CASTLE ROCK — Trailing Eatonville 6-1 in third inning, Tenino baseball roared back to life with a six-run fourth inning and held on for an 8-6 victory in a loser-out match in the 1A District IV playoffs Friday morning in Castle Rock.
The Beavers faced King’s Way Christian right after in a loser-out, winner-to-regionals match.
Tenino’s comeback was sparked with a fielder’s choice on a Will Feltus’ groundout that allowed Mikey Vassar to score and cut the deficit to 6-2.
Brody Noonan then hit an RBI single to score Carson Hart. Cody Strawn then hit a single to score Noonan on an overthrow to trim the deficit to 6-4. Austin Gonia’s line-drive single allowed Strawn to score on another overthrow to pull the Beavers within one.
Kellan Knox then scored on a passed ball to tie it up and Preston Snider scored the go-ahead run on an error by the catcher to give Tenino the lead for good at 7-6. The Beavers plated one more insurance run in the sixth when Gonia drove in Knox with an RBI single.
Tenino out-hit Eatonville 7-3 and the Beavers took advantage of four Cruiser errors.
Gonia finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs, while Hart was 1 for 1 with two runs and two walks. Knox was 1 for 2 with two runs and two walks, and Feltus drove in two runs.
Strawn pitched 4.2 hitless innings of relief to shut down the Cruisers’ offense, striking out four batters and walking four.
Vasser started on the mound for Tenino, lasting 1.1 innings while giving up four earned runs on two hits and five walks with one K. Easton Snider threw one inning of relief, allowing two earned runs on one hit and four walks.
Eatonville starter Payton Hanly went three innings, allowing two earned runs on one hit and four walks with two Ks.
