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WELCOME TO WEST VALLEY BASEBALL! Our new fields are taking shape. Please check out the scrapbook link (under the TEAM menu item at the top) to view pictures of the construction process.
REVISED SUMMER SCHEDULES
Please scrap all previous summer schedules and print the latest revision. There have been some changes to both teams' schedules.
THE OLD FIELD IS GOING AWAY...
With the construction of the new fields nearly complete, the last game on the old high school baseball field has been played. West Valley hosted East Valley of Spokane on May 10 in a loser out game and came away victorious with the 11-0 win. It was a great way to send out the old field in grand fashion. The 2010 season will not only be remembered as the last on the old field, but also a quite successful season as well with the Rams advancing to the state round of 16 before losing in the first round to a very talented Camas team. This is a team photo of the last school team to play on the storied field.
 standing left to right: Tyler Ueltschi, Nick Gravbrot, Eric Dusin, Konnor Wyckoff, Gil Plath, Jake Vetsch, Tanner Edler, Lukas Hinton, Tyler Gallaway, Jake Nell, Cody McDonald, Steven Wagar
kneeling left to right: Derek Thomason, Garrett Olson, Casey Croshaw, Colby Patnode, Steven Hillier, Josh Owens
Camas Muscles Past WVMay 23, 2010 by Roger Underwood (as printed in the Yakima Herald Republic YAKIMA, Wash. — Klayton Wyckoff is well-versed in both baseball and coaching, since he played for the same West Valley program he has led for past nine years. And he realizes that a team’s fate is sometimes sealed by factors over which it has no control. Such as Saturday’s first-round Class 3A state tournament game at Yakima County Stadium, in which the Rams were overrun 13-2 by Camas. “They’re big, they’re strong and they’re athletic,” Wyckoff said of the sixth-ranked Papermakers, who ended West Valley’s season at 17-10. “Those are things you can’t coach. You can make them better baseball players, which they obviously have done, too. They’re just a really good team.” 
West Valley High School's Tyler Gallaway singles out in a May 22, 2010 game against Camas High School which West Valley lost 13-2. (Gordon King/Yakima Herald-Republic) Good enough to have pounded out 14 hits off four WV pitchers, including two-run homers by Kurt Yinger and Drew Drlik. Yinger’s was an opposite-field, wind-blown blow that wrapped around the right-field foul pole at the 293 foot mark, but Drlik’s was a shot that cleared the wall in left-center despite bucking a strong left-to-right crosswind. The latter blast also ignited a six-run second inning for Camas (18-7), which scored in every frame but the first, and each starter had at least one hit and scored at least one run. Pitcher Taylor Williams, meanwhile, scattered seven hits while striking out six. Over one span through the early innings the senior right-hander threw 17 consecutive strikes, and he also capped Camas’ scoring with a two-run single in the fifth. West Valley had a chance to score first, however. Leadoff singles by Tyler Gallaway and Casey Croshaw were followed by Gilbert Plath’s fly to center that was lost in the sun. Camas’ Derek Atkinson recovered quickly, though, and his relay to the second baseman and then to the catcher got Gallaway at the plate. The Rams did get on the board in the third on Garrett Olsen’s two-run double to the gap in left-center, and West Valley loaded the bases in the sixth but didn’t score. “We battled,” Wyckoff said. “We had our chances. But one of the things we talked about was that in a game like this against a quality opponent like this you have to stay away from the big inning, and they put up six on us.” Ultimately, Wyckoff said, the Rams were simply beaten by a superior opponent as evidenced by Camas’ later 5-3 defeat of Ferndale that sends the Papermakers to the state semifinals next Saturday at Safeco Field. But also, West Valley was a team that had clearly overachieved. “Credit to them,” he said, “there’s no doubt in my mind that they were the better team. But we had a great season, too. “To be two games away from Safeco Field again (West Valley finished third last season) is saying something, especially for a team that had two position players and one pitcher back from the year before. This team did some very impressive things.” Camas 13, West Valley 2 West Valley 002 000 0 — 2 7 3 Wyckoff, Vetsch (2), Wagar (5), Hinton (6) and Dusin; Williams and Drlik. Highlights: Tyler Gallaway (WV) 2-4; Garrett Olsen (WV) 1-3, 2b, 2 RBI; Gilbert Plath (WV) 1-3; Steven Wagar (WV) 1-3, 2b; Jacob Nell (WV) 1-3; Caleb Malychewski (C) 3-5; Derek Atkinson (C) 3-5, 2 RBI; Taylor Williams (C) 2-4, 2 RBI; Kurt Yinger (C) HR, 2 RBI; Drew Drlik (C) HR, 2 RBI RAMS WIN TWICE TO ADVANCE TO THE STATE TOURNAMENT
Facing Shadle Park in a 10:00 am loser out game, the Rams came out strong and scored 3 in the first and never looked back en route to the 16-2 win over Shadle Park. The win now puts the Rams in the 4:00 pm game against the loser of the Hanford-Mt. Spokane game at 1:00 pm.
