Arredondo strikes out 14, Warden extends season to play-in game
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Warden starter Ryan Arredondo fields a bunt and throws to first base for an out against Kiona-Benton.
WARDEN — Warden did just enough to extend its season to at least one more game.
Behind six strong innings from Game-1 starter Ryan Arredondo, Warden was able to beat Kiona-Benton 4-2, ensuring a play-in game on May 7 against the No. 4 seed from the SCAC West. The Cougars rebounded from a seven-game losing streak to win five out of their last six to end the regular season.
Warden nearly completed the doubleheader sweep, but stranded the tying run on third base in the bottom of the seventh inning and lost 7-6.
“It says a lot about what our young team is doing,” head coach Dan Caballero said. “They’re starting to have some fun and figuring out that we can compete because I’ve told them all year on paper I believe that we’re as good as anyone and we just had to put things together.”
Arredondo navigated the Bears’ hitters with little resistance.
Arredondo — all-league first team as a freshman — racked up 14 strikeouts through six innings. Despite consecutive singles to lead off the fifth inning, Arredondo recorded a put-out on a sacrifice bunt and struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
Arredondo was able to wiggle out of another jam in the sixth after a lead-off triple. Kaden Skone helped with a leaping grab at shortstop before Arredondo responded with two more strikeouts.
“Ryan, only for a sophomore, has great poise,” Caballero said. “This is a 16-year-old kid being able to throw low to mid 80s consistently like that. We had a good talk about when we started this streak about not necessarily overpowering them, but pitching smart and thinking. What are we going to do here? What’s the situation? What can I throw here to help? And he’s doing that.”
Some misplays in the field helped Kiona-Benton rally from a 3-1 deficit in the night cap.
The Cougars committed five errors, but still had an opportunity to win late after loading the bases with no outs in the seventh inning down 7-3.
Wade Visker drew a bases loaded walk and freshman Julian Egia, after homering in the second inning, hit a two-run single. However, the tying run was left stranded at third base.
“Like I told them, it didn’t come down to that last at-bat,” Caballero said. “If we played cleaner early in the game we don’t give them four runs — we’re good. We win that.”
Game 1
KB — 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
W — 0 4 0 0 0 0 4
Highlights: Arredondo 6 IP, 14 K; Teagan Lauzer 2 RBI
Game 2
KB — 0 0 1 2 0 2 2 7
W — 0 1 0 2 0 0 3
Highlights: Egia 3 H, 3 RBI, HR