7/28/11 Yakima Valley scorecard

Mount Adams

MEN’S DIVISION

Best ball, July 21

Gross: 1, (tie) Turk Holford-Aaron Louis 71, Turk Holford-Tony Washines 71, Mike Chambers-Russ Arbuckle 71. Net: 1, Bob Anaker-Albert Trevino 57; 2, Ron Smith-Jim Whataker 59; 3, Abel Daniel-Javier Valdez 61; 4, (tie) Abel Daniel-Bernie Flores 62, Bob Bergeron-Steve Knopp 62; 6, (tie) John Douglas-Don Greger 63, Jim Fulcher-Keith Fowler 63, Keith Fowler-Jim Thomas 63, Ken Hornstein-Connie Besel 63, Vern Stephenson-Monte Heggie 63.

American Hop Museum, July 22

Gross: 1, Dale Gamache-Paul Koch-Robert Scott 64; 2, Connie Besel-Mike Chambers-Ken Hornstein-Willie Edwards 65; 3, Bob Mondor-Curt Mauch-Greg Mauch-Zach Mauch 66. Net: 1, Steve Stilley-Jessie Burrows-Ken Bates-Joe Mills 45; 2, Todd Pomeroy-Felix Romero-Francisco Castenada-Israel Quiroz 46; 3, Dale Gasseling-Darren Gasseling-Chuck Linker-WC Wofford 47.

Orange Ball, July 23

1, Hank Besel-Eric Inions-Kim Parker-Jim Fulcher 151; 2, Greg White-Keith Grace-Jim Bradbury-Lee Hall 153; 3, Mike Chambers-Rick Sifuentes-Bob Anacker-Jim Thomas 154; 4, Javier Valdez-Craig Hert-Doyle Wilson-Randy Cobb 155.

Goldendale Home & Home, July 24

Gross: 1, Gary Hutchins 72; 2, Greg Cannon 80; 3, Louis Alcala 81. Net: 1, Abel Daniel 70; 2, Joe Hoptowit 71; 3, Javier Valdez 72.

WOMEN’S DIVISION

Points, July 20

A Division — Gross: 1, Gloria Campbell 107. Net: 1, Carrol Storkel 25. B Division — Gross: 1, Maria Frank 108. Net: 1, Connie Rogers 32.

COUPLES DIVISION

July 21

Gross: 1, Mike Chambers-Sharon Hedden 41. Net: 1, Ron Storkel-Connie Rogers 32; 2, Kim Parker-Maria Frank 361/4; 3, James Rogers-Carrol Storkel 38.

SunTides

MEN’S DIVISION

Thursday League

1, Weapons of Grass Destruction 64; 2, 429 Goldsworthy 621/2; 3, The Culls 62; 4, Curly’s Bar and Grill 581/2; 5, KWL Brokerage 581/2; 6, RJ’s Tire Factory 52; 7, Rocc’s 511/2; 8, Fore Players 47; 9, Northwest Autobody 441/2; 10, Country Rock Cafe 161/2.

Tuesday League, July 26

1, Pepsi Cola 701/2; 2, Legal Couriers 691/2; 3, First American Realtors 69; 4, PLSA 68; 5, Highlanders 64; 6, Get a Grip 571/2; 7, Stellar Industrial 551/2; 8, Morton’s Supply 55; 9, Pond Strikers 541/2; 10 (tie), Reeves Financial 54, PSE 54; 12, Artic Circle 511/2; 13, J.L. Thomas Construction 501/2; 14, Yakima Landlord Services 48; 15, Little Dutch Inn 46; 16, The Handicapped 44; 17, Bill’s Produce 421/2; 18, YTC 39.

WOMEN’S DIVISION

Least Putts, July 26

A Division — Gross: 1, Karin Kohls 32; 2, Lori Nulliner 33; 3, (tie) Pat Wehr 34, Karen Cooper 34.

B Division — Gross: 1, Carol Finney 33; 2, (tie) Grace Wagoner 34, Sue Morgenthaler 34, Sharon Anderson 34, Helen Wendt 34.

C Division — Gross: 1, Carol Hammermeister 32; 2, Barbara Desserault 34; 3, Vi Bond 35; 4, Bev Morgan 38.

Buckskin qualifier: Sharon Anderson 70.

COUPLES DIVISION

Friday League

Gross: 1, Don Brown-Celia Cobleigh 52. Net: 1, Chuck & Karin Kohls 37; 2, Rick & Marilyn Mason 39; 3, Ted & Lori Nulliner 40; 4, Rory Johnston-Hannah Cobleigh 42.

Parent Child Tourney

1, Mark & Max Turnquist 70; 2, (tie) Linda DeYoung-Alex Sloan 76, Sue & Darcy Dunbar 76.

Westwood West

MEN’S DIVISION

Wednesday League

Fatz 113, Helliesen Lumber 106, Footwedges 106, Tim Troy 96, 3-B’s 92, Green Attack 86, Shuel’s Lumber 85, Baughman Saw 82, 3-HC 62.