Against Shadle, pitcher Jake Vetsch did exactly what was needed, and that was eat up innings. Vetsch threw a complete game, striking out 10 with only 2 walks while allowing only 5 hits. The senior pitcher has now thrown 3 complete games in his last 4 starts, averaging 10 strikeouts per complete game. "Jake just went out there and did his thing. He keeps the ball down and changes speeds well and really understands what it means to pitch. He's not just a thrower but a pitcher," said Wyckoff.
With Hanford upsetting 3rd-ranked Mt. Spokane, the stage was set for a rematch with the Wildcats who had beaten the Rams less than 24 hours earlier and the Rams were up for the challenge. "One thing we had talked about is that the spokane league doesn't play doubleheaders, and in our league, we play doubleheaders every Tuesday and Friday so it's nothing new to us. In addition, it was about 85 degrees and Mt. Spokane had just lost a tough game to Hanford and they had to turn right around and play us," said Wyckoff. "Our goal going in was to put the pressure on early and see if they could respond. We scored 4 runs in the first and 4 more in the 2nd to go up 8-0 and that was all we would need to lock it up."
Offensively for the Rams, Plath, Lukas Hinton, and Jacob Nell all had 2 hits for the Rams. Starter Lukas Hinton threw a complete game with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks.
The Rams now advance to the state round of 16 next Saturday against Camas with game time at 2:00 pm at Yakima County Stadium. This will be the Rams' 2nd straight state appearance and 15th in school history.
RAMS DROP SUB-REGIONAL OPENER TO MT. SPOKANE
At 17 wins and 3 losses, Mt. Spokane entered the tournament as the heavy favorite and they didn't disappoint in their 6-0 blanking of the Rams Friday night at Hanford High School. Carson Blumenthal worked out of a few jams to preserve the shutout and send the Wildcats into the title game against Hanford, which beat Shadle Park 14-0 Friday night. The Wildcats and Falcons will play at 1:00 pm for the #1 seed to state while West Valley and Shadle will play at 10:00 am in a loser out contest.
For the Rams, Gilbert Plath managed 2 hits off of Mt. Spokane's ace as the Rams could only manage 5 hits total. However, the Rams did leave 7 runners in scoring position. "One or 2 hits in crucial situations and the outcome of that game could have been much different," said Rams Coach Klayton Wyckoff, "but give Blumenthal and his team credit for making the pitches and the plays when it counted the most. That was one of the most complete high school teams I've seen in a very long time."
The Rams will play Shadle Park Saturday morning in a loser out contest at 10:00 am. If they win, they'll play the loser of the Hanford-Mt. Spokane game at 4:00 pm to decide the 2nd and final seed to the state tournament.
RAMS DEFEAT EAST VALLEY SPOKANE, MOVE ON TO REGIONAL FINALS
In a game that started slowly in blistery wind conditions and with the Rams up 1-0 on Cody McDonald's 2-strike, RBI single in the bottom of the 2nd, the Rams erupted in the 5th inning by scoring 7 runs and then adding 3 more in the 6th on their way to the 11-0 win over East Valley of Spokane. In the big inning, the Rams had 8 hits. The big blow came when East Valley's starter Frederick loaded the bases on 3 hits and they brought in their hard throwing senior Awberry. "Big kid, about 6'4" and 195 pounds and throwing hard," said Coach Klayton Wyckoff. "But we tend to like the fastball more than those darn lefties who give us fits." Garrett Olson promptly lined a 2-run double to the gap in right center field. Steven Wagar followed with a 2-run single, Gil Plath had an RBI single, Lukas Hinton had an RBI double, and Jacob Nell rounded out the inning's scoring by hitting his 2nd single of the inning and driving in the 7th run.
The Rams tacked on 3 more runs in the 6th with Gil Plath hitting a 2-run double in the inning.
"Pitching and defense were huge tonight," said Wyckoff. "Vetsch was outstanding. We were going to pull him in the 5th but decided to let him go one more inning. He quickly got 2 outs but he was getting tired and loaded the bases." Steven Wagar came in and got the strike out to end the inning. Then Wagar struck out the side, sandwiched around a hit batter, to end the game.
