CASTLE ROCK — Tenino baseball nearly pulled it off but ultimately fell just short of a regional playoff spot after taking an 8-7, season-ending loss in eight innings to King’s Way Christian in the 1A District IV playoffs in Castle Rock on Friday.
Coming off a thrilling 8-6, come-from-behind win over Eatonville during a loser-out game earlier Friday morning, the Beavers tried to sustain that momentum against the Knights immediately after.
The Knights plated three runs in the top of the third to take the first lead of the game, but Tenino answered back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the third. The Knights went up 5-2 the next inning before the Beavers erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 7-5.
King’s Way tied it up in the fifth with two more runs, then both squads went scoreless in the sixth and seventh.
The Knights broke the 7-7 tie in the top of the eighth when Marcus Whitney drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs to put King’s Way up 8-7.
Will Feltus was hit by a pitch with two outs in the bottom of the eighth but the Beavers couldn’t get him home.
Cody Strawn led the Beavers’ offense, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Easton Snider was 1 for 3 with a run and Carson Hart and Kayden Sayamnet each scored twice.
Tenino ends the year with a 15-9 overall record — and its best finish since advancing to the first round of state in 2016.
