Entering next weekend’s state baseball playoffs, no team in Southwest Washington is hotter than Seton Catholic.
The Cougars rolled to the program’s first district championship, beating Tenino 11-0 in the Class 1A District 4 title game Saturday at Castle Rock High School.
Seton Catholic (13-5) has won 12 straight and outscoring opponents 32-3 in three district tournament games.
Saturday, Jack Willams and Kolten Gesser combined to hold Tenino hitless over five innings.
The Cougars scored eight runs in the fourth inning, taking advantage of four hit batters, two walks and two errors. Ryker Ruelas had a two-RBI single in the inning and went 2 for 3 on the day.
Garrett Nebels also went 2 for 3 including an RBI single that put Seton ahead 3-0 in the second inning.
LA CENTER 4, MONTESANO 2 – Despite being held to two hits, the Wildcats wrapped up a state berth by surviving a loser-out game at Castle Rock High.
La Center took a 2-0 lead when two runs crossed the plate on a throwing error in the second inning.
The Wildcats tacked on two more runs in the third to lead 4-1. Caden Taylor scored on a wild pitch before Smith Stimmel’s single drove in Justin Fuller.
Fuller had eight strikeouts over five innings, allowing two hits and walking three. Garrett Maunu pitched the final two innings in relief.
4A BI-District Tournament
BATTLE GROUND 4, KENWOOD 3 – Noah Salyers hit an infield single to score Keegan Moffatt with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to clinch a berth in the Class 4A state baseball tournament.
Salyers’ hit wrapped up Battle Ground’s third straight win in the District 3-4 tournament. The Tigers entered Saturday’s games in Tacoma with two chances to secure the program’s first state berth since 2017.
Trailing 2-0, Battle Ground scored three runs in the fifth inning, including RBI groundouts by Salyers, Jackson Hotchkiss and an RBI single by Cooper McGowan.
James Gill entered the game in the sixth and pitched four perfect innings in relief, striking out five.
PUYALLUP 9, CAMAS 0 – The No 2-ranked Vikings erupted for eight runs in the third inning of the District 3/4 semifinals in Kent.
No. 6-ranked Camas, which had already clinched its third consecutive state berth, was held to three hits.
TAHOMA 11, CAMAS 4 – Camas couldn’t dig out of an early hole in the bi-district third place game.
The Bears erupted for seven runs in the first inning as the first six batters of the game reached base, five coming on base hits.
Anthony Forner went 2 for 4 with three stolen bases for Camas, which enters the 4A state playoffs at 16-8.
3A Bi-District Tournament
PENINSULA 2, KELSO 0 – Connor Wesemann went 3 for 3 but the Hilanders couldn’t break through in the bi-district semifinals in Auburn.
Kaleb Copeland scattered eight hits and walked two as the Seahawks handed Kelso just its second loss of the season.
SILAS 5, KELSO 4 – The Rams rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to win the third-place game at the bi-district tournament.
Silas scored on a steal of home, an error and an RBI single. The Tacoma team’s rally came after being shut down by Blake Larwick, who was relieved after allowing one hit and one walk over six innings.
Connor Wesemann and Evan Sweet each had two hits for Kelso.