Offensively for the Rams, every Rams starter had at least one hit. Casey Croshaw, Plath, and Nell each finished with 2 hits each.
Vetsch and Wagar combined on a 6-hitter with 13 strikeouts.
The Rams now travel to Hanford for the finals of the GSL/Big 9 regional tournament. The Rams play Mt. Spokane at 5:00 and Hanford plays Shadle Park at 7:30.
RAMS TOP SUNNYSIDE, LOSE TO HANFORD IN DISTRICT TITLE GAME
In game one against Sunnyside, the Rams scored 6 runs in the first inning and 15 in the 2nd inning en route to the 22-0 win over the Grizzlies in the loser out game. The Rams pounded out 23 hits in the game, 7 of which went for extra bases. Garrett Olson was 4 for 5 with a 3-run home run, Ty Gallaway was 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, Gil Plath 3 for 3, Lukas Hinton 3 for 4 with 2 doubles, Jacob Nell 2 for 5 with a double and 4 RBI, and Eric Dusin was 2 for 2.
Jake Vetsch, Tyler Ueltschi, and Colby Patnode combined to 1-hit Sunnyside in the 7 inning game.
In the district title game, it was a classic pitcher's dual with Konnor Wyckoff and Dan Shiebe going head to head for the district championship. In the 5th inning, Hanford got a leadoff single by Sanders just out of the reach of the 2nd baseman and was bunted to 2nd by Ruane. Leadoff hitter Manderback also reached on a single just over the head of the first baseman to put runners on first and 3rd with one out. "Defensively, we had already turned 3 double plays. And then with runners on first and 3rd, their 2 hole hitter Synoground hit a ground ball to 2nd that wasn't hit quite hard enought for us to complete the double play and the run scored and that was all the scoring," said Coach Klayton Wyckoff.
In the 7th, the Rams made it interesting when Gil Plath led off with a double to the gap in right center. Lukas Hinton did his job by hitting a ball to the right side to move Gil to 3rd base with one out, but Shiebe did his thing and struck out the following 2 batters to end the game and give Hanford their first district title since 1991. "Congratulations to Hanford on the win, but this season is far from over. We've been here before and have guys who have played in big games. We just need to get by Tuesday's loser out game and then anything can happen," said Wyckoff.
The Rams return to action Tuesday as they host East Valley of Spokane in a loser out game. RAMS DROP 2 TO LEAGUE CHAMP RICHLAND
Zach Rapasz tripled to lead off the bottom of the 7th and Corey Morris drove him in with a 1-out single as Richland won game one 3-2 and then cruised to the 10-0 game 2 win over the visiting Rams. With the wins, the Bombers clinched a tie with Eastmont at the top of the league and the losses dropped the Rams to a tie for 3rd with Hanford and Kamiakin.
In game one, Rams starter Konnor Wyckoff had a 2-hitter going through 5 innings but came out at the beginning of the 6th due to a pre-determined pitch count. "It's unfortunate that we end the season playing a 4A team. We have a district tournament coming up Saturday and these games really mean nothing to us as a 3A team. We talked about this as a team and decided that Saturday was much more important so we decided that we would not overextend any of our pitchers so that everyone is ready to go on Saturday," said Coach Klayton Wyckoff whose Rams fell to 13-7 to conclude the regular season.
The Rams scored 2 runs in the first as Tyler Gallaway and Casey Croshaw both singled to start the game. With one out, Steven Wagar hit a 2-run double to put the Rams up 2-0 but that was all the scoring. Richland scored a single run in the 3rd, in the 5th, and in the 7th for the 3-2 win.
In game 2, it was all Richland as their starting pitcher Fuller threw a 5-inning no hitter, allowing only 2 base runners via walks. Rams starter Lukas Hinton threw 4 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits before being pulled again due to his pitch count limit. "I am not taking anything away from Richland because they are obviously a very good team, but it just doesn't make sense that we are playing a 4A team on the last day of the regular season. They have a league title on the line, as does Eastmont, and yet I have the luxury of pulling our starting pitchers to rest them for the weekend. Teams like Richland and Eastmont can't do that," said Wyckoff.
The Rams now travel to Hanford for a 3-team district tournament on Saturday. The Rams will play Sunnyside at 11:00 am in a loser out game and the winner of that will face Hanford for the #1 and #2 seeds to the combined GSL/Big 9 regional tournament that starts on Tuesday.
RAMS RALLY IN GAME 2 TO COMPLETE SWEEP OVER CHIAWANA
Steven Wagar's 2-run double in the top of the 7th of game 2 capped a wild game and completed the Rams' sweep of Chiawana at Pasco.
