4/20/16
Timberline 2, Olympia 1
(Olympia, WA) What is that old saying, it’s deja vu all over again? Well its a deja vu the Olympia Bears would have rather not have experienced while the Timberline Blazer’s will take any wins over teams in front of them in the standings and swept the Bears with identical 2-1 final scores. Even more deja vu’ish(?) was for Olympia their 1 run in each game was the result of a solo home run from James Gunther.
The game was not a usual 2-1 affair where all the runs were scored in the 6th and 7th inning. Both starting pitchers, Gunther for Olympia and Lucas Reid for the Blazers only struck out 4, no walks and gave up several hits but timely pitching and great defense on both sides were included in this crazy game that saw a little bit of everything including a home run trot that had to been over and a hits batsman not getting 1st base. There was a base runner on in each half of every inning except for the top of the 1st yet only a total of 3 runs were scored in the game.
The Blazer defense was solid up the middle turning 3 double plays, short stop Chris Larson began all 3 DP’s and had 7 put outs. Ben Whitt, Tucker Stroup and Austin Whalen were all solid around the infield for Timberline which bailed them out several times in this game.
The Bears defense was equally as impressive especially in the outfield where Dalton Elliott laid out for a spectacular catch as did Tristan Haider in right field. Scott Gunther had a couple of great plays from CF gunning down a runner tagging up at 2nd on a fly ball at 3rd base.
As the 2 teams battled back and forth we arrived at the bottom of the 6th still scoreless when James Gunther stepped up and blasted a shot over the right field fence for a lead-off solo home run and gave the Bears the first lead in the game 1-0. On his way around the bases he missed 1st base and had made the turn at 2nd when he had to re-trace his steps including again tagging 2nd base back to 1st and then back around to home plate.
Gunther then headed to the mound to try and finish the complete game. Tucker Stroud grounded a hard one to Oly short stop Ben Pedigo and the ball bounced up just as he reached down and rolled up his arm and Stroud got to 1st on the error. Aaron Furman then singled and the Blazers had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. That woould do it for Gunther and Jacob Bowser came in to relieve. After a strike-out Darian Griffen then drove a single into the outfield and Stroud came around to score the tying run. This was also our ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game.
Larson then came to the plate and with a 1-2 count a curve ball didn’t curve and hit him. But the home plate umpire ruled that Larson leaned into the ball and made him get back in the batters box with a 2-2 count instead of loading the bases.
Larson then chopped one hard into the ground and the high bounce allowed Furman to score the go-ahead and eventual winning run. Timberline is now 5-3 on the season with 4 league games left top play while the Bears are 7-3 with 2 league games left against league leader Gig Harbor.
Our Tommy Lowe of Greene Realty Players of the Game were Chris Larson and Lucas Reid for Timberline as co-winners and James Gunther for Olympia.
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