Mariners earn top seed, head to districts
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Mission Valley Mariners pitcher Nick Crawford
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POLSON — The Mission Valley Mariners finished up regular season play taking first in conference with a 19- 5 record. They will be going to districts, starting Thursday, as the number-one seed.
In the final stretch of conference games last week, the Mariners started it off right with a pair of wins in Salmon, ID against the Salmon Savages. Tuesday’s game one was a tight one with the M’s pulling out the 3-2 win.
Chris Drebes threw a complete seven innings, picking up the win for the Mariners. Drebes struck out four, walked three, and allowed no earned runs.
Jeremiah Crawford and Alex Killian picked up an RBI each.
The Mariners bats woke up for game two against Salmon in the 13-2 victory. Mariners let loose at the plate and put up 10 hits on the board, ending the game with the 10-run mercy rule.
Bradley Pichler was hot at the dish going 2-3 with a double and a triple, and had two RBI’s. Alex Killian lead the M’s in RBI’s with three.
Jared Young grabbed the W on the mound throwing five solid innings. Young allowed four walks and struck out three.
Thursday brought the Bitterroot Red Sox to O’Malley Field to face off against the Mariners at home. In game one of the double header, the Mariners took the lead in the first inning and never let it go with the 6-4 win.
TJ Olson and Alex Killian both went 2-3 with two RBI’s a piece. Webster-Yaqui also brought home a run going 2-3 on the game.
Nick Crawford threw flame from the mound striking out six and only allowing two earned runs with no walks.
Four first inning runs helped push the Mariners to the 9-6 win in game two. Alex Killian, Bradley Pichler, and Zeke Webster-Yaqui provided help for the M’s as they combined six hits between them, two a piece.
Kellen Hoyt strong-armed his way to the win, going the distance on the bump. Hoyt fanned eight batters and walked four.
Ryan Pablo and Jeremiah Crawford reached base three times each with a single and two walks. Bradley Pichler lead the M’s with two RBI’s for the game.
On Saturday, the Mariners traveled to Florence to meet the Bitterroot Bucs for a pair of games. The Bucs’ home field has been a dangerous battleground in the years past and proved to be, yet again, a thorn for the M’s as they dropped two to the Bucs.
The first game was a struggle from the first inning with the Bucs scoring six runs right out of the gate. Even though the Mariners outhit the Bucs with eight hits to Bitterroot’s five, the M’s just couldn’t get anyone pushed over home plate. Mariners were handed the 2-8 loss.
Jared Young led the M’s in hits going 2-3. Ryan Pablo and TJ Olson plated the only two RBI’s for the game.
Zeke Webster-Yaqui pitched the first four innings, striking out one and only allowing one earned run. Chris Drebes came in the final two innings.
Game two brought more of a battle as the two teams went back and forth through the seven innings. The Bucs ended with the 7- 8 win, scoring their final run in the bottom of seven. Once again, the Mariners outhit the Bucs 15 to 11.
Bradley Pichler threw six and one-third innings, striking out two and walking only two. Chris Drebes finished out the seventh on the mound.
Bransen Krebs had a big bat going yard with a solo shot over the left center wall. Brennan Andrews had a perfect game at the dish going 3-3 and Ryan Pablo brought home two RBI’s.
On Sunday, the Mariners had their final conference face off in a makeup double-header against the Salmon Savages. The M’s needed to win both games in order to place first in conference.
In the baking 90-degree sun, the Mariners took the first game in five innings, 11-1, in front of their hometown fans.
Kellen Hoyt threw heat from the bump with control and ease. Hoyt struck out six and allowed three walks and only one earned run.
Zeke Webster-Yaqui landed on base four times with a single and three walks and Keith Woodward had a huge RBI double. Jeremiah Crawford and Brennan Andrews each had two RBI’s.
Game two saw the Mariners take an early lead with two runs in the first inning. They stayed on top throughout 6 innings, sealing the 11-1 win after Bradley Pichler took home on a passed ball.