In game 1, Jakob Vetsch threw a complete game with 10 strikeouts, 1 walk, 4 hits, and 2 runs as the Rams were in command the entire game en route to the 11-2 win. Offensively for the Rams, Casey Croshaw and Garret Olson each had 3 hits and Eric Dusin chipped in 2 hits.
In game 2, the Rams jumped out to a 10-0 lead after 2 innings but things got interesting in the bottom of the 2nd and 3rd innings. In the bottom of the 2nd, Chiawana scored 3 runs on 4 hits to make it 10-3. The Rams scored 1 in the top of the 3rd to make it 11-3, but the Riverhawks once again answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring 7 runs on 7 hits and 2 Ram errors. "They came out swinging in the 3rd inning and we just couldn't stop them," said coach Klayton Wyckoff. "Give them credit. They didn't always hit it hard but they found the holes."
With the score now 11-10, the Rams didn't score in the top of the 4th. "I thought that right there was a pivotal moment in the game. They scored 7 to pull within one, then we come out and get runners on 2nd and 3rd with only one out and 2 weak ground balls and we don't score. We had the chance to get some of the momentum back and it just didn't happen," said Wyckoff. With Konnor Wyckoff now on the mound, he shut down Chiawana in the 4th to keep the score 11-10.
In the top of the 5th, Olson led off with a single and a passed ball moved him to second. Wagar hit a deep fly ball to right that allowed Olson to move up to third with one out. Gil Plath lined a single up the middle to score Olson and push the lead to 12-10. Steven Wagar came on to pitch in the bottom of the 5th and held Chiawana scoreless. The Rams went scoreless in the 6th.
In the bottom of the 6th, Chiawana scored 3 runs to take a 13-12 lead on 2 errors, 2 walks, and 3 hits.
So down to their final 3 outs in the top of the 7th, leadoff hitter Tyler Gallaway grounded out to first for one out. Casey Croshaw followed with a high hopper to the 3rd baseman and beat the throw to first for an infield single. "That was a huge safe call for us. That umpire hadn't been too kind to us on previous calls so to get the safe call was huge." Olson followed with a single. Wagar stepped up and drove a 3-1 pitch deep in the gap to right center to score both Croshaw and Olson to put the rams up 14-13. "I had Hinton going in the pen in case we tied or went ahead so he was ready to go."
In the bottom of the 7th, Wagar wanted to start the inning and promptly walked the 9-hole hitter on a full count. Hinton came on in relief to face the top of the order. The next hitter tried to bunt the ball and missed. Catcher Eric Dusin came up throwing to first base and caught the runner and the Rams executed the run-down to record the first out. Hinton then struck out the final 2 hitter of the inning to get the save and secure the sweep for the Rams.
Offensively for the Rams, Wagar finished 3 for 3 with 3 RBI, and Croshaw, Plath, Jacob Nell, and Steven Hillier each chipped in 2 hits. Hillier had a 2-run double and Nell also added a double.
With the wins, the Rams improved to 8-4 in league and 13-5 overall. The Rams sit in 2nd place (one game behind Eastmont) and tied with Richland. The Rams travel to Richland Tuesday for a 4 pm doubleheader to end the regular season.
RAMS SPLIT AT EASTMONT
The Rams got off the bus swinging and never stopped en route to the 14-4 first game win that was shortened to 6 inning via the 10-run rule. "Playing at Eastmont is never easy so we were very pleased with how we were swinging the bats early," said Coach Klayton Wyckoff. "A better 2-strike approach has been our focus lately and it really showed today as 10 of our 16 hits came with 2 strikes on the batter."
In game one, Rams starter Konnor Wyckoff pitched into the 5th inning before running out of gas. He allowed 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4. Steven Wagar relieved in the 5th with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd and got the strikeout to end the threat and then threw a scoreless 6th to secure the win.
Offensively for the Rams, Cody McDonald was 2 for 4 with an RBI double and a 3-run home run to finish with 4 RBI. Tanner Edler had 3 hits (double, 2 RBI), Eric Dusin had 3 hits (2 doubles, RBI), Lukas Hinton had 2 hits (double, RBI), Wagar had 2 hits (RBI double), Garrett Olson had 2 hits (double, 2 RBI), and Tyler Gallaway had a double to lead off the game. The Rams pounded out 9 extra base hits off Wildcat starter Ian Sagdal.