Thursday League

No Name 137, AB Transmission 119, Auto Care 111, Valley Lab 111, Westwood Wanna Bees 105, CH Robinson 100, Advance 96, Semo 95, Team Foreplay 92, All-Seasons 70.

Dog Days Tourney

First Flight — Gross: 1, Kevin Lick; 2, Cory King. Net: 1, Rob Dobrace; 2, Spike Adams.

Second Flight — Gross: 1, Rob Connelly; 2, Paul Grant. Net: 1, Roger Luttrell; 2, Bob Hartley.

WOMEN’S DIVISION

Beat Cory, July 20

Cory 321/2.

A Division: Paula Bush 32. C Division: Kathy DeMoss 31.

Yakima Country Club

COUPLES DIVISION

Scotch Ball, July 22

1, Bill & Pat Kile 38; 2, Zeb & Jan Lilja 41; 3, Mike & Robin Cole 42.

Yakima Elks

MEN’S DIVISION

July 20

4-Man Bestball: Ted Stone-Jack Carey-Tom Lovell-Jack Lovell 116; Mark Blore-Chris Schlect-Neal Schlect-Kurt Schlect 118.

2-Man Bestball — Gross: Don Capps-Ron Capps 70, Mark Blore-Neal Schlect 71, Jack VanVleck-John Jamieson 71, Mark Blore-Kurt Schlect 72, Mark Cuneo-Al Rouse 72. Net: Tom Lovell-Jack Lovell 57, John Jamieson-Jim Nichols 57, Ted Stone-Jack Lovell 58, Ted Stone-Jack Carey 59, Jack Lovell-Jack Carey 59, John Jamieson-Lee White 59.

Best 16, First Flight — Gross: Mark Blore 62. Net: Ron Donaldson 56.

Second Flight — Gross: Kurt Schlect 62. Net: Jim Nichols 49.

Third Flight — Gross: John Jamieson 69. Net: Ted Stone 54.

July 23

4-Man Bestball: Lee White-Jack VanVleck-Mark Mochel-Terry Matthews 125; Don Capps-Gary Hutchins-David Fast-Bruce Damaskos 127.

2-Man Bestball — Gross: Gary Hutchins-David Fast 67, Jack VanVleck-Mark Mochel 68, Gary Hutchins-Don Capps 68, Gary Hutchins-Bruce Damaskos 68. Net: Warren Fordyce-Harry Lazar 59, Neal Schlect-Harry Lazar 60, Denny Stone-Ted Stone 60, Denny Stone-Tim Speer 60, Jack VanVleck-Terry Matthews 60.

Either 9, First Flight — Gross: Gary Hutchins 32. Net: Tim Speer 281/2.

Second Flight — Gross: Terry Matthews 37. Net: Warren Fordyce 34.

Third Flight — Gross: Larry Lenz 42. Net: Ted Stone 33.

WOMEN’S DIVISION

T’s & F’s, July 21

A Flight: Shelly Yarbrough 351/2, Linda Plummer 36.

B Flight: Linda Stokes 35, Marge Oberlander 351/2.

C Flight: Evva Lange 331/2, Nyda Damaskas 35.

COUPLES DIVISION

Friday Night

Gross: Mike Melton-Susie DeShaw 38, Don Capps-Angela Galbreath 39, Dave Betzing-Pat Sugden 39. Net: Kody McDonnell-Flo Holm 29, Jim Breymeyer-Linda Paxton 301/4, Del Halker-Lois Schaap 313/4.

7/26/11 Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak photo gallery

 

Here is a photo gallery from Tuesday’s Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak Senior Legion state tournament game against Pacific Tech at Carlon Park in Selah.

Striking while hot

Smith pitches out of trouble as Pak top defending state champs||

SELAH — No offense to any of the birthday gifts D.J. Smith received on Tuesday, but nothing topped the prize he earned for himself and his Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak under the lights at Carlon Park.

Smith had that feeling before he threw one pitch.

“Playing the sport you love on your birthday — what could be better than that?,” Smith wondered. “There is no place I would’ve rather been tonight than up on that mound.”

And the Pak were sure glad to have him there.

Racking up 11 strikeouts and dousing numerous rally attempts by the defending champions, Smith wrestled through all nine innings and led Yakima Valley to a 6-3 victory over Pacific Tech on opening day of the Senior Legion state finals.

Pacific Tech had the tying run at the plate with two outs in the ninth inning when pitching coach Rob Archer paid Smith a visit.

“I told coach this game’s mine,” the Ellensburg grad said. “I still felt strong.”

“He said some other things,” Rob Archer added with a smile, “but it’s best to keep that between us.”

Given the opportunity to finish, Smith fanned Austin Wegdahl on a 3-2 pitch and pushed his postseason record to 4-0 over the last two seasons. The Longview-Kelso club managed 10 hits and four walks against the 6-foot-1 right-hander but stranded 12, including leaving the bases loaded in the second and fourth innings.

“I struggled with my off-speed pitches early and I got to where it was all about damage control,” Smith said. “But that’s where I’m a better pitcher than last year — I’m stronger mentally and I trust my defense more.”

