16U Sixers go 2-2 at CWU Summer Series

ELLENSBURG — The 16U Central Washington Sixers went 2-2 at last weekend’s Central Washington University Summer Series, defeating Rock Creek Underclass and the Kitsap County Rebels Blue but suffering losses to RSP Underclass and the Washington A’s 15U Showcase.

“This was our fourth (tournament), and the past three weekends we were in the championship game each weekend,” Sixers head coach Jaret Fulbright said. “The boys were pretty confident going into this one and feeling pretty good about where we’re at.”

The tournament opened Thursday with a 6-5 win over Rock Creek Underclass at the CWU Baseball Field. Trailing 5-2 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, the Sixers rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the fifth to give themselves the lead for good; second baseman Aiden Garza tied the game at three with an RBI single and right fielder Koen Stagner gave Central Washington the lead with an RBI single, while left fielder Bodie Yale extended the lead with a two-RBI single.

“Our hitting has just been coming alive lately,” Fulbright said. “We have some guys that are really hitting the ball well and they’re taking advantage of some pitches that are being thrown to them. I’m pleasantly surprised at how well they’re driving the ball into the outfield and into the gaps.”

Against RSP Underclass on Friday, the Sixers tied the game at two in the bottom of the third with back-to-back RBI from Yale and first baseman Jacoby Fulbright. Central Washington had opportunities to score extra runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings with the bases loaded, but couldn’t get any runners across the plate. RSP scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning, later winning 4-3.

“Usually one-run ballgames are going to be won or lost by whoever does better on the bases,” Jaret Fulbright said. “We were playing Reign out of the Tri-Cities, a really good team — it’s the third time we’ve played them in less than three weeks, and the games are competitive with them … if you make a mistake you’ve got to take advantage of it, and when they did, we didn’t.”

Central Washington put the loss behind them Saturday, picking up 10 hits in a 14-0 win over the Kitsap Rebels 16U. Jacoby Fulbright and Juan Tovar tied for a team-high in hits with two apiece, while Yale drove in a team-high three runs.

“We were just hitting the ball one through nine in the batting order,” Jaret Fulbright said. “Everybody was hitting the ball that game.”

Bracket play began on Sunday morning with a matchup against the Washington A’s 15U. After both squads scored a run in the first inning, with Central Washington’s coming off an RBI single by Tovar, the game turned into a pitcher’s duel. Both the Sixers and A’s had three hits in the game, including Central Washington pitcher Raiden Haynes pitching all six innings surrendering three hits, two earned runs, one walk and striking out seven batters.

“It just came down to execution, again, on the base paths,” Fulbright said. “They were able to get a guy on with no outs, bunt him over to second and then got one hit to drive in the second run to win the game in the bottom of the sixth. Both teams were trying to do what they could small ball-wise, to be able to make the adjustments to win that ballgame.”

Fulbright said the standout from the weekend was pitching.

“We continue to have great pitching every outing,” Fulbright said. “Our pitchers are one of our strengths right now, and our hitting is coming along.”

The 16U Sixers travel to Ellensburg again this weekend to play in the 15/16U CWU Summer Series. Central Washington opens the tournament Friday against the Yakima Lightning at 9 a.m. at the CWU Baseball Field.

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

    16U Central Washington Sixers pitcher Bodie Yale tosses a pitch during Friday’s game against RSP Underclass at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake.
  

    Central Washington Sixer Raiden Haynes makes contact with a pitch during Friday’s game against RSP Underclass in Moses Lake.