Game 2 was a dogfight to say the least. Rams starter Hinton struggled early, but he wasn't helped much by the Rams' defense. "Lukas pitched well enough to keep us in the game and we honestly played very poor defense behind him and Eastmont is a very good team and they took advantage of our defensive mistakes," said Wyckoff. Hinton allowed 7 runs and was relieved in the 3rd by Tyler Ueltschi. The Rams scored 2 in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd to keep it close and then tied it up in the 5th with another 2 runs. Ueltschi threw 3 2/3 innings and did not allow a hit until the bottom of the 6th inning when Sagdal hit a 2-out double. Tygar Garces was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second and the 4-hole hitter Cambell hit a line drive to the left of the Rams second baseman that glanced off the glove and into right field to score Sagdal from second. With Garces now on 3rd and Cambell on first and 2 outs, Cambell took off early from 1st and Ueltschi calmly stepped off, checked the runner at 3rd, and threw to 2nd baseman Tyler Gallaway just like we practice. As soon as Ueltschi released the ball, Garces broke for home and Gallaway came up and threw a perfect ball to catcher Dusin who tagged out the head first sliding Garces at the plate to end the inning. On the play, Garces dislocated his shoulder and left the field with the help of the Eastmont training staff.
In the top of the 7th and down by one run, Wagar led off with a walk. Pinch runner Josh Owens entered the game for Wagar. Gil Plath stepped to the plate and worked the count to 2-0 and Eastmont then brought in a new pitcher. With a called strike, then a fouled bunt attempt and another ball, Plath lofted a single over the head of the second baseman to put runners on first and second with 0 outs. Hinton re-entered the game. "The dilemma there is do I let Lukas swing it (who had already doubled off the wall), but risk the double play or do we have him bunt. I gave him one strike and then had him bunt," said Wyckoff. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and Tanner Edler at the plate and the infield playing in, Edler lofted a fly ball to left field. With Owens tagging from 3rd, the left field caught the ball for the 2nd out and fired a perfect strike to home to get out Owens and end the game.
"To come to Eastmont and have a chance to win both games but to still only get the split is something we should be very proud of. Eastmont is a very talented team and we gave ourselves a chance to win it in the end and that's all we can ever want is a chance," said Wyckoff. "Eastmont was 13-1 prior to today so we just proved that we can play with one of the best 4A teams in the state."
The Rams return to action Friday at Chiawana at 4:00 pm.
RAMS SPLIT WITH WALLA WALLA
The Rams jumped out to the 4-0 lead after 3 innings, but Walla Walla rallied to tie it with 3 runs in the 4th and 1 in the 5th. Rams starter Konnor Wyckoff was effective for his 4 innings of work but allowed a leadoff double to Flippo in the 5th inning and was immediately replaced with Jake Vetsch, who promptly walked the first batter Toon after working the count to 3-2. The next batter Watson singled to score Flippo with the tying run. With Toon on 3rd and Watson on 1st and zero outs, the Rams turned a triple play to get out of the inning. The batter Meyer grounded sharply to Lukas Hinton at first base. Toon broke for the plate and Hinton threw to catcher Eric Dusin who ran Toon back towards 3rd base and dove to tag him out. At the same time, Watson rounded second base and was heading for 3rd. Dusin jumped up and ran him back towards 2nd base and also got the tag out on Watson. The hitter Meyer was standing on 2nd base and just as soon as Watson was tagged out, Meyer retreated for first base where Dusin fired to Hinton for the tag and completion of the triple play. "Aside from the fact that we turned a triple play, that was a very pivotal moment in that game. High school baseball is a game of momentum and Walla Walla was on the verge of a big inning with the way they swung the bats," said Coach Klayton Wyckoff. "They were a very good team and that triple play gave the momentum right back to us and we took advantage of that."
In the bottom of the 5th, Gil Plath reached base on an error by the shortstop. Hinton grounded to shortstop but Plath was able to move up to 2nd base on the play. Cody McDonald followed with another ground out for the 2nd out, but then Tanner Edler stepped up and lined the first pitch into right field to score Plath with the go ahead run. Steven Wagar came in and slammed the door on the Blue Devils by throwing 2 shutout innings to preserve the win for the Rams.
In game 2, Hinton looked great for 4 innings and then tired in the 5th, allowing a single, walk, and triple before Tyler Ueltschi came in and didnt' fare much better against the high powered offense from Walla Walla. The Blue Devils scored 6 runs in the 5th to take a 6-4 lead. Vetsch, Josh Owens, and Colby Patnode all came on in relief and did their part to keep the game within reach before finally ending the game with an 11-4 loss. "The second game effort was obviously much less than the first game. Like Coach VanDeBrake said after the game... we sat on that 4-0 lead and didn't do much to keep putting the pressure on them and they took it to us after that, but that's baseball. We'll learn from it," said Wyckoff.
