ESN Friday Night Re-Cap: Bearcats bounce back in Baseball; Centralia & Clover Park pick up big Soccer Wins

4/23/2021

ESN had 3 broadcasts on the air that saw the WF West Bearcats begin a new league winning streak after having their 49-game streak going back to 2017 snapped on Wednesday. It was Senior night in Centralia’s soccer match hosting Rochester and Clover Park was playing their 2nd match in as many nights hosting Foss. Our re-caps, pictures and video highlights all below.

Baseball
WF West 10, Aberdeen 0

(Chehalis, WA) The Bearcats were coming off their stinging defeat at Tumwater, their first league loss since March 31, 2017 where they had lost to Tumwater 6-4. The Bearcats were determined to start a new streak and it took just 5 innings to accomplish that goal.

Gavin Fugate got the start on the hill and handled the Bobcats through the top of the 3rd while picking up just a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the offense kicked in. Drew Reynolds started off with a walk, Jacob Douglas came in to run for Reynolds. Brit Lusk then smacked a hard single and the throw to get Douglas at 3rd allowed Lusk to scamper to 2nd base. Fugate then helped his own cause belting a triple cleaning off the bases for 2 RBI.

Tanner Vaughn then grounded one to the infield who threw home to get Fugate trying to score for the first out. Andrew Stafford then reach base on an error followed by a walk to Logan Moore and the bases were loaded with just 1 out. Hayden Hoffman then got hit by a pitch forcing in a run and picking up an RBI and leaving the bases still full. Cade Haller then ripped a single to left field scoring 2 more for 2 RBI and a 6-0 lead.

Brock Bunker was next and worked a long at bat into a walk and would chase starting Bobcat pitcher Isley. Coming in to relieve Isley was Balcerea to face Drew Reynolds. Reynolds had led off the inning and in his 2nd batting appearance smacked an RBI single. Balcera then got Lusk to ground into a double play and that would end the inning with WF West leading 7-0.

Fugate would go 4 innings and gave up just 2 hits, a walk and 7 strikeouts. Andrew Stafford came in to pitch the 5th and maintained the shutout.

Going into the bottom of the 5th the Bearcats needed 3 runs to end the game and they would get them. After a ground out Hoffman would walk followed by a single from Haller and now runners were on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Up next was Bunker and on the 1st pitch it got by the catcher and both runners moved up 1 base. Bunker then skied one to right field but it was dropped and Hoffman scored while moving Haller to 3rd. Bunker then stole 2nd and the throw went into centerfield scoring Haller. Aberdeen then intentionally walked Reynolds and then got Lusk to fly out.

Fugate came to the plate with the chance to end the game and fell behind in the count 1-2 when he came up with a the game winning single driving in Bunker to complete the 10-0 win. The Bearcats improved to 9-1 in league play while Aberdeen dropped to 3-8. The Bearcats will host Centralia on Monday and Aberdeen is at home against Rochester.

Our Pacific Sports Spa visiting player of the game was Aberdeen’s Eli Brown and our Thorbeckes home player of the game was Gavin Fugate.

Photo Gallery

Video Highlights (Matthew King)

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Gavin Fugate rips a 2 run triple to kick start a big 6 run 3rd
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Cade Haller with a hot shot into left scoring 2 more
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Gavin Fugate rips a hard single to end the game

Soccer
Centralia 1, Rochester 0

It would be the Tigers winning round 2 in the boys soccer match up between Rochester and Centralia Friday evening on senior night. Perhaps there was small measure of revenge as Centralia would win 1 to 0 after falling to Rochester in the season opener 6 to 2.

While the final score of this match may have been a far cry of how things went previously, there was plenty of intensity on the field. In a night full of free kicks after numerous fouls including five total yellow cards, it is fitting that the lone goal of the night came virtue of a free kick. It was off the foot of Zaid Tekle just seven and a half minutes into the game. Tekle launched a gorgeous shot above the wall made by the Rochester defenders with enough hook and drop to catch the upper left of the net for a goal just out of reach of the Warrior keeper Brady Moen.

Centralia looked to keep their foot on the gas for the remainder of the half with constant pushes on Rochester’s side of the field. The Warriors were up to the task though. Rather it was Rochester that could crank up the intensity pushing the ball deep into Centralia constantly. The Tigers at times would have no choice but to push the ball out of play whether it resulted in a throw in or corner kick. The Warriors corner kick attempts for the most part were positioned perfectly, but a Tiger defender would interfere or keeper Victor Rojas would be in position to end the opportunity before it really began.

The second half would get underway much like the first, free kicks. Players on both teams did seem to settle down for the most part, but the intensity would crank back up leading to more free kicks and shots on goal. Credit to both keepers tonight Rojas and Moen for being in position. After much back and forth and some final desperation attempts by Rochester looking to push the ball into the Tiger net, the head official would signal the end of the game.

Our Pacific Sports Spa visiting player of the game was Aaron Esquivel. On the roster sheet provided to me, Esquivel is listed as position one being “Midfield” and position two being “Forward”, tonight he could be described as rover. Unfortunately Esquivel wasn’t able to knock the ball into the net for the Rochester squad, but it was from no lack of effort. Constantly being in good position to help set up his teammates as well as some good looking shots himself, but Rojas was there to spoil this good work.

Our Thorbeckes home player of the game was a co-player of the game tonight. Centralia keeper Victor Rojas as well as midfielder Zaid Tekle. Fittingly, both players are seniors who were celebrating senior night. Tekle, as mentioned, as the lone goal of the night seven and a half minutes into the match but he did more than just score that goal. He was a disrupter of several Warrior possessions and created several windows of opportunities for the Tigers, including a few more shots on goal from free kicks, but was wide of the mark on these tries. As for Rojas, he was able to shut out the Warriors tonight with outstanding positioning on Warrior shots including a moment in the game where he had two, maybe even three saves in a matter of seconds using any part of body he could get on the ball.

Video Highlight (Josh Kaiser)

Soccer
Clover Park 5, Foss 0

(Lakewood, WA) The Clover Park Warriors came in to this game after a really solid start to this season with a 3-2-1 record, the tie coming the night before in a non-league match against Lakes. The Warriors were ready to get back in the win column as winless Foss came to town and the Falcons hoping for their first win with an 0-5-1 record.

The Warriors made it clear there would be no upset on this Friday night as they burst out to a 4-0 lead by halftime. Dejen Pritchard got things started just 8 minutes in. Pritchard took the ball nearly the length of the field and dropped the ball off to a team mate around the 30 and then got it back, split defenders and won the 1-on-1 with the Falcon keeper.

The match was then delayed several minutes as the official using one of those electronic whistles had to replace a battery or get a spare and play resumed. Just moments later the Warriors would record their 2nd goal when Juan Pablo Macias took a deflected shot from about 30 yards out and fired a laser for the score.

5 minutes later it was Gabriel Gonzalez Valera’s turn when he received the loose ball and had an open shot about 5 yards above the 18 and hammered past the keeper for a 3-0 lead. Kevin Rodriguez would then finish the 1st half scoring about 2 minutes later in the 23rd minute with a booming 35 yard jet that stunned the Foss defense. Rodriguez had come up from the back line of the Warrior defense to clean up and finish the attack for the 4-0 lead.

Clover Park then held firm on defense until late in the match and a 5th goal was scored by a 5th Warrior Yahir Chavez Pineda did the damage with his 3rd goal over the past 2 matches as he scored both in their tie with Lakes on Thursday night.

Clover Park is now 4-2-1 overall while Foss drops to 0-6-1.

Video Highlights (John Wittig)