Kalama’s ace pitcher Tommy Brandenburg lived up to every bit of the hype. The highly-touted MLB prospect threw a 12-strikeout no-hitter to hand Onalaska a 5-0 defeat in Ony on Thursday.
“Not every day there’s a scout from the (Los Angeles) Dodgers in the stands with a speed gun,” Onalaska coach Rocky Stanley said. “(Brandenburg) doesn’t mess around. He’s the real deal.”
It was actually a pretty commendable showing for the Loggers, who used four pitchers to hold Kalama to just four hits on the day. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a two-run homer by Brandenburg.
Stanley praised Jeremy Larson, who came in for relief and threw 3 ⅓ scoreless innings with one strikeout. Lethon Fitch tallied two strikeouts in 1 ⅓ innings.
“I’m very happy with the effort and approach,” Stanley said. “ My kids battled the whole way. To only get beat by Kalama 5-0, I couldn’t be happier with the effort.”
Onalaska (1-3) travels to Winlock for a 2 p.m. matchup on Monday.
Adna’s offense ran into the buzzsaw that is Toutle Lake’s Jackson Cox on Thursday, as the Oregon-bound hurler fanned 13 in a five-inning no-hitter, part of a 10-0 Ducks win.
Pirates coach Jon Rooklidge said Cox would be an “early, early, early draft pick” and Thursday’s performance was an indication of that.
“He’s all that he is advertised to be,” Rooklidge said. “Putting the ball in play was a challenge.”
Even with that, Rooklidge was encouraged by the effort and approach at the plate. The Pirates never stopped competing at the plate, even as Cox was carving up the Pirate lineup.
“I was happy with the effort,” he said. “Our approach was good. He was overwhelming.”
Adna (2-1) visits Toledo on Monday at 4 p.m.
Beau Carlson hit a home run and Austin Niemeyer doubled as the Wahkiakum Mules flew past the Toledo Indians 11-3 in a Central 2B League baseball game in Cathlamet on Thursday.
Wahkiakum scored four runs in the first two innings to take a commanding 8-0 lead it didn’t relent.
Niemeyer led the way with a pair of hits, including the dinger, with three RBI and a pair of runs. Carlson wasn’t far behind with two hits, as well, to go along with two runs and RBI.
Geoffrey Glass was the offensive standout for Toledo with a pair of hits, an RBI and a run. Justin Filla and Ryan Bloomstrom scored the other runs for Toledo.
Brannon Guyor and Bloomstrom were solid in relief for the Indians, allowed just three runs on two hits over the final four frames. Guyer allowed a single unearned run over hits two innings with no hits and three strikeouts against three walks.
Toledo managed to chase Mules starter Brody Carlson early with three runs over the first two innings (one in the first, two in the second), but couldn’t get to reliever Damion Curl, who tossed the final five frames allowed just two hits and four walks with seven punch outs.
“Wahkiakum jumped on us early and we never recovered,” Toledo coach Bill Waag said. “Too many errors (seven) and we are not playing with any energy. We can swing the bats better, but we're not showing it in the last two games.”
Toledo (1-2) hosts Adna on Monday at 3 p.m.
Napavine 16, Morton/White Pass 7: Napavine scored seven runs in the third and seventh innings to pull away from Morton/White Pass in a 2B Central League baseball game on Thursday in Napavine.
Laythan Demarest led the way offensive for the Tigers with three hits — a triple, a double and a single -- and five RBI.
Jace Peters led the way for MWP with two hits and three RBI. Gavin Parker tossed 4 ⅔ innings with five strikeouts and 19 first-pitch strikes in his first start of the season.
“He threw well, which is exactly what we wanted him to do,” Napavine coach Brian Demarest said.
The Tigers took control early with a seven-run third inning, putting to use some firm words from the coaching staff between innings.
That focus floated away and returned for the bottom of the sixth, letting a pesky Timberwolves squad buzz around the ear of the explosive Tigers.
Brian Demarest was complimentary of the MWP squad, noting that it took a seven-run sixth to finally put it away.
He also noted in an abbreviated season, those kinds of situations — where his team is pushed and the result is doubtful — is the exact kind of situation that must be experienced with almost no time before elimination baseball commences.
“Our kids need to be pressured,” Brian Demarest said. “The season’s so short, if you want to have success (in the playoffs) we need to be put in those situations.”
Napavine is off until April 5 when it hosts Wahkiakum at 4 p.m. MWP welcomes Winlock the same day at the same time.
Winlock earned its second win in three tries, holding off a late charge from Stevenson for a 6-4 road win on Thursday.
Winlock rode the bat and arm of Mekhi Morlin. The junior doubled twice and drove in three while striking out 10. However, he had to exit the game in the bottom of the seventh with two outs after Stevenson disputed his pitch count.
Winlock coach Jordan Nailon relented, and, after three consecutive walks and a run, reliever Aiden Eitel came up with the game-ending strikeout to send Winlock home happy on the lengthy drive, electing to spend the $2 and cross the Bridge of the Gods outside of Cascade Locks. Eitel also doubled, singled and drove in a run in addition to the one-out save.
Thursday’s win marks a potential turning point, or at least an early indication of one, for the long down Winlock baseball program.
Both recent wins — this one and Monday’s victory over Castle Rock — involved stressful late-inning situations that saw Cardinals pitchers in jams with the game on the line. They came through both times. But that’s not what Nailon noticed most.
“Neither of the pitchers (in those situations) looked at me in the dugout for help,” Nailon said. “Knowing where the program was and where we want to take it, these guys are doing the work. They’re hammering the nails. These guys are a culture unto their own.”
Winlock hosts Onalaska on Monday at 2 p.m.
