Prep roundup: Michael Newstrom, Austin Stump help Puyallup clinch 9th straight league title; Fife secures 2A SPSL crown
BASEBALL
Top performer: Troy Johnston, Rogers, senior
CG, SO, 7 IP, 0R, 3 H, 3 K — in 3-0 win over Emerald Ridge
Puyallup 8, Graham-Kapowsin 0: This should send a message.
Not only did the Vikings clinch their ninth consecutive league title, they did so behind dominant pitching from Michael Newstrom and Austin Stump – sealing the 4A SPSL South title with one game remaining in the regular season.
Beau Blowers’ ground ball to third base was scored by Graham-Kapowsin as its lone hit of the game. Though Puyallup recorded it as an error by third baseman Ryan Peterson, which would mean Newstrom and Stump combined to throw a no-hitter. Newstrom subsequently picked Blowers off at first base.
Newstrom, a Washington State University commit, struck out 11 batters and allowed no runs and one walk in six innings on 85 pitches for Puyallup (15-4; 10-1 4A SPSL South). Stump pitched a perfect seventh to secure the title.
Puyallup’s division lead increased to 1½ games when Rogers beat Emerald Ridge earlier Tuesday. That set up the Vikings’ shot at clinching if it could beat G-K.
Puyallup scored its eight runs on just four this thanks to four G-K errors. The Vikings have won 10 of the past 11 league titles.
Graham-Kapowsin (7-9; 5-5 4A SPSL South) fell 1½ games back of Rogers for third place in the league standings. G-K could still clinch third if it wins its final two games, including against Rogers on Thursday.
Rogers 3, Emerald Ridge 0: The standings are razor tight, and the win by the Rams (11-8, 7-4 4A SPSL South) inches them within a game of the Jaguars (13-5, 7-3 4A SPSL South), thanks to a solid pitching performance from Troy Johnston.
Johnston threw a complete game where he allowed just three hits. If coach Matt Whitehead had any thoughts of sending in a reliever for the final frame, Johnston shut it down.
“(Johnston) said, ‘This is my inning, I’m finishing this thing,’” Whitehead said. “He was a bulldog on the mound.”
Whitehead also credited the fight from his team and their determination to battle to the end.
“My guys stuck with it and capitalized on one mistake,” he said.
That mistake came in the seventh inning of a tied game. An Emerald Ridge error allowed Ayden Ruminiski to score from third base before Jacob Stone followed with a two-run pinch-hit single to break the scoreless tie and give the Rams a 3-0 lead.
The loss took Emerald Ridge out of the running for the 4A SPSL title.
Emerald Ridge’s Chad Gideon threw 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
Peninsula 5, Bonney Lake 2: A big sixth inning was the difference in the Seahawks’ (3-12, 3-7 3A SPSL) win over the Panthers (13-3, 9-1 3A SPSL), despite being outhit.
That inning came with the game tied at one. Peninsula put up four runs to take a commanding lead and put the pressure on Bonney Lake in its final frame.
The Panthers scratched together one run, but couldn’t overcome the deficit. They did outhit Peninsula nine to seven, but starting pitcher Andrew Spitzer worked his way out of jams and held them to just two runs.
Offensively, Cooper Sims lead the Seahawks going 2 for 4 with a couple RBIs and a run scored.
This is Bonney Lake’s first conference loss, giving Sumner sole possession of first in the standings.
Curtis 6, Spanaway Lake 2: An early lead and strong pitching from Sammy Abbott allowed the Rams (10-8, 4-6 4A SPSL South) to cruise to victory over the Sentinels (3-11, 0-10 4A SPSL South).
Abbott threw a great game for Curtis. He tossed six innings of one-hit, one-run baseball. He struck out eight in the game.
At the plate, Curtis found pop from A.J. Morioka, who went 1 for 1 with 3 RBIs.
This game featured only four combined hits between the two squads. Seven walks and three errors from Spanaway Lake were the difference though.
Tahoma 8, Kentridge 7: The Bears (13-5, 6-4 4A SPSL Northeast) got back on track with a tight win over the Chargers (8-10, 5-5 4A SPSL Northeast), with fourerrors costing Kentridge dearly.
