4/1/16
WF West 12, Black Hills 3
(Tumwater, WA) At the beginning of this day the Evco 2A was in a 4-way tie with each team at 1-1. The Black Hills Wolves welcomed the WF West Bearcats in a crucial league game. With only 9 league games each one is extremely important.
After a scoreless 1st inning the craziness began fitting for an April 1st game. Dakota Hawkins led off with a towering double, would move to 3rd when an outside pitch got away from Wolves catcher Milo Ames and then Nole Wollan skied one to left field for a sacrifice fly picking up the RBI as Hawkins scored. Brody Holcomb would then follow with a double of his own. After a 2nd out and Holcomb still on 2nd Jacob Cleary would poke one to the outfield and Holcomb would round 3rd and head for home. The throw in from the outfield was in plenty of time for Ames and Ames ran down a retreating Holcomb for the apparent 3rd out and would have limited the Bearcats to 1 run.
The Wolves cheered and headed to the dug out while Holcomb ran home followed by Cleary who ran all the way around and would also touch home plate. The home plate umpire then indicated safe and Wolves coach Todd Venable exploded demanding an explanation. The umpire ruled that Ames tagged Holcomb with his glove but was holding the ball in his other hand and therefore Holcomb was not out. Ames told us after the game he tagged Holcomb and then pulled the ball out of his glove while turning to see if he needed to throw it to get Cleary not realizing that would have been the 3rd out.
Venable also believes Ames made a legitimate tag but was more bothered by the lack of any call by the umpire when Ames applied the tag. Most umpires would clearly make it known that Holcomb was safe instead of not indicate any call. On the flip side kudos to Holcomb and Cleary for continuing to play and not relying on the defense to determine the end of the play. After not hearing a call either way they both continued and came away with a 3-0 lead instead of 1-0. This play was our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game. Holcomb gets it for his heads up play and ended up being a crucial moment in the game.
The Wolves would work their way back into the game scoring 1 in the bottom of the 2nd when Nate Hutson walked followed by a walk to Jaycee Miller. The 2 would advance to 2nd and 3rd on a double steal and Hutson came home when a pitch from Bearcat starter Tyson Guererro got past catcher Kolby Steen and it was 3-1.
The Wolves would then tie the game in the bottom of the 3rd and did so with 2 outs. Austin Parr would get his 2nd hit of the game followed by a base hit from Ethan Loveless. Ames would walk to load the bases for Hutson. Hutson would rip a shot to left center for a stand-up double picking up 2 RBI and tying the game.
The 2 teams would remain scoreless until the top of the 6th when the Bearcats started really getting to Wolves pitcher Tate Determan. Guerrero would single followed by a single from Elijah Johnson would get 2 aboard with no out. Nole Wollan would single driving in Guerrero for his 2nd RBI with the go-ahead run. After a ground-out Johnson would score on another ground out to go up 5-3.
It looked like Black Hills may tie it up in the bottom of the 6th after Miller and Alex Bowden each singled with 1 out. They would both move to 2nd and 3rd on a passed ball but they would get stranded on base after a strike out and ground out.
The Bearcats would then blow it open in the top of the 7th with Johnson leading off with a single. After a fly-out 4 straight walks, an RBI fielder’s choice, and a single all led to 7 runs crossing the plate to make it the 12-3 route. The Bearcats are now 2-1 in league play, tied with Centralia who beat Tumwater 5-4 with 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th. Black Hills and Tumwater are now both 1-2.
Our Tommy Lowe of the Greene Realty Group players of the game were Dakota Hawkins for WF West and Ethan Loveless for the Wolves.
Photo Gallery
