ESN Monday Re-Caps: Shelton rolls behind No-Hitter in District Baseball opener

5/3/2021

We began with 3 broadcasts and ended up with 1 after the Aberdeen at Centralia game was rained out and a misunderstanding on who was supposed to play who in the other game. This left us Shelton at Rochester and our re-cap, pictures and video highlights are all below.

Shelton 11, Rochester 0

(Rochester, WA) It didn’t feel like a no-hitter but once the final out was recorded in this 5 inning game where the 10-run rule kicked in, there were no hits recorded by the Warriors. Let’s start from the beginning though, in the top of the 1st Kevin Snodgrass led off with a single and would come around to on a sacrifice fly by Cole Schlender and it was 1-0.

Rochester then appeared primed to tie and take the lead after Shelton starting pitcher Kyle Gerchak hit lead-off hitter Cody Morton and then walked Tony Groninger. Both advanced to 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch with no outs. Gerchak then got Braden Hartley to pop into shallow left center holding the runners. The Gerchak got a strike out for the 2nd out bringing Eddie Burkhardt to the plate.

Burkhardt then launched one into right field and it appeared it was going over Shelton’s right fielder Tobyn Dudley’s head but somehow Dudley laid out and made an incredible catch denying the Warriors from scoring and would have easily taken the lead so instead of the score being at a minimum 2-1 and some momentum on the Warriors bench, it was 1-0 with the Highclimbers revved up coming to bat.

The top of the 2nd is when Shelton busted this one wide open and began with a walk to Dudley. After a strike out, Spencer Coots slammed an RBI double. This was followed by a groundout for the 2nd out so the Warriors were 1 out from getting out with just 1 run for the Climbers. Coots advanced on the ground-out then advanced on a wild pitch and then scored on a wild pitch. Snodgrass walked as did Cannon Hutson.

Snodgrass scored on a wild pitch and then Hutson scored when Brenden Wagner hammered a RBI triple. A walk and 2 more doubles and by the end of the run Shelton held a commanding 7-0 lead.

They would pick up 3 more in the 4th and 1 more in the top of 5 for their 11 runs. Gerchak would be the benefactor of some great defense there were 2 double plays by the infield a 5-4-3 around the horn to end the 3rd and a 6-4-3 to clean the bases in the 4th. Centerfielder Evan McCullough also made an outstanding catch robbing another potential hit from the Warriors and in the end Rochester failed to get a hit and Gerchak got the 5 inning no-no.

Shelton will play at WF West tomorrow with the winner advancing to the final 4. Rochester had their season come to an end. Aberdeen will play at Centralia tomorrow and then the winner will play at Tumwater on Wednesday. Our Pacific Sports Spa Player of the Game went to the Highlimbers’ pitcher Kyle Gerchak.

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