Kentridge outhit Tahoma 10 to 8 in this contest, but errors doomed them to a loss. Only four of Tahoma’s eight runs were earned. On the other side, Tahoma only committed one error.
Tahoma was led offensively by Henry Murphy, who went 3 for 4 with an RBI and the walkoff home run. Adam Pagnelli went 2 for 3 with a home run of his own and had a couple RBIs.
This win moves Tahoma ahead of Kentridge in the standings by one game.
Kentwood 5, Kent-Meridian 0: Ben Wadowski was lights out from the mound for the Conquerors (16-2, 9-1 4A SPSL Northeast) Tuesday night. He threw a complete game, one-hit shutout and struck out 14 Royals’ (2-16, 0-10 4A SPSL Northeast) hitters in route to the victory.
Wadowski also pitched in from the plate as he went 1-4 with an RBI. Shane McGuire led the Conquerors offensively, with a 2-4, two RBI performance.
Kent-Meridian's Ben Woods went 1-2 and recorded the Royals sole hit for the game.
Fife 20, Clover Park 0 (5 innings): Cole Connolly pitched five shutout innings and the Trojans collected 16 hits to clinch their second consecutive 2A SPSL title and their third in four years.
Fife (13-2; 11-0 2A SPSL) took a four-game lead over Steilacoom (10-7; 7-4 2A SPSL) and White River (10-7; 7-4 2A SPSL) for the top spot in the league standings with three games to play. Fife’s only losses this season came against two California teams during a midseason trip there.
Tanner Knapp, Kevin Nakamura, Jordan Anderson, Chase Anderson, Connolly and Davis Bottemiller drove in two runs each.
Clover Park fell to 0-13 on the season.
Tumwater 5, Centralia 4: Noah Sirkel went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored as the Thunderbirds (8-5, 2-4 2A Evergreen) defeated the defending 2A state champions in extra innings (8-6, 3-3 2A Evergreen).
A litany of errors hurt the Cougars Tuesday. They committed six on the day, and an error by shortstop Nathan Watson in the bottom of the eighth was particularly costly, as the game tying run scored as a result. The Thunderbirds would go on to win the game at the next at bat.
Nolan Wasson went 1-5 with a two RBI double for the Cougars.
Steilacoom 3, Washington 1: Runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings were enough for the Sentinels (10-7, 7-4 2A SPSL) to knock off the Patriots (4-13, 3-8 2A SPSL).
Jeremy Appling threw a solid game for the Sentinels, as he struck out five batters, gave up just four hits, and gave up no unearned runs through five innings. Austin Wiley went 1-3 with an RBI and led the way offensively for the Sentinels.
Manuel Celis went 2-3 from the plate for the Patriots.
White River 6, Franklin Pierce 3: A five run outburst in the fifth inning propelled the Hornets to victory (10-7, 7-4 2A SPS) over the Cardinals (8-9, 6-6 2A SPSL) Tuesday.
Cole Richey had an impressive all around performance Tuesday, he went 1-3 with two RBI’s at the plate, and also recorded the win on the mound for the Hornets as well.
Ethan Bailey went 1-2 with a double and an RBI for the Cardinals.
Mount Rainier Lutheran 14, Muckleshoot Tribal 0: Justin Stewart had a phenomenal game at the plate for the Hawks (5-5, 4-2 1B Sea-Tac) Tuesday. He went 2-4 with a triple, three RBI’s and scored three runs as well as the Hawks defeated the Kings (1-7, 1-5 1B Sea-Tac).
The Hawks scored seven runs in the first two innings, and added seven more runs in the fourth.
Ortiz went 1-2 with a double for the Kings.
SOFTBALL
Top performer: Quinn Briedenbach, Enumclaw, sr.
7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 18 K; 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI – in 8-1 comeback victory over Auburn Riverside
Bellarmine Prep 1, Gig Harbor 0: Chelsea Smith did what no other pitcher has this season.
Shut down the Tides.
The sophomore pitcher struck out 13 batters and allowed just one hit in a complete-game shutout performance for the Lions as they handed Gig Harbor (9-4; 5-1 4A Narrows) its first 4A Narrows defeat of the season.
Bellarmine (7-6, 4-3 4A Narrows) got a run across when Alyssa McKiernan scored in the first inning and Smith made it hold up from there.