The Rams return to action Tuesday as they travel to league leading and 7th ranked 4A team Eastmont who is currently 13-1 on the season.
West Valley’s Finish Starts ‘New Beginning’
BY YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC SPORTS WRITERS
YAKIMA, Wash. — For West Valley’s Rams, the ride home from Hanford last Friday might as well have been from Forks.  West Valley teammates congratulate Konnor Wyckoff, #16, as he leaves the field after a run that brought West Valley ahead of Davis in the final inning of their game, played at Davis on Tuesday, April 20, 2010. West Valley won 6-5. (SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic) Tuesday, West Valley made a much shorter trip to Davis, but came away in a much better collective mood after a 6-5 come-from-behind, non-league win over the Pirates. Lukas Hinton’s two-out, run-scoring single scored the winning run in the top of the seventh, capping a two-run rally for the Rams (9-3), who were ranked seventh in last week’s Class 3A state poll. “After we got home we talked a little bit last week,” WV coach Klayton Wyckoff said, “and I think it was Garrett Olson who said, ‘This is a new beginning.’ And maybe it is.” Down 5-1 after two innings, during which Davis center-fielder Jackson Marquis crushed a long home run to lead off the bottom of the first and followed with a two-run double in the second, West Valley got standout relief pitching to stay close. After Jakob Vetch had pitched his first two innings of the year, Hinton worked three scoreless innings and Steven Wagar followed with two more. The Rams, meanwhile, got three runs in the top of the fifth. In the seventh, Casey Croshaw got a leadoff single and was sacrifice-bunted to second by Gilbert Plath. Wagar lined out to third for the second out, after which Konnor Wyckoff walked and Croshaw scored on a passed ball to tie the score. Cody McDonald was then hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second, and Hinton followed with his base hit up the middle. “I realize Davis doesn’t have that one shut-down pitcher they’ve had the last few years,” Wyckoff said, “but otherwise, in my opinion, this is the best Davis team I’ve seen in a long time. “The difference today was Hinton and Wagar coming in and giving us a chance to score some runs and get back in the game.” West Valley resumes CBBN play with a 2 p.m. home doubleheader Friday against Walla Walla. Davis (2-4 league) visits Kennewick for a league twin-bill. West Valley 010 030 2 — 6 7 0 Davis 140 000 0 — 5 10 4 Vetch, Hinton (3), Wagar (6) and Dusin, Hillier (5); Lybeck, Klingele (3), DuPre (5), Walton (5) and White Elk, Alexander (5), White Elk (5). Highlights: Jackson Marquis (D) 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Tim Roddy (D) 1b, RBI; Damon Lybeck (D) 2-2, 2b; Marcus McClurkin (D) 2-3, 2b; Lukas Hinton (WV) RBI Rams Drop Two to Hanford
In game one, Hanford starter Dan Shiebe went the distance with 11 strikeouts as the Falcons defeated the Rams 12-4.
In game two, the Rams fell behind 5-0 after 4 innings. With Steven Wagar on in relief, he held the Falcons offense in check in the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings and allowed the Rams to get going offensively. The Rams scored 2 in the 5th and 5 in the 6th and 1 in the 7th to take an 8-5 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th inning. "At that point, I felt pretty good. Steven was throwing very well but I also knew that was his longest outing of the season to date," said Coach Klayton Wyckoff. In the bottom of the 7th, the leadoff hitter popped up to 2nd base for the first out and things got interesting very quickly. A walk, hit, and hit batter loaded the bases with one out. A line-drive to right fielder Casey Croshaw recorded the second out and he came up throwing to first base since the runner had broke for second thinking the ball wouldn't be caught. In what appeared to be the 3rd out, the umpire called him safe and extended the game. "You never give credit to an umpire when you win, so I'm not going to blame an ump for a loss but that call right there was pretty crucial. That could be the 3rd out and the game is over but we didn't get the call," said Wyckoff. With the score now 8-6 and 2 outs, a single scored 2 runs to tie it. With the bases loaded and a full count, ball four plated the winning run for the Falcons. "Definitely a tough game to lose. We fall behind by 5, battle back to take the lead, and can't hold it in the end. That's baseball. Wags threw his tail off to keep us in it and give us a chance to score runs so without his performance, we never would have been in the position to win it in the 7th. It just didn't go our way today and we'll bounce back."
With the losses, the Rams now take the #2 seed into the 3A district tournament May 8 which will be hosted by Hanford. "In the big picture, this doesn't mean much. Sure Hanford now gets to host the district tourney with us and Sunnyside, but playing well that weekend is much more important than these 2 losses," said Wyckoff. "Don't bet against the Rams in May because we'll be ready to go when it counts the most."
