One win away: Plyler dominates, Sumner advances to 4A state championship game
Wyatt Plyler’s arm fling seemed to get more animated as the game wore on. The Sumner junior pitcher’s strikeout celebration — a quick wave of his arm as the umpire rang up Kamiakin batters who went down looking — got plenty of play on Friday morning in Everett.
The Class 4A state tournament semifinal matchup promised a pitcher’s duel between Plyler and Kamiakin’s Zach Vega, a Gonzaga commit.
Plyler came out on top, throwing a gem and sending Sumner through to Saturday’s state championship game with a 6-1 win.
“I was pumped, man,” Plyler said. “The whole week, I’ve been getting prepared. Everything was working for me today. Slider, curveball, everything man. I was dominant today.”
Plyler’s line: six innings, one hit, three walks, 10 strikeouts. Dominant, indeed. Sumner coach Dylan Mclauchlin saw the performance coming after Plyler had a poor batting practice session in the morning.
“Wyatt was an angry Wyatt and when Wyatt’s angry, you kind of know it’s gonna be a good game,” Mclauchlin said, a grin stretching across his face. “He was pounding the zone. He got in some bad counts here and there but found ways to get outs.”
While a true pitcher’s duel didn’t materialize thanks to Sumner’s offense, the prospect of one lit a fire under Plyler.
“I just gotta show I’m the better player,” he said. “That’s what motivates me to be the best. I know my team was really on that guy. Who cares he’s D1, you know? We’re gonna go hit him no matter what.”
On offense, Sumner consistently put pressure on Vega, scoring runs in four of the six innings in which Sumner came up to bat. Liam Ferguson got the party started in the second inning, driving in a run on a single. A Xander Cypher sacrifice fly in the third scored another, then a hit from Trevor Barthelmes scored two more in the fourth.
Catcher Evan Hellner drove in an insurance run in the fifth and Sumner added one more on a throwing error in the fifth, giving Sumner a 6-0 lead.
In total, Sumner tagged Vega for seven hits, seven walks and six runs in 4 2/3 innings.
“I knew that kid was gonna be tough,” Mclauchlin said of Kamiakin’s pitcher. “We prepped for him as best as possible. He’s been like 10, 12 strikeouts every game. … We had three strikeouts against him.
“I’ve been telling everyone this is one of the best hitting teams I’ve ever coached, and it continues to show every single game that we play.”
Sumner will face the winner of top-seeded Richland and Gonzaga Prep in Saturday’s 4A state championship game, 4 p.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“It’s awesome, man,” Plyler said. “The whole season, working with my boys, I think we deserve to be here and we’re gonna go get it tomorrow.”
