Tigers claim 13-year-old state title

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers steamrolled through the field at the North Washington Babe Ruth 13-year-old state tournament, scoring 42 runs in three games.

The Tigers won the state championship on Friday with a 16-1 victory over Moses Lake in five innings to advance to the Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament in Meridian, Idaho, July 18-23.

As they had all week long, the Tigers rode the arm of strong pitching and just out-gunned everyone in the 13-year-old field. Moses Lake did score its lone run in the top half of the first inning, but Ephrata scored two runs on two hits in the bottom half of the inning and was off to the races. The Tigers scored seven runs in the second inning and never looked back.

“These guys have been playing together since they were nine years old,” Ephrata manager Josh Roberts said. “We had solid pitching and timely hitting three days in a row. We kept the walks down and didn’t commit any errors.”

Left-hander Winston Roberts kept the Dirt Brothers in check, scattering just four hits for the victory in the championship game. The Tigers took command in the second inning and slammed the door with five runs in the fourth, scoring 16 hits on 11 hits and without making an error.

“I was throwing fastball all day, mixing in some change-ups and a cutter,” Winston Roberts said. “I throw a two-seamer, so my fastball moves away from right-handed batters. Winning the state championship means a lot.”

Moses Lake and Ephrata split a doubleheader during the regular season, but on championship Friday it was all Ephrata.

“I thought we represented Moses Lake well. We scored right away, so I thought that might help,” Moses Lake manager J.R. Snider said. “We never backed down, but they’re a good team and it showed today.”

Ephrata’s run to the state championship included a 17-7 victory over Oak Harbor in the opener. They beat Sedro-Woolley 9-1 in the semifinals and closed with another game by the 10-run rule for the title.

“We are blessed with really good pitching,” Josh Roberts said. “Gavin Burns threw a really good game in the opener on Wednesday. We took him out early, because we thought we might need him later on. We have two strong left-handers, which is a real luxury at this level because most teams don’t have one.”