take a 5-3 advantage before Cox tied the game in the Centralia half of the fourth via a two-run double.
Still in the fourth, designated hitter Matt Pollard gave the Baggers the lead for good with a three-run double to center field and an 8-5 Centralia advantage.
"It was a fastball right down the middle," Pollard said. "It put us up by three and gave our pitchers a chance to go to work and shut it down."
Cox's two-run homer highlighted a three-run fifth, as the Baggers jumped out to an 11-7 lead before Centralia closed out its scoring with a single run in the sixth.
Longview (8-7 overall) scored twice more in the ninth for the game's final score.
Vince McKinney, Eddie Smith and Beard had two hits apiece for Centralia. Cort Carpenter had four hits to lead Longview.
The Baggers host Sumner today at 6 p.m.
