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Wolverine sluggers place second in district; head to Chimacum May 8

Story and photos by Matt Pranger

Friday Harbor's baseball team came a strike and out from winning the Class 1A District Baseball Tournament in Blaine Saturday, May 5. The Wolverines trimmed Lynden Christian 4-3 in the opening round and led 4-2 in the seventh inning of the title game but Nooksack Valley rallied for a 11-4 victory in nine innings.

The Wolverines (19-3) travel to Chimacum (18-2) Tuesday, May 8 for the first round of the Tri-District Tournament. The winner of that contest advances to the State Sweet 16. The loser must win two more games to enter the state tourney.

Michael Sandifer, Friday Harbor's No. 9 hitter, ripped a clutch base hit to drive in the tying run against Lynden Christian and Cole Franklin drove in the winning run on a double.

Richie Ochoa earned the win by tossing a two-hitter. At the plate he smashed a run-scoring double.

Albert Strasser hit two singles and had an RBI for the Wolverines and Ryan Aylward doubled and scored the tying run. Matt Rothlisberger, Seiji Boku and Jordan Nash rapped singles.

Lynden Christian's Scott Tinklenberg scored the first run of the game by crushing a ball over the right-center fence in the top of the first. The Lyncs scored their second run on Andrew Ryan's sacrifice in the third.

Friday Harbor tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Rothlisberger reached base on balls and Ochoa's two-out double. Justin James, running for Ochoa, went to third on an errant pickoff attempt. James scored after Boku connected and reached base on a fielding error.

The Lyncs regained the lead on three Wolverine miscues in the fourth inning.

Aylward led off the sixth inning by reaching base and advancing to second on a throwing error. He went to third on Jordan Nash's single and scored on Sandifer's base hit. Two outs later, Franklin blistered a ball down the third baseline into Friday Harbor coach Rich Warin's left thigh. Franklin turned on a subsequent pitch for the game-winning double.

Nooksack advanced to the championship contest by edging Meridian 3-2 in the opening round. Meridian eliminated the Lyncs 11-8 in the consolation contest.

In the final, the Pioneers went up 2-0 in the second on a single, three walks and an error.

Friday Harbor knotted the score in the bottom of the inning. Boku was hit by a pitch and Strasser hit into a fielder's choice. Aylward singled and Nash was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sandifer cracked a base hit, driving in Strasser. Rothlisberger drove in Aylward on a sacrifice.

Wolverine third baseman Forrest Crawford prevented a run from scoring in the fourth inning. With a Pioneer runner on third, Crawford dove and knocked down a shot along the baseline. He popped up and whipped the ball to first.

Friday Harbor gained a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the inning on three hits. Rothlisberger hit a one-out single and Crawford worked a walk. Franklin drove in Rothlisberger with a single. Ochoa hit into a fielder's choice. Boku slapped a base hit, sending Crawford home.

Rothlisberger, Friday Harbor's No. 2 pitcher, retired next eight Pioneers in order. Franklin recorded one of the outs with a defensive gem at short. He handled a hot hop off his shoulder and gunned down the runner.

With two outs and a 3-2 count in the top of the seventh Rothlisberger couldn't get the final strike. Nooksack loaded the bases on a blooper between first and second and a walk. The Pioneers scored the tying runs on an errant to throw to first. If it had been online, the Wolverines would have won and would have hosted the Tri-District first-round game May 8.

Nooksack had the tying run at third in the eighth after a single, a sacrifice bunt and fielder's choice. Left fielder Eddie Nash denied the Pioneers the go-ahead run by snagging a sinker and avoiding Franklin, who also was breaking to the ball.

Rothlisberger forced the Pioneers to hit 'em where they are most of the game but ran out of gas in the ninth and was replaced by Franklin. Arlen Pelleboer gave the Pioneers the winning margin by cranking a bases-clearing double. Nooksack added four more runs.

SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008

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