Cruisers Sweep Grizzlies, Advance To District Playoffs

The Hoquiam Grizzlies baseball team had their first league win of the year in their grasp as they held a 5-1 lead going into the final inning only to have the Eatonville Cruisers put together a five-run 7th inning that snatched that victory away from the Grizzlies and concluded the Cruisers comeback and gave them a 6-5 win to complete the three-game sweep and secure third place in the 1A Evergreen Conference.

After holding the Cruisers to only 1 run through six innings, the Eatonville hitters finally got to Hoquiam starter Chris Bryson as they roughed him up for five runs in the final frame to hand him the loss for the Grizzlies.

Blain Hanly would go 3-4 on the day with a double and would score the games tying run as he swiped home on a wild pitch. Ashton Meyer would go 2-4 with an RBI and would score the game-winning run after Payton Hanly, who was 2-4 also with an RBI, drove him in.

Payton Hanly would throw 5-⅔ innings and strike out 9 Hoquiam batters. Skylar Sarpy would take over in the bottom of the sixth inning and be the pitcher of record when the Cruisers took the lead in the 7th to pick up the victory.

Earlier in the week on Tuesday, the Cruisers hosted the Grizzlies in a double-header. Eatonville would jump all over the Grizzlies and come away with an 11-3 victory, sealing a postseason bid for the Cruisers.

Skylar Sarpy would lead the Cruisers, going 3-4 with a double and driving in four Cruiser runs. Jakob Lucht would also pick up three hits in the game, going 3-4 with an RBI. Also having multiple hits in the game were Payton Hanly and Brandon Storm. Hanly would hit two doubles and drive in two runs while Storm would drive in a run and score twice.

Blain Hanly would get the nod on the mound for the Cruisers and would go the distance, pitching a complete game, allowing only 3 runs on 6 hits and striking out seven.

Eatonville's senior players from left to right: EJ McMains, Xander Kidd, Dally Curtis, Riley Taylor, Blain Hanly, Brandon Storm, David Ausmus, Jakob Lucht. Kneeling: Skylar Sarpy and Ashton Meyer. Photo: Eric Storm

After the first game, the Cruiser coaching staff, parents, and community members honored the ten seniors on the team and thanked them for their four years with the program, and wished them much luck in their future endeavors.

In the second game, the pitching tandem of Ashton Meyer, Skylar Sarpy, and Jakob Lucht would combine to allow only two hits in the game. Meyer got the start and picked up the win as he went six strong innings, allowing zero hits while striking out six Grizzly hitters as Eatonville cruised to a 7-1 victory.

Payton Hanly would lead the Cruisers with two hits, going 2-4 with a double and driving in four runs.

The Cruisers finish the regular season with a 10-9 record overall and 6-6 in league play. They have clinched the #3 seed into the District 4 playoffs. They will travel to Castle Rock HS on Monday to take on the La Center Wildcats (13-6), who were the TriCo league’s #2 seeded team. Game time is at 4:00 pm. This is a double-elimination tournament and the top three finishers will advance to the state tournament. The winner of Monday’s game will play the winner of the Montesano/Columbia-White Salmon game in the district semi-finals on Tuesday at 4:00 pm at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam while the loser will play the loser of that Montesano/Columbia-White Salmon match-up at 4:00 pm Tuesday at Castle Rock HS.