The Pak spotted Smith a 3-0 lead in the first inning, a pace-setting spark that was created by Pac Tech’s lone error of the game. When Steve Wagar’s two-out, bases-loaded grounder to first was booted, a run scored and Lukas Hinton followed with a two-run single.

“We got a couple breaks and made the most of them, and D.J. pitched a great game,” said Pak head coach Mike Archer. “Their guy (lefty Josh Johnson) was tough — nothing above the knees — and it took great discipline to get what we got.”

Following his 12-strikeout effort in eight-plus innings against the Skagit Sox last week, Smith was in his grind-it-out best in the second inning when Pac Tech had the bases loaded with no outs and a run already in.

That run was scored on a bases-loaded walk, cutting the margin to 3-1 and pushing Smith’s rhythm to the edge. But two strikeouts and a groundout later and the 3-1 lead still stood.

“It wasn’t easy, but I knew this was a good-hitting, quality team and I knew I would be in some tough spots,” said Smith, who turned 19 on Tuesday. “It was a battle, but it’s probably the best birthday present I’ve ever had.”

Yakima Valley (28-15), winners of six straight and 11 of its last 12, faces Bellingham (36-10) in the winner’s bracket tonight at 7.

Pacific Tech 010 110 000 — 3 10 1

Yakima Valley 300 200 01x — 6 8 1

Johnson and Whitten; Smith and Finn.

Highlights: Garrett McCoy (PT) 3-4, 2b, run; Austin Wegdahl (PT) 2-5, 2b, RBI; Josh Johnson (PT) CG, 6 K, 5 BB; Tyler Gallaway (YV) 2-4, SB, 2 runs, RBI; Michael Wyatt (YV) 2-5, 2b, RBI; Cody McDonald (YV) 2-3, 2 runs; Lukas Hinton (YV) 2 RBI; D.J. Smith (YV) CG, 11 K, 4 BB.

 

Bellingham rocks Bandits

SELAH — John Albert, a Hawaii Pacific signee who was unbeaten for Sehome during the prep season, pitched a completed game and scored three runs as Bellingham rocked the Kennewick Bandits 14-4 in the Senior Legion state tournament on Tuesday at Carlon Park.

Albert shut out Kennewick for seven of the eight innings and struck out eight.

Bellingham’s offense backed Albert with 18 hits, including three from Bobby Funkhouser and Kyle Buckham.

Kennewick Bandits 000 004 00 — 4 11 2

Bellingham 430 020 41 — 14 18 1

Jackson and Wilz; Albert and Boyd.

Highlights: Austin Henderson (K) 3-4, run; Conner O’Neil (K) 2-4, 2b, 2 RBI; Bobby Funkhouser (B) 3-4, 2b, 2 runs; Kyle Buckham (B) 3-5, 2 runs; Zach Slesk (B) 2-5, 3b, run, 2 RBI; Logan Locker (B) 2-4, 2b, 2 runs, 2 RBI; John Albert (B) CG, 8 K, 2-4, 2b, 2 runs, 2 RBI.

SPOKANE BANDITS 6, TWIN CITY TITANS 4: Cameron Poland pitched a complete game and blanked the Titans over the final five innings. Blake Bozett scored the go-ahead run in the seventh and David McNeill tacked on an RBI double in the ninth.

Spokane Bandits 003 001 101 — 6 8 0

Twin City Titans 020 200 000 — 4 13 1

Poland and Muelheims; Anderson, Drury (7), Rapacz (9) and Turner.

Highlights: Blake Bozett (Spo) 2 runs, RBI; Kyle Peckham (Spo) 2-3; Gerhard Muelheims (Spo) 2-4, 2b, run; David McNeill (Spo) 2-5, 2b, RBI; Blake Raekes (TC) 3-5, run; A.J. Griffiths (TC) 3-5, run.

HANFORD 12, SPOKANE BLUE DEVILS 6: Colin Serkowski was a one-man wrecking crew for Hanford, throwing eight innings, while going 4 for 5 with four RBI at the plate. Hanford used a pair of five-run innings — the third and seventh — to take control.

Hanford 005 000 520 — 12 15 2

Spokane 101 100 030 — 6 7 1

Colin Serkowski, Garrison Becker (9) and Jake Browne; Kasey Sargent, Zach Erickson (3) and Parker Franklin.

Highlights: Finn McMichael (H) 2-5; Jake Browne (H) 2-5; Colin Serkowski (H) 8 IP, 4-5, 4 RBI.

TODAY’S GAMES

9 a.m. — Twin City Titans (50-9) vs. Spokane Blue Devils (30-18), loser out.

Noon — Kennewick Bandits (32-15) vs. Pacific Tech (21-22), loser out.

4 p.m. — Spokane Bandits (24-13) vs. Hanford Flames (23-22),

7 p.m. — Bellingham (36-10) vs. Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak (28-15).

Yakima offense sputters

Bears can’t deliver hits in the clutch||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Like all the Bears’ position players, Carter Bell knows what it takes to score runs. Like most if not all of them, he’s put in the work required to succeed in that regard.

