WOLVES BASEBALL TOPS EATONVILLE 7-6

Bremerton – May 6, 2008
 
A two-run miscue by Eatonville’s defense and some spectacular relief pitching by Alex Gillis kept the Sequim Wolves’ baseball team alive in the district playoffs Tuesday night.

Gillis pitched three-plus innings of shutout baseball while Sequim overcame a four-run deficit to beat Eatonville 7-6 in Bremerton, ending Eatonville’s season in the first round of the West Central District playoff..

Down 6-5 in the top of the seventh inning, Sequim’s Jason Baker hit a two-out double to put runners on second and third. Preston McFarlen then hit a grounder to the Eatonville shortstop, who made a bad throw to first, allowing both runners to score.

Gillis, who relieved starter Max Royall in the fourth inning, shut down the Cruisers in the bottom of the seventh to pick up the win.

Sequim’s seniors led the offense: Royall went 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs while Jonathan Thom had three hits and Ben Grubb chipped in with a triple and two runs scored.

Drew Rickerson went 2-for-4 with an RBI while teammates Baker, Spencer Middleton and Reed Omdal had doubles.

“Wehit the ball real well; we had baserunners all game,” Sequim coach Dave Ditlefsen said.

But early, it looked as if Sequim’s season would end Tuesday night. Cruiser Justin Bollen hit a two-run home run in the first inning and a three-run bomb in the fourth, pushing Eatonville’s lead to 6-2. But Sequim had enough offense (13 hits) to come back.

Gillis gave up just two hits and walked none, striking out five Cruisers in the process.

Eatonville’s Anthony Kast took the loss.

Sequim advances to play Klahowya, the Olympic League’s No. 1 seed, at 7 p.m. Friday in Bremerton.

“They’re pretty deep, pitching-wise,” Ditlefsen said of Klahowya. “They (district opponents) are all playoff-caliber teams.”

Ditlefsen projected that Middleton will get the start Friday.