Bats were hot at the dish with several of the Mariners lineup plating multiple hits. Zeke Webster-Yaqui went 2-3 with a triple and two RBI’s. Keith Woodward also had a 2-3 game with two RBI’s.
Alex Killian stood his ground on the mound, going the distance and picking up the final conference win for the Mariners. Killian kept Salmon at bay allowing only three hits, two walks and fanning five.
Thursday in Eureka, the M’s will start District play against eighth-seed Kootenai Valley Rangers.
The first and second place teams out of District will continue on to the State Championship Tournament held in Helena August 1–5.
Summary
Tuesday, July 16
Game 1:
Mariners 3, Savages 2
Pablo 1-3, Webster-Yaqui 1-3, Killian 1-3, J.Crawford 1-3, Pichler 0-3, Krebs 0-2, Olson 0-2, Harlan 0-2, Andrews 0-3.
RBI’s – Killian, J.Crawford.
Game 2:
Mariners 13, Savages 2
Pablo 2-3, Webster-Yaqui 3-4, Killian 1-3, J.Crawford 1-4, Pichler 2-3, Krebs 1-3, Olson 0-2, Woodward 0-2, Andrews 0-3.
2B – Pablo, Killian, Pichler. 3B – Pichler. RBI’s – Killian (3), Webster – Yaqui (2), Pichler (2), J.Crawford, Krebs.
Thursday, July 18
Game 1:
Mariners 6, Red Sox 4
Pablo 1-3, Webster-Yaqui 2-3, Killian 2-3, J.Crawford 1-3, Pichler 1-3, Krebs 0-3, Olson 2-3, Woodward 1-3, Andrews 0-1.
2B – Webster-Yaqui, Killian. RBI’s – Killian (2), Olson (2), Webster-Yaqui.
Game 2:
Mariners 9, Red Sox 6
Pablo 1-1, Webster-Yaqui 2-3, Killian 2-4, J.Crawford 1-1, Pichler 2-4, Krebs 0-2, Harlan 1-2, Young 0-1, Woodward 1-2, Drebes 0-1, Olson 0-1, Rasmussen 0-1, Andrews 0-1.
RBI’s – Pichler (2), Webster-Yaqui, Killian, J.Crawford.
Saturday, July 20
Game 1:
Bucs 6, Mariners 2
Pablo 1-4, Webster-Yaqui 1-3, Killian 0-2, J.Crawford 0-3, Pichler 1-3, Krebs 1-3, Olson 1-3, Young 2-3, Andrews 1-3.
2B – Pablo, Krebs. RBI’s – Pablo, Olson.
Game 2:
Bucs 8, Mariners 7
Pablo 3-5, Webster-Yaqui 0-1, Killian 3-5, J.Crawford, 1-4, Harlan 1-4, Krebs 1-5, Olson 2-4, Woodward 1-4, Andrews 3-3.
2B- Killian (2), Andrews. HR – Krebs. RBI’s – Pablo (2), Webster-Yaqui, Killian, Harlan, Krebs, Woodward.
Sunday, July 21
Game 1:
Mariners 11, Savages 1
Pablo 1-2, Webster-Yaqui 1-1, Killian 1-4, J.Crawford 1-4, Pichler 0-2, Krebs 1-2, Olson 1-3, Woodward 1-1, Andrews 1-1, Harlan 0-2, Young 0-1, Rasmussen 1-1.
2B – Woodward. RBI’s – J.Crawford (2), Andrews (2), Pablo, Killian, Krebs, Olson, Woodward.
Game 2:
Mariners 11, Savages 1
Andrews 2-3, Webster-Yaqui 2-3, Harlan 2-3, J.Crawford 0-2, Pichler 1-3, Krebs 1-2, Olson 1-2, Hoyt 0-3, Woodward 2-3, Young 0-1, Drebes 0-1, N.Crawford 1-1.
2B – Krebs. 3B – Webster-Yaqui. RBI’s – Webster-Yaqui (2), Woodward (2), Andrews, J.Crawford, Krebs, Olson, Drebes.