Unfor-tunately for Yakima, however, he’s had precious little help of late in sufficient execution of a basic offensive game plan.

“Get ’em on, get ’em over, get ’em in,” Bell said Tuesday night after the Bears had once again too ineffectively followed that formula in a 6-3 loss to Tri-City. “We know what it takes. We put in the time and we have the guys to do it. We’re just not doing it right now.”

Bell, who had two of Yakima’s 10 hits, is hitting .321 and has driven in nine runs in his 13 Northwest League games, hastened to add perspective in light of the Bears having been swept in their three-game series by a combined count of 25-10.

“It’s a long season, and this was just the first game of the second half,” he said. “We can make the playoffs. That’s our goal, we’re battling to reach that goal and we’ll keep battling. That’s all we can do.”

Yakima’s challenge is no doubt greater in the absence of first baseman Jimmy Comerota, who was promoted last weekend to Class AA Mobile. The Bears had claimed their first road series of the year prior to his departure, but haven’t won since as an announced crowd of 1,575 at Yakima County Stadium saw them drop their fifth straight at home.

A night after going the final seven innings without a hit, Yakima was shut out over the first seven frames en route to a six-run deficit.

“It was a 6-3 game,” Bears manager Audo Vicente said, “but we didn’t have that many opportunities to score. We got a hit here and a hit there, but didn’t produce many opportunities.”

Yakima starter Alex Capaul, who pitched five scoreless innings in the Bears’ 4-0 win at Boise last Thursday, posted four goose eggs Tuesday, allowing just two hits.

But the Dust Devils used two singles, a sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly and a two-out single to score twice in the fifth. They followed with a two-out double and single for another run an inning later, which was Capaul’s last.

In the seventh, Adam Osteen’s first pitch hit Tyler Featherston, which proved ominous as Tri-City would score three times on three hits, a walk and three wild pitches before Sammy De Los Santos came on to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Yakima (13-26 overall) got on the board in the bottom of the frame via back-to-back one-out singles by Steve Rodriguez and Kerry Jenkins, a passed ball that moved each runner up a base, and Raul Navarro’s run-scoring groundout.

The run was unearned because of the catcher’s miscue.

Successive one-out hits by Tyler Bream, Rodriguez and Jenkins — the latter an RBI double — added a run in the ninth and David Narodowski’s groundout produced another.

The Bears, however, finished 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

Rodriguez and Jenkins joined Bell in the multi-hit column while Zach Jones, whose 14-game hitting streak ended Monday, failed to reach base for the first time in 24 games.

Navarro was removed from the game with one out in the top of the eighth with what Vicente described as a possible leg injury.

“It’s the first game of the second half,” he said, “so we don’t want someone to go down for two or three weeks.”

Leadoff hitter Brian Humphries was 2 for 5 with two RBI in support of starting pitcher Tyler Gagnon (six innings, five hits, no runs) to lead the first-half division champion Dust Devils (23-16 overall), who have won five straight.

No Battle in Seattle for Wildcats this year

Scheduling conflict forces postponement, but Central expects series to resume in 2012||

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — While there will not be a ninth Battle in Seattle for Central Washington’s football team this season, CWU athletic director Jack Bishop said the program’s annual trips to the Emerald City will continue.

Bishop said Tuesday that a scheduling conflict has resulted in cancellation of next season’s game with Western Oregon at CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, but added that he fully expects Central’s absence from Seattle to be only a one-year deal.

Also, he said, Central will likely play in both Seattle and Portland during the 2012 season.

“This was just something that we couldn’t overcome regarding this season,” Bishop said. “What happened was we had the date (Oct. 8) contractually, but we had to move if there was an issue with either the Seahawks or Sounders. It turned out that the Sounders had to make a change and we couldn’t play there on any other date.”

The Battle in Seattle should resume in 2012, Bishop said. And since CWU and Western Oregon play twice each season, he said the Wolves are hoping to host the Wildcats next year at JELD-WEN Field, home of pro soccer’s Portland Timbers.

“That’s a tentative plan,” Bishop said.

This year, Central will play Western Oregon on its home field at Tomlinson Stadium on Oct. 8.

The Battle in Seattle began in 2003 with CWU meeting archrival Western Washington for six consecutive years. The games averaged 12,392 fans, but the Vikings dropped football after the 2008 season and Central has played Western Oregon to crowds of less than half that number the past two years leading some to speculate that the Seattle series would end.

Last year Central also played Eastern Washington in Seattle at what was then known as Qwest Field, and Wildcats coach Blaine Bennett had expressed hope that the game would become an annual event.

An announced group of 6,142 watched CWU fall 35-32 to the eventual Football Championship Subdivision national champions, coached by former CWU quarterback, assistant coach and head coach Beau Baldwin, but the programs have thus far been unable to schedule a rematch.

“It’s been a challenge to keep the Battle in Seattle since Western Washington dropped football,” Bennett said. “Western was a natural, given the history and the rivalry. But to look at the positives for this year, it gives us another home game at Central, and by Oct. 8 with the students here and football in the air, it should be a great atmosphere.”

