Puyallup’s Mason Pike no-hits Moses Lake, notches 17 Ks in 4A state opener
Mason Pike is the state’s premier pitching prospect — capable of carrying Puyallup to the promised land — and Saturday afternoon proved no different, only bolstering his status on MLB Draft boards.
The senior right-hander no-hit No. 16 Moses Lake in front of a packed house at Puyallup’s Heritage Recreation Center, a spellbinding masterpiece that featured a season-high 17 strikeouts in Saturday’s 4A State Round of 16. Pike narrowly missed perfection with a pair of fifth-inning walks but managed brilliance instead, retiring the game’s first 13 batters and mowing them down in order in the seventh to slam the door.
“Just staying on top of the heater, filling (the strike zone) up,” Pike told The News Tribune. “And then being able to land my off-speed to finish off batters. Yeah, it was good.”
Pike completed his best start this season, Noah Benedict provided more than enough insurance with a three-run homer in the sixth, and Puyallup shut down Moses Lake, 5-0, to advance to Saturday evening’s state quarterfinals.
Pike continues to draw the interest of professional scouts, mixing a mid-90s fastball and devastating slider with plus curveballs and changeups. Saturday’s no-hitter improves the Oregon State commit to 5-0 and drops his season ERA to 0.22, collecting 118 strikeouts to just 10 walks.
Puyallup (27-0) remains undefeated and ranked No. 2 nationally by MaxPreps. The Vikings are the overwhelming favorite to hoist the first-place trophy in Yakima next weekend.
“I’m (always) going full attack,” Pike said. “I’m just trying to put my best game out there and fill it up.
“It’s what I try to do every game, even if we’re up… is make every pitch and try to get everyone out. That’s my goal.”
The game was scoreless through four, until Puyallup’s DJ Ringenbach delivered a line-drive, RBI single to right field that scored Benedict and put the Vikings in front, 1-0.
Puyallup’s four-run sixth all but ended Saturday’s Round of 16 with Pike looming. With runners in scoring position, Kyler Malnar’s fielder’s choice groundout to shortstop plated Riley Sanoy before Benedict’s homer added three more — a deep fly ball beyond the reach of Moses Lake right fielder Noah Hernandez.
Pike’s final line: Seven innings, no hits, no runs, two walks, and 17 strikeouts. He threw 102 pitches, 71 for strikes.
Moses Lake’s Kason Whitaker carried his own no-hit bid into the fourth inning and went 5.1 frames, allowing four hits and three earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts.
The Vikings meet No. 8 Lake Stevens in the 4A quarterfinals at Heritage on Saturday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the winner punches their ticket to the ‘Final Four’ in Yakima from May 30-31.
“The past couple of years, we’ve been really good, making it all the way to the top four,” Pike said. “Hopefully, we can do it again.
“One more.”
