Othello All-Stars one win shy of regionals
Moses Lake 15-year-olds also lose in state championship game
MOSES LAKE — Othello's 14-and-under All-Star squad made a valiant run, but fell one win short of a berth in the Babe Ruth Baseball Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament, losing the state championship to Ellensburg last Saturday afternoon.
Othello advanced to Saturday's championship with a 2-0 victory over Burlington earlier that day, but fell victim to a hard-throwing Ellensburg pitcher in a 7-0 loss.
"They clocked him about 72 miles per hour through the whole game," Othello head coach Eddie Garza said. "In the seventh inning he was still throwing that fast."
Ellensburg slowly assumed control of the game, scoring one run in each of the first four innings, then put the final touches on their state title with one run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Othello committed five errors, which ruined an otherwise strong start from pitcher Adrian Fuentes, who struck out six.
Othello left the bases loaded in the first inning and never threatened again, striking out six times and picking up just four hits.
"After (the first inning) there wasn't very much action on our side at all," Garza said.
Ellensburg advanced to the regional tournament in Meridian, Idaho, July 30 through Aug. 4.
Othello played one of its better games in Saturday morning's semifinals, knocking off Burlington 2-0. Dylan Garza broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, bringing in Amando DeLeon with an RBI double. Eddie Garza Jr.'s bases-loaded walk in the sixth allowed DeLeon to trot in with the insurance run.
On the mound, DeLeon was virtually untouchable through six innings. Anthony Melo pitched the seventh for the save.
"Mando gave us the best six innings he could," Garza said. "It was neck and neck all the way."
A day earlier, Othello earned a 9-4 win over Port Angeles, building a 6-0 lead in the first inning. Gabriel Cesar's two-run home run was the big blow.
Othello picked up nine hits in the win, with Eric Martinez finishing 3 for 4 and Fuentes going 2 for 3. Fuentes got the win by pitching 4 1/3 innings. Melo and DeLeon tossed 2 2/3 of solid relief.
Othello began the tournament on July 11 with an 8-2 victory over the hosts from Moses Lake. DeLeon went the distance, scattering four walks and striking out four.
The team lost the following day to Bainbridge Island, managing just four hits in a 5-2 loss. Martinez, who was pitching with a broken hand, struggled and gave up four runs in just 1 1/3 innings. Melo pitched well in relief, but it wasn't enough.
Moses Lake 15-year-olds
In the 15-and-under state tournament at Port Angeles, Moses Lake also came within a victory of a regional tournament berth, losing the title game 8-6 to Central Basin on Sunday.
Moses Lake opened the tournament with a 4-2 victory over South Kitsap on July 12. A day later, the team advanced with a wild, 9-8 victory over Central Basin. A 7-5 setback to North Kitsap put Moses Lake into a must-win situation to reach the finals, and the team responded with a 12-0 shellacking of Marysville.
Central Basin earned a spot in the Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament, July 30 through Aug. 4 in Astoria, Ore.
Moses Lake 14-year-olds
Moses Lake's All-Stars had been guaranteed a state tournament spot as hosts, but their guests treated them rather rudely.
An 8-2 loss in the July 11 opener with Othello put the team in an earlier hole. Port Angeles knocked them off the next day, 6-3, and Bainbridge Island finished them off on July 14, 5-2.
Head coach Scott Swartz was pleased with the way his squad pulled together in only two-and-a-half weeks of practice prior to the state tourney. He complemented the five-man rotation of Anthony Hernandez, Derek Pruneda, Mitch Hill, Fidel Cortez and Colby Swartz for pitching well — Moses Lake's bats simply froze up at an inopportune time.
"We just didn't get our timing down," Swartz explained. "It seemed like we had a lot of guys on base. We just couldn't get the big hit to get those guys in."
Moses Lake 13-year-olds
In the double elimination tournament at Poulsbo, Moses Lake opened with an 11-10 setback against the hosts from North Kitsap. A day later, the team rebounded with an 8-5 triumph against South Kitsap, but were eliminated on July 14 with an 11-4 loss to Wenatchee.
Mount Vernon ended up as the state champions, advancing to regional play in Bozeman, Mont., from July 28 to Aug. 2.