The Wildcats are scheduled to open their season on Sept. 2 against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Pak at Its Peak: Yakima Valley surges into state finals

YAKIMA, Wash. — Less than three weeks ago, Yakima Valley’s Senior Legion baseball team was not in a good place either mentally or on the field.

In need of a healthy reboot, the Pepsi Pak found it in Oregon. And the timing couldn’t have been better.

On July 5-6, just when the postseason was coming into focus, Yakima Valley was thoroughly humbled in a four-game league series with the Kennewick Bandits, who outscored the Pak 28-2 with 40 hits.

“Even good teams during a long season have a lull sometimes, and on those days Kennewick hammered us,” said Pak coach Mike Archer. “We had some weaknesses exposed and we weren’t as good mentally as we needed to be.”

The next day, Yakima Valley was in Clackamas, Ore., for a tournament and the switch has been flipped ever since — the Pak has won five straight and 10 of 11 heading into today’s American Legion state finals at Carlon Park.

Coming off regional wins over the Skagit Sox and Spokane Bandits, Yakima Valley will take the field at 7 p.m. today against defending state champion Pacific Tech of Longview.

“After eight league games in a row the guys got a chance to relax a little when we headed off to Clackamas,” noted Archer, whose team went 5-0 in Oregon. “That’s a good, solid tournament and we played well. We worked hard on our short game, got guys in motion and got back on a roll.”

Back at home, the Pak then won three out of four against the Yakima Pepsi Beetles to close out the regular season. With only three home dates this month, Yakima Valley was more than happy to host one of the four regionals last week and the Pak responded well to keep its momentum going.

Quick to set the pace, the Pak pounced on Skagit for five runs in the second inning and hit the Spokane Bandits for three runs in the first inning.

“When it’s playoff time,” Archer said, “you’re rejuvenated.”

A majority of the team is new to the state experience, but pitching-staff anchors D.J. Smith and Lukas Hinton — who combined for 21 strikeouts in last week’s regional wins — were instrumental in the Pak reaching last year’s final four.

Smith, in fact, pitched into the ninth inning of both his postseason wins last summer, and Hinton was the quarterfinal starter.

“We’ve been pitching well and, for the most part, playing good defense lately,” added Archer, whose team has allowed fewer than four runs a game since the Kennewick series.

Like all state tournaments, pitching depth matters most and after the aces comes the trio of Steve Wagar, Hugo Lemus and Trevor Hunter, who could all see crucial innings later in the week.

Last year with the same five-day format, the average team score for the first two days was 6.7. For the last three days it nearly doubled to 11.3.

Scouting for the final eight won’t pose a problem for Yakima Valley since half of the teams are from the Central Washington League and it’s played both Spokane squads — the Blue Devils twice in June and the Bandits last week.

The Twin City Titans, winners of two state titles since 2005, are gunning for a third with a 50-8 record and three tournament titles to their credit this summer. The Titans became the first Legion team in 15 years to win the 12-team Brandy Pugh Tournament in Bellevue.

Two of Twin City’s losses, however, came at the hands of the Pak in a CWL sweep in Selah on June 8.

“It’s good to be home and playing in front of our fans,” said Archer, whose program is in the second year of a three-year deal to host the finals. “We bring a lot of people out, and I think it’ll be another great tournament.”

The state champion, who will be decided on Saturday, advances to the Northwest Regional in Billings, Mont., on Aug. 4-8. The World Series will be held in Shelby, N.C., on Aug. 12-16.

State Legion Tournament Snapshot

TODAY’S GAMES

At Carlon Park, Selah

Game 1: Spokane Bandits vs. Twin City Titans, 9 a.m.

Game 2: Kennewick Bandits vs. Bellingham, noon.

Game 3: Hanford Flames vs. Spokane Blue Devils, 4 p.m.

Game 4: Pacific Tech vs. Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak, 7 p.m.

Note: A full bracket and in-game, play-by-play updates can be found on the Washington State American Legion website at www.wa-alb.org/

 

TOURNAMENT INFO

Tickets: $7 per day adults, $5 students, $4 seniors. Children under 12 and active military are free.

Games: Nine innings. Ten-rule employed after seven innings.

 

THE FIELD

Bellingham

Coach: Donny Hennigs.

Record: 35-10 (NW League 13-3, 1st).

Regional results: def. Hanford Flames 6-2; d. Centralia Sobe-Toyota Lizards 10-0.

Notable: Tanner Olson (Ferndale) and John Albert (Sehome) combined to throw 15 shutout innings in back-to-back complete games in the Chehalis regional. Ben Wilson (Sehome) homered in the first game and had two RBI in each. Bellingham won its league title by three games over Lakeside Recovery.

 

Hanford Flames

Coach: Tom DeWitz.

Record: 22-22 (CW League 9-11, 4th).

Regional results: lost to Bellingham 6-2; def. Spokane Cannons 16-8; def. Centralia Sobe-Toyota Lizards 8-6.

