Sixers 9U earn first place in Yakima tourney

MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sixers 9u – Lange (7-0-1) is off to a strong start to their season after going undefeated in their second tournament of the season.  

“The kids are doing good. It's back-to-back tournaments that we've placed very well and finished first in both tournaments. A lot of the kids, it's (their) first time experiencing a baseball tournament... a lot of unknowns of what to expect and everything else. I think they played well,” Head Coach Jameson Lange said.  

Competing in the Hop-Town Throwdown tournament, the Sixers went 4-0 over the weekend. In total, they outscored their opponents 60-31 on their way to a first-place finish. Bringing home the MVP award was Hayes Palmer. On offense, he strung together five hits, six runs and six RBIs. On the pitching mound, he threw for 2.2 innings total, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out four batters all weekend.  

“He's worked hard all year long,” Lange said. “Offensively, he's been pretty consistent, not only this last weekend, but the weekend before (too). He's seeing (the ball) well, not chasing pitches. Defensively, he's been strong. We developed him this year as a catcher. He's played a little bit of first base, and he's also been pitching for us. His greatest strength is his ability to work hard consistently for how old he is; he doesn't take pitches off mentally, which is extremely impressive for such a young kid.” 

Game one 

To start the weekend, the Sixers had to go through the Whatcom Mudcats. They started fast; scoring runs early and often. It started with an inside the park home run. By the end of the third inning, the Sixers rode their hot hand to a 14-3 lead. The Mudcats had a five-run inning in the bottom of the fourth, but it was not enough to pull off a comeback, as the Sixers added four more runs to their total to seal an 18-8 win.  

Game two 

In their second game Saturday, the Sixers came across New Level Holtman. The two teams fell into a four-inning shootout, resulting in Central Washington emerging victorious 18-16.  

According to Lange, the score does not illustrate the full scope of the game. 

“We actually played poorly. In games where you play poorly, good teams find a way to win,” he said. “One of the things we talk about all the time is we take pride in playing better longer than our opponent. If we're playing poor for five innings, and so is the other team at the end of the day, we're trying to play better longer than our opponent. That's what allowed us to be on the plus side in the win column.” 

Game three 

On Sunday, the Sixers took their notes from the previous day and took a step forward, Lange said. Against the West Valley Baseball Club, the Sixers routed their opponent 12-0 in three innings. Lange was impressed with the adjustments his players made from Saturday to Sunday.  

“For a bunch of nine-year-old kids to be able to make an adjustment from one day to the next was extremely impressive. We eliminated errors, we eliminated the free bases on the defensive side of things. On the offensive side of things, to be able to hit hitter's pitches and hitters counts, and not chasing pitcher's pitches... it was great,” Lange said.  

Game four 

In their last game of the weekend, the Sixers faced New Level Holtman in a rematch. Just like the first time around, the Sixers had several players get home. This time, the defense held down the fort, holding Holtman scoreless across the second and third innings while they built their lead to 9-2.  

From there, they added four more runs to their total. Despite Holtman’s late push with five runs, it was not enough to pull off a comeback. The Sixers held on to earn a 13-7 win and secure a first-place finish.  

Off to a hot start, the Sixers look ahead to the rest of their season. Their next set of games is slated for April 25, starting with the Short Hops 2026 9U at 5 p.m. and the Wenatchee Valley Select 9U at 7 p.m. at the Larson Playfields.  

While developing players is their focus, Lange is eager to continue instilling joy into the sport for his players, he said.  

“Within that we create the best opportunity for success. In the wins and loss column, it's going to be consistency of our pillars of what our program represents, and that's going to be through discipline, the consistency of creating an atmosphere of development and then watching them grow realistically, and then just put it on repeat,” he said.  

BOX SCORES: 

Game one 

SXRS: 4-5-5-2-2: 18 

MCTS: 0-1-2-5-0: 8 

Game two 

SXRS: 5-5-5-3: 18 

NLHM: 3-5-5-3: 16 

Game three 

WSBC: 0-0-0: 0 

SXRS: 3-4-5: 12 

Game four 

NLHM: 2-0-0-1-4-0: 7 

SXRS: 3-4-2-3-1-*: 13

    Hayes Palmer (16) holds up his Bullpen MVP award, which he earned after a strong weekend of play. Head Coach Jameson Lange said his hard work has helped him throughout the last year.