It seems an awfully simple recipe for victories and reeks of coach-speak, but limiting mistakes does have a way of paying off. A month ago, Puyallup committed three errors and walked five batters in a loss to Curtis. On Wednesday night at Heritage Recreation Center, the Vikings tallied one of each and beat Curtis, 5-1, in a South Puget Sound League South baseball showdown.
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“We made some plays on defense, we didn’t walk guys, and we didn’t boot the ball,” Puyallup coach Marc Wiese said. “That was the difference.”
Fifth-ranked Puyallup (14-1 overall, 11-1 league) has been on a tear since its 6-5 loss to Curtis on March 24. Puyallup has won 11 straight games and has a stranglehold on the SPSL South. With four regular-season contests remaining, the Vikings are in good shape to repeat as the league champions.
“We’re playing pretty good right now,” Puyallup pitcher Adam Cimber said. “The bats have come alive.”
Puyallup got through the early part of the season by relying on its pitching and defense. But the hitting truly has blossomed of late. In their past six games, the Vikings have outscored their opponents 60-11.
“The good defense and the pitching has always been there,” shortstop Andrew Barry said. “The hitting has come around, and that’s great. But we’ll always have our pitching and defense to fall back on.”
Puyallup excelled in all three elements of the game on a chilly evening.
Sean Rehon led off the first inning with a single and scored on Barry’s single to left field, giving Puyallup a 1-0 lead. The Vikings added two runs in the third on a Rehon single that scored Brett Bitow and a Sal Arena double to right field that drove in Rehon.
Puyallup tacked on two more runs in the fifth, taking advantage of three Curtis errors, to take a 5-1 lead.
“If we don’t throw those two balls away (for errors), it’s a different game,” Curtis coach Tim Kuykendall said. “It’d be 3-1, but that’s how it goes.”
Curtis pitcher Jesse James allowed seven hits and two earned runs in six innings He struck out four.
Curtis (9-7, 8-4) threatened in the sixth inning. Trailing 5-1, it loaded the bases with two out, but Cimber ended the rally by striking out Bryan Sandstrom.
After Cimber hit a batter to load the bases, Wiese showed faith in his pitcher by not calling a timeout to visit his pitcher on the mound.
“We trust his stuff,” Wiese said. “He’s a smart kid. He’s been in those situations before, and he handles himself well.”
Cimber did allow an uncharacteristic walk, only his fifth of the season, while scattering four hits, striking out six and improving to 7-0 this season. The News Tribune’s reigning All-Area Player of the Year didn’t have his best stuff, he admitted, but it was plenty good enough.
“Everything he throws goes down,” Kuykendall said. “Even when he doesn’t have that pinpoint control of his working, he gets his pitches down, and that’s tough to hit.”
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271
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