TACOMA — It was a tough start to the game for the Union Titans.
A tough middle.
A tough end, too
Kentwood scored in bunches Saturday, ending Union’s season with a 17-6 victory in the first round of the Class 4A state baseball playoffs at Heidelberg Park in Tacoma.
The Conquerors scored all those runs by taking advantage of 12 walks and five Union errors. There also were a couple of balls that were misplayed by the Union defense into hits. And a balk scored a run, too.
“We knew what we had to do, and we came out flat,” said senior Cody Hawken, who hit a two-run home run for the Titans.
“Defensively, we didn’t execute whatsoever,” junior Brady Whalen said. “We came out like we played one game in the last two weeks. We weren’t sharp. And those guys executed everything. They executed. We didn’t.”
Even with all that, the Titans were still in it for most of game — at least within threatening range.
Until, that is, the Conquerors scored seven runs in the top of the sixth inning on five hits, three walks, and three errors.
“Too many mistakes. Too many freebies,” Union coach Ben McGrew said. “Playoff baseball is about the value of 90 feet, and we gave them too many free bases.”
Kentwood scored four runs in the first on one hit and six walks. Two runs were scored on bases-loaded walks.
The Conquerors added three runs in the second inning, two in the third and one in the fifth. Kentwood hit five sacrifice flies.
The Titans had plenty of offensive highlights, too. Hawken’s two-run home run came in the first inning to give Union some life after that tough top of the first. Tyler White, Tanner Myers, and Brady Whalen had consecutive two-out hits in the second inning to score two runs. R.J. Quirante had a run-scoring single in the third to make it a four-run deficit at 9-5.
That’s as close as the Titans got, though. Kentwood scored again in the fifth, then blew open the game in the sixth.
Whalen did get a run-scoring single in the bottom of the sixth, but the Titans left the bases loaded when they needed at least two more runs to extend the game to the seventh inning. Instead, the game was called via the 10-run rule.
The Titans had their final post-game meeting of the season, then joined together for one more “break,” led by Hawken, who is headed to the University of Portland to play for the Pilots next year.
“Best group of guys around,” Hawken said. “I love every guy on this team.”
McGrew called it a great season, thanking the seniors for an incredible run of baseball. Last year, the team set the school record with 17 wins. The Titans got to 16 wins this season in two fewer games.
“This senior class raised the bar for Union baseball,” McGrew said. “It’s been a fun group to coach.”
KENTWOOD 17, UNION 6
Kentwood 432 017–17 12 0
Union 221 001–6 9 5
Kentwood
Pitchers — Jordan Jones 4 IP, win, 5 Ks; Ben Wadowski 1 IP; Trenton Harris 1 IP. Highlights — Mike Ciancio 3-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Chaz Lopez 0-1, RBI; Shance McGuire 1-2, RBI; Wadowski 1-2, 2 RBI; Cory Wabinga 1-3, 3B, 4 RBI; Kramer Sims 1-3, RBI; Isaac Hegamin 3-4, RBI; Austin Holm 1-4, RBI; Nick Perry 1-1, RBI.
Union
Pitchers — Jacob Allbee .1 IP, loss; Connor Stevenson 1.2 IP; Brenden Marker 3.2 IP; David Buehler .2 IP. Highlights — Cody Hawken 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Tyler White 1-2, 2B; Tanner Myers 1-2, RBI; Brady Whalen 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Allbee 1-2; R.J. Quirante 1-3, RBI; Marker 1-3.
