Naches Valley players react after their Class 1A baseball semifinal loss to Cashmere on Friday at Yakima County Stadium.   ANDY SAWYER/ Yakima Herald-Republic

Cashmere ousts champs
 
Bulldogs hold off late Ranger rally for 4-2 victory

By ROGER UNDERWOOD
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Opportunity doesn't knock that often when the stakes are high and the opponents are good.

View all photos for this story.

When it does, as it did Friday for Naches Valley in its Class 1A state semifinal, it's imperative that the door is answered. The Rangers scrambled toward it in commendable fashion at Yakima County Stadium but didn't quite get there in time, falling 4-2 to Cashmere.

The defeat, only the fourth against 22 wins for a team that lost five key seniors from its 2009 state title team, dropped NV into Saturday's 10 a.m. game against Meridian (19-8) for third and fourth places.

The Bulldogs (20-3), who finished fourth here last year, will meet Chimacum (18-3) at 4 p.m. for the championship.

"They had a sour taste in their mouths from last season and obviously wanted a different taste," Rangers coach Bill Walker said. "Sort of like us after '07 and '08."

Naches Valley had fallen short in each of those seasons before breaking through last year.

Making their fourth straight final four appearance, the Rangers came up empty on scoring opportunities in the first, third and sixth innings. Down 4-0, they scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying run on second base before it ended.

"When you have opportunities you have to score runs," Walker said. "We left too many guys on base -- I'm not sure how many (eight, including five in scoring position) -- but we left too many guys on, and not just in the seventh."

Against Cashmere right-hander Nick Tarver, NV got two-out, first-inning singles from Chris Walker and Carson Kass but didn't score. J.R. Weigel, who finished 3-for-4, doubled with two out in the third and was stranded.

In the sixth, Cody Johns and Weigel started the frame with base hits but freshman Koleman Johns, pinch-running for Cody, roamed too far off second on Walker's line drive to center and was doubled off.

"Got a little too excited," Walker noted after the Rangers were again left scoreless.

In the seventh, Wesston Parker was hit by a pitch and pinch-runner Thane Pierson took second on a balk. J.D. Ring singled him to third, and Pierson scored on Jake Frazier's fielder's choice groundout.

After Aaron Putas was hit, Tarver was replaced by Jake Dilly who fanned Cody Johns before yielding a single by Weigel that loaded the bases. Walker then drew a free pass to force home pinch-runner Cody Johnson and advance Weigel, representing the tying run, to second.

But Lilly followed by striking out cleanup hitter Carson Kass to end it.

"I'm proud of the way my guys battled," Walker said. "We competed to the final out. Now we'll rally 'em up and go after third place tomorrow."

For Cashmere, sophomore first baseman Cooper Elliott was the offensive standout.

He pulled a two-run homer just inside the right-field foul pole to start the scoring in the fourth, then drilled an RBI single to center in the sixth. Spencer Lee's two-out double in the seventh plated the Bulldogs' final run.

Naches Valley seventh: Parker hit by pitch; Parker takes second on balk; Ring singles to right, Parker advances to third; pinch-hitter Cleem RBI fielder's choice to second, Ring forced out at second; Putas hit by pitch; Dilly replaces Tarver on mound; Carrell strikes out; Weigel singles to left; Walker RBI walk; Kass strikes out. Two runs, two hits, no errors, three runners left on base.   

Cashmere seventh: Chipman doubles to left-center; Andruss grounds into fielder's choice at short, Chipman tagged out at third; Andruss steals second; McNair flies out to right, Andruss advances to third; Lee RBI double to left; Parker replaces Johns on mound; Dilly grounds out to first. One run, two hits, no errors, one runner left on base.  

Naches Valley sixth: Johns singles to left; Weigel singles to center; Walker lines out to center, courtesy runner K. Johns doubled out at second; Kass walks; pinch-hitter Giles strikes out. No runs, two hits, no errors, two runners left on base. 

Cashmere sixth: Lee grounds out to first; Dilly triples to right; Elliott RBI single to center; Tarver grounds into fielder's choice, Elliott safe at second on fielding error; Weiler sacrifice bunt; Johnson flies out to right. One run, two hits, one error, two runners left on base.

Naches Valley fifth: Ring pops out to second; Frazier strikes out looking; Putas pops out to first. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Cashmere fifth: Johnson pops out to short; Chipman pops out to first; Andruss singles to right; Andruss steals second; McNair lines out to third. No runs, one hit, no errors, one runner left on base.

Naches Valley fourth: Kass flies out to right; Gonzalez grounds out to second; Parker flies out to right. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Cashmere fourth: Lee hit by pitch; Dilly grounds into fielder's choice to short, Lee out at second; Dilly steals second, takes third on throwing error by catcher; Elliott hits two-run homer to right; Tarver grounds out to third; Weiler strikes out looking. Two runs, one hit, one error, no runners left on base. 

Naches Valley third: Putas strikes out; Johns grounds out to third; Weigel doubles to shallow center; Walker flies out to center. No runs, one hit, no errors, one runner left on base.

Cashmere third: Johnson pops out to catcher; Chipman singles to right; Andruss strikes out looking; McNair bunts out to pitcher. No runs, one hit, no errors, one runner left on base.

Naches Valley second: Parker pops out to first; Ring grounds out to second; Frazier strikes out. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Cashmere second: Elliott singles to center; Tarver pops out to second; Weiler lines out to short, Elliott doubled off first. No runs, one hit, no errors, no runners left on base.

Naches Valley first: Johns pops out to second; Weigel flies out to center; Walker singles to left; Kass singles to right; Gonzalez strikes out looking. No runs, two hits, no errors, two runners left on base.

Cashmere first: McNair grounds out to short; Lee grounds out to short; Dilly strikes out. No runs, no hits, no errors, no runners left on base.

Starting lineups
   Cashmere -- McNair, c; Lee, 2b; Dilly, ss; Elliott, 1b; Tarver, p; Weiler, rf; Johnson, 3b; Chipman, cf; Andruss, lf.
   Naches Valley -- Johns, p; Weigel, ss; Walker, 3b; Kass, dh (for Dreisbach, 1b); Gonzalez, 2b; Parker, lf; Ring, c; Frazier, rf; Putas, cf.