West Valley Sweeps Ike
Scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning, the Rams pulled away from the Cadets for the 8-3 first game victory. 3 walks, 3 hits, and 1 error led to the big inning for the Rams. Starter Lukas Hinton worked into the 5th inning, allowing 2 runs while striking out 4 and walking 6. Steven Wagar came in to shut down Ike over the final 2 2/3 innings to preserve the win. Wagar had 5 strikeouts and 3 walks and allowed only 1 hit. Offensively for the Rams, Gil Plath was 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and Casey Croshaw was 2 for 4.
In game 2, Ike jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning but the Rams responded with a run in the bottom to make it 2-1. Croshaw hit a 1 out triple and Wagar drove him in with a single. Rams starter Konnor Wyckoff went 5 1/3 innings with 6 K's and 2 walks and Wagar came in to get the final 5 outs to complete the win. Offensively for the Rams, Croshaw was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI and Hinton chipped in 2 hits.
The wins improved the Rams record to 8-1 overall.
WEST VALLEY SWEEPS SUNNYSIDE
Scoring 31 runs on 33 hits, the Rams swept Sunnyside yesterday 10-2 and 21-5. The wins moved the Rams season record to 6-1 overall.
In the first game, Lukas Hinton, Konnor Wyckoff, and Tyler Ueltschi combined for 13 strikeouts and only allowed 6 hits and 2 walks. Offensively, Wyckoff hit a solo home run to straightaway centerfield in the 7th inning. Hinton and Steven Wagar were each 2 for 5 with 2 doubles. Gil Plath added 3 hits and Casey Croshaw and Eric Dusin each chipped in 2 hits.
In the second game, the Rams jumped out to the early 3-0 lead in the first inning, but the Grizzlies responded by loading the bases and Travis Jones hit a grand slam to put them up 4-3. The Rams gained some breathing room in the 3rd when they plated 6 runs, followed by 3 more in the 4th, and 9 more in the 5th for the final score of 21-5. Offensively for the Rams, Wagar, Hinton, and Tanner Edler all homered. Wagar finished with 3 hits, Wyckoff added 4 hits, and Casey Croshaw, Jacob Nell, and Steven Hillier each added 2 hits.
The Rams return to action Friday in a conference doubleheader against Eisenhower at 1:00 pm at West Valley.
RAMS RALLY TWICE TO SWEEP KAMIAKIN
Down 6-2 in the bottom of the 4th inning to the Kamiakin Braves, the Rams rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning to pull within 6-5. The big hit of the inning was Garrett Olson's 2-run single. The Braves scored a run in the top of the 5th to make it 7-5, but the Rams erupted for 8 runs in the bottom of the 5th en route to the 13-8 first game win. A walk, hit batter, and another walk loaded the bases. An error plated a run before a ground out and a strike out led to 2 outs. Olson, Casey Croshaw, and Gil Plath all singled to drive in runs, and then Steven Wagar stepped up and drilled a long fly ball off the fence in right field for a 3-run triple. On the play, Kamiakin right fielder Matt Minnich went head first and full speed into the fence in right field. Center fielder Joey Jansen had to come all the way over to retrieve the ball and throw it in. "That was a scary moment for everyone. The force at which he hit the fence and the way he dropped to the ground, I thought he could have broken his neck on the play," said Coach Klayton Wyckoff. "Fortunately, he was able to walk off the field on his own. He did, however, end up with a broken left (throwing) hand on the play. We wish him well in his recovery. He's obviously a very tough kid to walk away from something like that."
Rams starter Konnor Wyckoff struggled through 5 innings of work, allowing 7 runs on 7 hits and an uncharacteristic 5 walks. "Konnor didn't have his best stuff today and Kamiakin took advantage of that. They hit the ball well but Konnor battled and kept us in it just enough to allow us the opportunity for that big inning." Steven Wagar entered in the top of the 5th and got a strikeout and pop up to end the inning. He threw 2 innings and got the win, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 3. Offensively for the Rams, Olson added 3 more hits (including a double) and 4 RBI while Plath added 2 hits (double) and 3 RBI.
In game 2, Kamiakin scored early and often en route an 8-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings, but the Rams chipped away by scoring 3 in the 3rd, 1 in the 4th, and 4 in the 5th to take the lead at 9-8. Kamiakin scored a run in the top of the 6th to tie the game at 9. Wagar once again came on to pitch to the Braves in the top of the 7th and walked the leadoff hitter, who then advanced to 2nd on a passed ball but he got out of the jam with a strikeout and 2 groundouts to set the stage for the Rams game winning rally in the bottom of the 7th.