Notable: With only Hanford High School players, the Flames were 9-11 in league to claim the final postseason berth. Hanford pounded out 25 hits in back-to-back loser-out games in the Chehalis regional. Trailed the Spokane Cannons 7-2 after five, then scored 14 runs in the next three innings.

 

Kennewick Bandits

Coach: Bryan Winston.

Record: 32-14 (CW League 15-5, 2nd).

Regional results: lost to Spokane Blue Devils 10-5; def. Tacoma Cobras 10-0; def. Lakeside Recovery 8-5.

Notable: After dropping its regional opener, Stetson Plew (Kennewick) pitched a two-hit shutout to oust the Cobras and Trek Stemp (Kennewick) and Bryce Jackson (Southridge) had two extra-base hits each to knock out Lakeside. Stemp, a senior-to-be, is headed to the Area Code games next month.

 

Pacific Tech

Coach: Grady Tweit.

Record: 21-21 (SW League 9-6, 3rd).

Regional results: def. Bellevue 20-10; lost to Twin City Titans 11-9; def. Pullman Patriots 16-5.

Notable: The defending state champs traveled to the Colfax regional for the second year in a row and scored 45 runs in three games. Tech overcame an eight-game losing streak, including a 0-5 showing at Brady Pugh, and third-place finish in league behind non-qualifiers Poulsbo and Centralia.

 

Spokane Bandits

Coach: Bobby Carlson.

Record: 23-13 (NE League 16-4, 1st).

Regional results: def. Franklin Pierce Cardinals 8-2; lost to Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak 8-6; def. Skagit Sox 4-2.

Notable: There’s enough left over from last year, when the Bandits averaged 12 runs in six games here, to make the Spokane league champs a big threat again. LHP Sage Poland (Corban Univ.) and David Machtolf (Ferris) combined for 12 shutout innings in the regional wins.

 

Spokane Blue Devils

Coach: Tony Byrne.

Record: 30-17 (NE League 13-7, 2nd).

Regional results: def. Kennewick Bandits 10-5; def. Lakeside Recovery 3-2.

Notable: Blue Devils finished tied for second in league three games off pace but used solid pitching to go 2-0 in the Bellevue regional. Beat Kennewick twice in July, including jumping ahead 9-0 after three in the regional opener. Nick Bettinson, a senior-to-be at Shadle Park, is the ace.

 

Twin City Titans

Coach: Pete Marquez.

Record: 50-8 (CW League 17-3, 1st).

Regional results: def. Pullman Patriots 3-0; def. Pacific Tech Longview 11-9.

Notable: The Titans have the record and the pedigree to be the favorite, having won their league title and the Brandy Pugh Tournament earlier this month. In the Colfax regional, Garrett Anderson (Kamiakin) pitched a two-hit shutout vs. Pullman and Zach Rapacz (Richland) homered with four RBI vs. Pac Tech.

 

Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak

Coach: Mike Archer.

Record: 27-15 (CW League 11-9, 3rd).

Regional results: def. Skagit Sox 9-4; def. Spokane Bandits 8-6.

Notable: D.J. Smith (Ellensburg-Spokane CC) and Lukas Hinton (West Valley) combined for 21 strikeouts in their regional starts, and Kurt Lindemann (Selah) was 4 for 7 with four runs and four RBI. The Pak won two tournaments this summer, placed second at Reno and comes in winning 10 of 11.

— Scott Spruill

Yakima Bears lose lead, game to cap first half of season

YAKIMA, Wash. — In the bottom of the second inning Monday night, Bears second baseman Danny Pulfer dug in against Tri-City starter Ricardo Ferrer, got his pitch and, as the saying goes, didn’t miss it.

His second homer of the season, a drive that carried well beyond the left field wall at Yakima County Stadium, gave Yakima a three-run lead and momentum.

Neither would last, however.

Against the Dust Devils, freshly-minted first-half divisional champions, the Bears managed just one more hit after Pulfer’s long ball — and none over the final seven innings — en route to a 9-3 defeat before an announced crowd of 1,348.

“At that point, I thought we had it going,” Pulfer said after his second-inning blast. “We were hitting the ball hard, Kudryk (Bears starter Adam) was pitching great and we seemed to be in good shape. After that … that’s the way our season’s gone, I guess.”

The good news for Yakima and its fans is that for all practical purposes, the season to which Pulfer ruefully referred has concluded.

Having hit the halfway mark of the Northwest League’s 76-game schedule, the Bears will take the field for tonight’s series finale with a clean slate and that promises to be a good feeling for a team that had gone 13-25.

Meaning Yakima won five fewer first-half games than last year’s team, a group that galvanized for a 25-13 second half and the franchise’s first Northwest League playoff berth since 2000.

“Right now there are some frustrations here and tension is high,” Pulfer said. “It’s not easy to have a good at bat late in a game when you’re down six. But what you have to do in that situation is just try to improve one at bat at a time. We just have to keep grinding.”

Yakima’s big second inning started with David Narodowski’s leadoff single, after which Tyler Bream hammered an opposite-field single off the right-field wall that moved Narodowski to third.

After Kerry Jenkins’ fielder’s-choice grounder scored Narodowski and erased Bream, the Bears’ No. 9 hitter Pulfer-ized Ferrer’s offering, one could say.

