Ephrata beats Cheney for third win of the season
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald Ephrata senior Zac Berryman was 2-for-2 with a double and a RBI in Tuesday's non-league victory over Cheney at Johnson-O'Brien Stadium.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald Ephrata shortstop Zac Berryman tags out Cheney runner Jacob Lauber (10) on a successful pick-off play at second base during Tuesday's non-league game at Johnson-O'Brien Stadium.
EPHRATA — It’s the next man up for Ephrata baseball coach Jason Laugen and the Tigers gave him a little taste of how that’s going to work.
Freshman Kyle Hendrick doubled in the right-center gap and scored on an error to trigger a three-run bottom of the fourth. Senior Zac Berryman doubled in that same right-center gap later in the inning to drive in a run and Ephrata (3-1, 2-0 CWAC) held off Cheney 5-2 in non-league action at Johnson-O’Brien Stadium on Tuesday.
The Ephrata Tigers start a sophomore and two freshmen, but they’re off to a pretty good start with a sweep over Grandview in the CWAC and now moving on to their third win in four games.
“We’re young and inexperienced, but we’re starting to play,” Laugen said. “Originally, I was going to start Austin (Webb) in center field, but we needed the help at second base. So we have a very solid middle infield and David McKeehan is a very capable center fielder.”
The middle infield had a chance to strut its stuff a little bit. Catcher Ethan Etter threw out three runners trying to steal second base, including a spectacular block in the dirt where he found the handle and threw out Kolby Holt by five steps. Webb had another put out on a runner trying to steal
Berryman slipped around the runner and he and Trenton Kleyn worked the perfect pick off at second base.
“We have good, strong leadership and a lot of good young kids with a lot of energy,” said Berryman, who moved over to shortstop from third base this season. “I thought we played really well today. Guys played their role and got on base, we drove them in.
“Ethan is one of the better catchers in the league and he’s been solid for us for two years. He does a good job back there.”
It’s early yet, but the Tigers did a lot of good things. Kleyn got the strikeout to pitch his way out of a jam in the fourth inning with the bases loaded with two outs. The worked a five--three double play. Third baseman Mac Laird fielded the ball, kicked the bag, then threw across the diamond to Gavin Burns for the double play. Hendrick made a hard-charging, sliding catch to end the inning in the sixth with great defensive play on the fence line.
With the bats, Berryman, who’s headed to Walla Walla Community College next year, went 2-for-2 with a double and 2 RBI. Etter was also 2-2 with a double and an RBI. Hendrick doubled for the Tigers, who scored five runs on seven hits.
Ephrata has a doubleheader at Toppenish on Saturday.
Cheney 000 100 1 - 2 7 4
Ephrata 100 310 x - 5 7 2
Johnny Owings and Luke Martin; Trenton Kleyn (6.0), Gunnar Falstad (1.0) and Ethan Etter. HITS: Zac Berryman (2), Ethan Etter (2), Kyle Hendrick, Travis Robertson, Kleyn. 2B - Berryman, Etter, Hendrick. RBI - Berryman, Etter, Hendrick.