9-hole hitter Tyler Gallaway led off the inning with a double. Olson grounded out to shortstop for the first out and Croshaw grounded out to 2nd for the second out but Gallaway moved to 3rd on the play. Plath stepped to the plate and on a 3-2 pitch, lined a single through to the left of the third baseman to score Gallaway and cap the improbable comeback over the Braves, finally winning it by the score of 10-9.
"I can honestly say that I'm not sure I've ever been a part of such a great comeback. What makes it so special is that Kamiakin is a very, very good team and for us to come away with the sweep over such a talented, well-coached team is a testament to our players. They battled from behind all day and never folded up when they could have many times. To say the least, I'm very proud of the way we responded all day long," said Wyckoff. "2-0 in league and in first place has a nice ring to it."
Junior right hander Tyler Ueltschi entered the game in the 3rd inning and threw 4 total innings, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 1. "Tyler kept us in it and gave us a chance. His perfomance today was the difference in us winning and losing."
Wagar was credited with both pitching wins on the day and including his first game win over Moses Lake, improved his record to 3-0 on the year with all 3 wins coming in the same week.
Offensively in game 2 for the Rams, who pounded out 16 hits (5 of which went for extra bases), Olson and Wagar each had 3 hits and Plath and Eric Dusin both added 2 hits.
With the sweep, the Rams moved to 4-1 overall and return to action following spring break with doubleheaders against Sunnyside and Eisenhower.
RAMS SPLIT WITH MOSES LAKE
The Rams beat Moses Lake in game one of their non-league doubleheader on Tuesday by the score of 10-1 before falling in game two 9-2. In the first game, Steven Wagar threw 5 innings and Konnor Wyckoff threw the final 2 innings to preserve the win for the Rams. Wagar finished with 5 K's and 3 walks while allowing only 3 hits and 1 earned run. Casey Croshaw and Eric Dusin each had 3 hits for the Rams while Garrett Olson and Gil Plath each chipped in 2 hits apiece.
In game 2, Moses Lake jumped out to a 6-0 lead after 4 innings and gained the split with the 9-2 win. Dylan Signorelli threw 6 strong innings for the Chiefs, striking out 10 with only 1 walk. He scattered 6 hits. Olson and Croshaw each had 2 hits for the Rams who improved to 2-1 with the split.
RAMS OPEN 2010 SEASON WITH WIN IN EXTRA INNINGS
Gilbert Plath hit a 3-run double in the 3rd inning to erase a 3-0 deficit and the Rams went on to beat East Valley 5-3 in 8 innings.. Plath's shot to the gap in right center field on a 2-2 count tied the score at 3. Rams' starter Lucas Hinton then settled down and retired the Red Devils in order in the 3rd and 4th inning. Hinton finished with 6 strikeouts while allowing 3 hits, 3 walks, and 3 runs. Konnor Wyckoff relieved Hinton in the 5th and allowed zero runs on 1 hit, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts.
The Rams had their chance in the top of the 7th to take the lead but East Valley left the go ahead runs stranded at 2nd and 3rd. Eric Dusin led off with a single up the middle. Tyler Gallaway bunted him to 2nd. With one out, Garret Olson walked. Dusin and Olson moved up to 2nd and 3rd on Casey Croshaw's ground out but with 2 outs, Red Devil pitcher Schoonover ended the inning with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the 7th, Wyckoff allowed his only hit, a 2 out single to Taylor. Cameron then walked to put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 outs but Wyckoff ended the threat by striking out clean up hitter Lemus for the 3rd out.
In the top of the 8th, Plath singled. Tanner Edler followed with a pop up to the pitcher on an attempted drag bunt. Plath then stole second. Jacob Nell followed with a pop up to 2nd base for the 2nd out. Wyckoff then drove an 0-2 pitch up the middle to score Plath to make it 4-3. Wyckoff moved up to 2nd on the play. Dusin followed with an infield single that dribbled down the 3rd base line. The throw to first got by the 1st baseman and allowed Wyckoff to score on the play and Dusin moved to 2nd. Pinch hitter Steven Wagar then hit a line drive up the middle and Red Devil center fielder Cameron threw out Dusin at the plate for the 3rd out.
In the bottom of the 8th, Wyckoff got a ground out to short, a strikeout, and a pop up to 2nd base to end the game.
The Rams return to action next Tuesday as they host Moses Lake in a home doubleheader starting at 1:00 pm.
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