But Kudryk, after retiring his first seven hitters, allowed three successive one-out singles to load the bases in the top of the third.

Jeffrey Squier then pulled a shot down the third base line that Narodowski made a diving stop of, then threw away for a two-base error that allowed two runs to score. A tying run scored on a groundout.

Kudryk then was within an out of completing the sixth, but walked successive hitters which, combined with a one-out single, filled the bases.

Greg Robinson was summoned and, on a 1-1 pitch, saw No. 9 hitter Richard Pirkle pump a triple into the right-center field gap for a 6-3 Tri-City lead.

The Dust Devils made it 8-3 in the eighth on a two-run triple by Blake McDade — the third three-bagger yielded by Robinson in two innings of work.

Tri-City (22-16) tacked on a run in the ninth off Drew Zizinia via Taylor Featherston’s two-out, RBI single.

Pirkle paced the Devils with three hits and three runs batted in. His Yakima catching counterpart, Zach Jones, was 0 for 3 to snap a league-best 14-game hitting streak, though a second-inning walk extended the consecutive number of games in which he has reached base to 23.

Carter Bell, who hit .313 with nine RBI through his first 12 games with the Bears, was given the night off.

 

Next game

Opponent: Tri-City Dust Devils.

When, where: 7:05 p.m. today, Yakima County Stadium.

Radio/Internet: KUTI (1460)/yakimabears.com

Probable pitchers: Yakima RHP Alex Capaul (1-0, 2.05) vs. Tri-City RHP Tyler Gagnon (0-1, 3.67).

 

Notes

FIELD OF DRAINS: Drainage has never been a strong suit of Yakima County Stadium, nor has it often been a factor in Northwest League games given the Valley’s arid climate.

Because of Monday’s heavy thundershowers, however, Bears groundskeeper Trevor Heilman and his crew had to spread drying agent along the basepaths, around home plate and also do some work on the pitcher’s mound in preparation for the evening’s game with Tri-City.

Said Jared Jacobs, the team’s director of stadium operations, “There was awhile this morning when I was wondering whether we’d be able to play. But since the rain stopped, the sun came out and the breeze came up, we’ll be fine.”

Yakima’s most recent rainout came in 2004. Two seven-inning contests were played the next day.

 

ANOTHER ARM: Yiomar Camacho, a 21-year-old right-hander, has been added to Yakima’s pitching staff.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound native of Santa Teresa del Tuy, Venezuela was signed as a free agent in 2008. He had pitched previously this season with the Diamondbacks’ Arizona League affiliate (2-3, 1.38 ERA in six starts) and at advanced Class A Visalia (five earned runs in three innings in one start).

 

ADVANCE AT YOUR OWN RISK: Bears left fielder Marc Bourgeois doesn’t claim to have a cannon for an arm, but he’s nonetheless compiled six outfield assists this season, tops in the Northwest League even though he’s played only 17 games in the outfield.

“I don’t have the strongest arm, but I’ve always been pretty accurate,” said Bourgeois, who bats left-handed but throws right-handed and cut down two Tri-City basrunners at second base Sunday night.

Both assists Sunday came on hits into the left-field corner that the runners thought would go for doubles. Bourgeois, however, has practiced playing the caroms off the wall and reached the ball quickly in each instance.

On the second play, Bourgeois’ throw arrived so quickly that the runner didn’t have a chance to slide.

“It’s just a matter of preparation,” he said. “Preparation and lots of practice.”

— Roger Underwood

 

Box score

 Dust Devils 9, Bears 3

Tri-City Yakima

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Shphrd cf 4 1 1 0 Moss cf 5 0 1 0

Squier 2b 5 0 0 1 Navarro ss 3 0 1 0

Reyes lf 5 1 2 1 Jones c 3 0 0 0

Langfels 3b 5 0 1 0 Bourgeois lf 3 0 0 0

Crousset rf 5 1 2 0 Weber dh 4 0 0 0

Ballard dh 4 1 0 0 Nrdwski 3b 3 1 1 0

Feathrstn ss 4 2 2 1 Bream 1b 3 0 1 0

McDade 1b 4 2 2 2 Jenkins rf 4 1 0 1

Pirkle c 4 1 3 3 Pulfer 2b 3 1 1 2

Totals 40 9 13 8 Totals 31 3 5 3

Tri-City 003 003 021 — 9

Yakima 030 000 000 — 3

E—Narodowski. LOB—Tri-City 8, Yakima 8. 2B—Pirkle. 3B—Reyes, McDade. HR—Pulfer. Sac—Shepherd. CS—Moss.

IP H R ER BB SO

Tri-City

Ferrer W,1-3 5 5 3 3 3 1

Ballard 2 0 0 0 1 5

Gonzalez 2 0 0 0 1 1

Yakima

Kudryk L,1-4 5 2-3 6 6 4 2 5

Robinson 2 4 2 2 1 3

Zizinia 1 1-3 3 1 1 0 4

WP—Kudryk 2, Zizinia. HBP—Bourgeois (by Ferrer), Navarro (by Ballard). Umpires—Paul Clemens, Sean Ryan. T—2:45. A—1,348.

