Warriors baseball runner-up
The Warriors Tucker Matthewson looks to the bench to get a sign from coach Stuart Gloyn to offer pitcher Drew Isaak during the second inning.
ELLENSBURG - Almira/Coulee-Hartline (ACH) ran into a buzz saw in the likes of the Colton Wildcats in the state 1B championship game Saturday in Ellensburg.
The Warriors baseball team lost the lopsided game 11-1 to finish as runners-up for the second time in the last three years. ACH lost 10-3 to St. John-Endicott last year, but beat Colton 8-3 to claim the title in 2010.
The game against the Wildcats at Rotary Field Saturday was never in doubt as Colton raced out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Two throwing errors by shortstop Zach Dye led to the unearned runs.
The Wildcats took advantage of an error on a pick of move to third base by Drew Isaak and a double to center field to hang two more on the board and increase their lead to 5-0 in the top of the second. A bases loaded single by Colton in the sixth inning made it 7-0 in favor of the Wildcats.
The Warriors put a run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame to avoid the shutout.
But Colton answered back with four runs in the top of the seventh to win with ease, 11-1.
ACH made it to the final by beating Lummi 20-4 in game one, and Oakville 14-4 in game two May 19.