Tessa Waage’s triple was Gig Harbor’s lone hit. The Tides fell to second place behind Yelm (12-2, 7-0 4A Narrows) for the league’s top spot. Gig Harbor hadn’t lost since starting the season 0-3 with losses to Battle Ground, Rogers and Puyallup.
Fife 5, Steilacoom 3: Anna Kasner followed her 20-strikeout no-hitter with 16 strikeouts in six no-hit innings for the Trojans on Tuesday in a win over the Sentinels.
Kasner was pulled after six innings with Fife (13-0; 9-0 2A SPSL) leading 5-0, despite being an inning away from back-to-back no hitters. Nicole Burns closed the game out despite allowing three runs on two hits in the seventh.
The only batter to reach base on Kasner, a Western Washington University signee, came on an error in the second inning.
Burns was 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple and an RBI, while Margaret Crist was 1-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs.
Fife next plays Orting (9-1, 6-1 2A SPSL) at 4 p.m. Thursday with a chance to clinch the 2A SPSL title.
Enumclaw 8, Auburn Riverside 1: Quinn Breidenbach struck out 18 batters in a complete-game performance as the Hornets (10-1; 9-0 3A SPSL) broke a 1-1 tie with seven runs in the top of the seventh inning for the win.
Auburn Riverside led 1-0 until Camp doubled home Madelyn Carlson in the top of the fifth inning to tie it. It stayed that way until Breidenbach scored the go-ahead run in a passed ball in the top of the seventh and more mistakes doomed the Ravens.
Two of Enumclaw’s eight runs were earned. Auburn Riverside (6-6; 5-4 3A SPSL) pitcher Autumn Lee pitched all seven innings, striking out three batters.
Breindenbach, the UMass signee who is The News Tribune’s reigning All-Area player of the year, allowed just two hits and three walks and was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs. Becca Fabris was 2 for 3.
Lee had both of the Ravens’ hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
White River 17, Washington 1 (5 innings): Maddi Pipitone struck out six batters in five innings and Megan Vandegrift was 2-for-2 with a home run as the Hornets cruised past the Patriots.
White River (6-7; 6-2 2A SPSL) scored nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
GIRL’S TENNIS
Top performer: Yanira Suarez, Lincoln
Defeated opponent 6-0, 6-0 — in Abes’ 5-0 win over Central Kitsap
Black Hills 4, W.F. West 3: The match between the Wolves (7-3, 4-3 2A Evergreen) and the Bearcats (5-5, 0-5 2A Evergreen) was about as tight as imaginable. Each side won three matches, but Black Hills won the tiebreaker, winning more games.
Black Hills bested W.F. West two to one in singles play. Bailey Weatherby and Brittany Ryser scored wins for the Wolves, while the Bearcats’ Joelee Chung scored a win for her side.
The roles were reversed in doubles play, with W.F. West winning two compared to Black Hills’ one.
Wilson 4, Foss 1: Behind strong doubles play, Wilson (5-7, 3-3 3A Narrows) was able to comfortably top Foss (0-10, 0-7 3A Narrows) in this matchup.
Foss found its lone win in singles play with a win from Michaela Phillip in straight sets. Hilary Shaw from Wilson evened the score with her win, which took three sets.
Wilson took control of the matchup in doubles play. The Rams were able to take all three matches, all coming in straight sets.
Lakes 3, Peninsula 2: This was a tight matchup between the Lancers (6-6, 5-5 3A SPSL) and the Seahawks (3-8, 3-7 3A SPSL), with the former winning after running the table in doubles play.
Peninsula got its two wins in singles play. Allie Berry and Sasha Nayer came with with wins in straight sets.
But it was Lakes who dominated doubles play, winning all three matches, and in turn, the matchup. All three wins came in straight sets.
Lincoln 5, Central Kitsap 0: The Lancers (8-2, 3-1 3A Narrows) dominated Tuesday, as they won all five matches against the Cougars (1-9, 1-5 3A SPSL).
Yanira Suarez swept her singles match, while her teammate Narazie Phaifan dropped just one game.
preps@thenewstribune.com
This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Prep roundup: Michael Newstrom, Austin Stump help Puyallup clinch 9th straight league title; Fife secures 2A SPSL crown."