 

Standings

 

East Division

W L Pct. GB

Tri-City (Rockies) 22 16 .579 —

Spokane (Rangers) 20 18 .526 2

Boise (Cubs) 17 21 .447 5

Yakima (D’backs) 13 25 .342 9

West Division

W L Pct. GB

Eugene (Padres) 24 14 .632 —

Vancouver (Blue Jays) 24 14 .632 —

Everett (Mariners) 16 22 .421 8

Salem-Keizer (Giants) 16 22 .421 8

Monday’s results

Spokane 8, Boise 2

Everett 4, Eugene 2

Salem-Keizer 10, Vancouver 6

Tri-City 9, Yakima 3

Today’s games

Salem-Keizer at Vancouver, 1:05 p.m.

Spokane at Boise, 6:15 p.m.

Everett at Eugene, 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City at Yakima, 7:05 p.m.

Hindoo Basin hemlock finds spot among the biggest

YAKIMA, Wash. — To locals with a historical bent, the Hindoo Basin is a place rife with mystery and intrigue dating back to the disappearance and death of its namesake, a sheepherder known as “Hindoo John,” more than a century ago.

To Mike Hiler, for years the Hindoo Basin — in a rugged, remote area of the William O. Douglas Wilderness near Rattlesnake Peak, southeast of Bumping Lake — was primarily where that big ol’ mountain hemlock was.

“I don’t remember who told me about it. The Wilderness rangers all knew about it, that it was up there,” said Hiler, a retired Forest Service resources specialist. “I camped near it in the mid-’80s and went over and tried to put my arms around the trunk. I always knew I’d get back to it, but it’s a long day’s hike in there and a long day out, and I just never had the time.”

Since retiring from a career in the Forest Service, though, Hiler has found the time to write a book, “Buckskin Larch and Bedrock,” that tells poetic tales of Yakima backcountry folklore and natural history. He has also found more time to learn more about such things as the National Register of Big Trees.

Hiler thought that Hindoo Basin mountain hemlock just might find a home there, provided he could find the time to make the nine-hour hike — each way — into the Hindoo Basin to take the necessary measurements.

As it turned out, that time came in 2008, when Hiler’s son Matt graduated from law school in Minnesota and returned to Yakima.

“He said he wanted to go on a hike, and I said ‘I got just the hike for you,’” Mike Hiler recalled. “I’ve tried to talk other friends into going, but it’s a hard hike. For people who hike Rattlesnake Peak, you have to go down the MJB Trail (No. 1101), then up Rattlesnake Peaks, then you’ve got to somehow get into the Little Hindoo … it’s a hard-work hike.

“We could go up there this afternoon,” he told a reporter with a little smile, “but we wouldn’t be back ’til Thursday.” He was speaking on a Monday.

That the tree was still standing was a stroke of providence. In 2006, a large wildfire burned to within 50 feet of the mountain hemlock, and Hiler and his son found burned stalks stand just a stone’s throw away. The big hemlock, though, remained unscathed.

They measured the tree circumference (more than 26 feet), height (roughly 80 feet) and crown spread, and sent in their findings to American Forests, the nonprofit conservation organization that oversees the register. Then they had to do it a second time, to ensure that their measuring devices and determinations met with the organization’s standards.

Finally, earlier this year, American Forests ratified the Hilers’ findings. And in the next print version of the National Register of Big Trees — or online now (www.americanforests.org/2011/07/tsuga-mertensiana-3/) — you can read all about the the country’s largest mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana).

Yes, it’s the one that towers over the Hindoo Basin, where “Hindoo John” disappeared in 1896, the same year in which — according to Gretta Gossett’s “Beyond the Bend” history — more than 1,000 of the sheep he was tending went over a cliff and perished. (Hindoo John’s body was found a year later by a couple of young fishermen, under the mass of rotting sheep flesh, the victim of their apparent stampede.)

Mike Hiler is gratified to see the tree immortalized in the register, for recognition in which numerous big-tree enthusiasts expend years of searching, measuring and studying trees.

But Hiler isn’t really one of them.

“I know there are big-tree nerds,” Hiler says. “It takes all kinds, I guess.

“But I don’t plan on being more big-tree nerdish than I already am.”

 

Washington well represented in Register

For the record, the mountain hemlock Mike Hiler and his son, Matt Hiler, brought to the attention of the people behind the National Register of Big Trees is one of 31 Washington trees on the register.

Not surprisingly, seven of the 31 are within the Olympic National Park. Three more are in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Yakima County has had at least three trees on the register over the years, including a mountain alder at Clear Lake (since replaced by one in the Blue Mountains of the Umatilla National Forest) and a western larch in the Pleasant Valley off Highway 410 (since replaced by a tree in Montana.

Besides the Hindoo Basin hemlock and the Gifford Pinchot trio, the nearest “record” trees in the national register are a black cottonwood in Cowlitz County and a subalpine larch in Chelan County.

 

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