4/3/17

Olympia 5, Graham-Kapowsin 2

(Olympia, WA) The Olympia Bears starting pitcher Derek Downey got off to a strong start retiring 15 of the first 18 batters he faced. Only 2 runners would get to 3rd base in the 1st 6 innings while he walked only 1 and struck out 8. Downey got solid offensive support beginning in the 2nd with 3 runs.

Joe Bloom got things started with a 1-out double followed by a an RBI single from Owen Young to give Oly a 1-0 lead. Sam Fairchild then walked and was forced out on a fielder’s choice but scored Young and put Skyler Davis on 1st with 2 outs. Connor Clark then singled and Brendan Nee slapped an RBI base hit to go up 3-0. Olympia would load the bases but could not add to their lead.

In the 3rd inning Jacob Smaltz led off the Bears half of the inning with a base hit and Young followed up with his 2nd RBI single to give Olympia a 4-0 lead. The Bears capped their scoring in the 4th inning when Nee led off with a stand-up double. Nee moved to 3rd on a Kevin Flannery 1-out single. Flannery with a generous lead at 1st then took off early and Eagles pitcher Jonah Cilley then threw it to short stop Blake Walden who got Flannery in a rundown. While Flannery avoided getting tagged, Nee took off toward home and slid in safely for the 5-0 lead.

Downey began the top of the 7th just 3 outs from a complete game shut-out. Dylan Morris led off with a single followed up by a ground ball right back to Downey by Jayce Booker but Downey bobbled the ball and could only get Booker at 1st for the 1 out. Seti Manase then walked Cilley rapped an RBI base hit scoring Morris and getting the Eagles on the board. That was followed by a single from Thomas Wheeler to load the bases and that would do it for Downey as Trevor Krug came in to relieve Downey.

Beau Blowers then singled in GK’s 2nd run off Krug and the game tying run was now on 1st. Krug buckled down to strike out the next batter and the game was on the line with Tyler Wheeler at the plate for the Eagles. Wheeler fell behind with 2 strikes and then was rung up on a 3rd strike call by the umpire but to many the ball looked well off the plate and in fact got by Nee the Olympia catcher but Wheeler was out because the bases were loaded and the game was over.

The Bears improved to 3-4 in league play and 4-5 overall while the  Eagles drop to 0-5 and 2-5. Our Tommy Lowe of Greene Realty Players of the Game went to Owen Young for Olympia and Beau Blowers for Graham-Kapowsin. The ProActive Physical Therapy Play of the Game went to the Bears Kevin Flannery’s rundown that scored Brendan Nee.

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