Freeman holds off NV
for third place, 4-3
 
Pitcher turns back Naches Valley's seventh-inning rally

By SCOTT SANDSBERRY
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

When the hits just won’t come, sometimes a baseball team must make up in pure moxie for what the bats wouldn’t produce. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it comes back to bite you.

It bit the Naches Valley Rangers in their 4-3 loss to Freeman in Saturday’s Class 1A third-place game at Yakima County Stadium.

Trailing 4-2 in the seventh, the Rangers pushed across a run and had the bases loaded with one out and a freshman, Chris Walker, at the plate.

With junior speedster Joe Mills on third base, Naches Valley coach Bill Walker called for a squeeze bunt. But with Mills leaning a bit too aggressively toward home, Freeman pitcher Abe Mega came out of the stretch and threw to third, catching Mills in no-man’s-land.

“The squeeze was on,” Bill Walker said. “They thought ahead of us.”

Mills was tagged out in a rundown, and although the other two runners advanced, that left the Rangers down to their final out.

Walker, the freshman, cracked a Mega pitch right on the money — but also right at third baseman Tyler Ford, whose throw to first was in time.

Mega had pitched no-hit ball into the fifth inning, when — after a walk and a hit batter — Jake Stiles slugged a two-run double. Stiles’ leadoff single also paved the way for the Rangers’ seventh-inning run, which came when Jake Evans’ would-be sacrifice fly was dropped in right field.

Mega outdueled Ranger starter Adam Ranger and helped himself with an RBI single in the fourth. The Scotties (22-2) got two runs in the sixth on three hits, including Jacob Kitterman’s RBI single for what proved to be the decisive run.

The Rangers (22-4-1) were held to three hits over two final-four games after batting a resounding .415 for the year.

“Those were good pitchers,” Bill Walker said of Rochester’s Nick LaRoy and Freeman’s Mega. “We haven’t seen quality pitchers like that all year.” 

Naches Valley 7th: Gillespie strikes out; Stiles singles to right; Mills doubles to left; Flory walks; Evans flies to right for sac, but RF drops ball, all runners safe, PR Craig scores; Mills caught off third 1-5-2-5, other runners advance; Walker grounds out to third to end game. One run, two hits, one error, two runners left on base.

Freeman 6th: Sullivan doubles to left; Mega sac bunt 1-3, advancing Sullivan to third; Miller RBI single to right; Wilcox pitching for NV; Miller steals second; Reilly intentionally walked; Burke pops out to second; Kitterman RBI single to left; Kestell pops out to first. Two runs, three hits, no errors, two runners left on base.

Naches Valley 6th: Flory hit by pitch; Evans walks; Walker sac bunts 3-4, runners advance; Haile intentionally walked; Wilcox pops out to second; Ranger grounds out to second. No runs, no hits, no errors, three runners left on base.

Freeman 5th: Burke strikes out; Kitterman singles to left; Kestell singles to left; Barnes flies out to center; Kitterman advances to third on wild pitch (Kestell does not advance); Ford flies out to left. No runs, two hits, no errors, two runners left on base.

Naches Valley 5th: Haile grounds out to first; Wilcox walks (first NV baserunner of game); Ranger flies out to left; Gillespie hit by pitch; runners advance on wild pitch; Stiles doubles to center (NV's first hit of weekend), scoring Wilcox and courtesy runner Craig); Mills grounds out to short. Two runs, one hit, no errors, one runner left on base.

Freeman 4th: Ford infield single to deep short, then steals second; Sullivan pops out to first; Mega singles to left, scoring Ford, takes second on throw; Miller grounds to second, advancing Mega to third; Reilly strikes out. One run, two hits, no errors, one runner left on base.

Naches Valley 4th: Flory flies out to right; Evans grounds out to short; Forgey strikes out. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Freeman 3rd: Kitterman strikes out looking; Kestell strikes out; Barnes grounds out to pitcher. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Naches Valley 3rd: Gillespie grounds out to short; Stiles flies out to left; Mills flies out to center. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Freeman 2nd: Sullivan grounds to third, advances to second on throwing error; Mega pops out to catcher; Miller strikes out; Reilly doubles to center, scoring Sullivan; Burke flies out to left. One run, one hit, one error, one runner left on base.

Naches Valley 2nd: Haile flies out to left; Wilcox grounds out to short; Ranger grounds out to third. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Freeman 1st: Kestell walks, steals second; Barnes strikes out; Ford flies out to center; Kestel thrown out trying to steal third. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Naches Valley 1st: Flory strikes out; Evans strikes out looking; Forgey strikes out. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Starting lineups
   Naches Valley -- Flory, cf; Evans, rf; Forgey, 3b; Haile, dh (for Weigel, 2b); Wilcox, ss; Ranger, p; Gillespie, c; Stiles, 1b; Mills, lf.
   Freeman -- Kestell, ss; Barnes, cf; Ford, 3b; Sullivan, c; Mega, p; Miller, rf; Reilly, 1b; Burke, 2b; Kitterman, lf.