Bears all but clinch fourth Central Washington B league title

BREWSTER – The undefeated Brewster High School varsity baseball team has all but wrapped another Central Washington 2B league championship with a 6-0 over the Mountain Lions at home on Tuesday, April 17.
The Mountain Lions came within one run of ending Brewster’s 12-0-win streak a week earlier on the Bears’ home diamond,
“(We) put ourselves in a good position to lock down our fourth league title,” said head coach Todd Phillips.
Following two scoreless innings, Turk Riggan worked a two-strike situation in the bottom of the third into a full 3-2 count before hitting a double down third base line. Riggan then scored on an error off the bat of Corey Jarrell. Jarrell then scored when Jeff Sonneman was hit by a pitch forcing Jarrell home from third with the bases loaded.
While Jarrell scored one of Brewster first two runs, the game saw his 14-game hitting streak that carried over from last season, broken.
After leaving the bases loaded in the fourth inning, the Bears scored twice more in the fifth.
Jeff Sonneman reached base on an error and advanced to second on a Kade Kelpman sacrifice bunt. Then Isaac Baker singled and stole second and both runners scored on an error off the bat of Cade Gebbers.
While up 4-0 over the potentially dangerous Mountain Lions, Brewster added two insurance runs in the sixth inning.
“Joe Taylor reached (base) on an error and took second on a throwing error,” said Phillips.
Taylor then scored on a single by Quincy Vassar.
“AJ Woodward came in to run for Quincy and did a great job of going from first to third on Sonneman’s single and scored on Kelpman’s ground out.” said Phillips. “AJ is doing a great job for us as mostly a pinch runner and courtesy runner. He’s going to be a great player, but he is kind of having to pay his dues as an eighth grader.”
Phillips added that were he playing for any other team in the CW2B Woodward would be a starter “and most likely one of their best players.”
Summing up the game, Phillips said the Bears need to improve their hitting with runners on base.
“We left nine on base and seven in scoring position,” said Phillips.
The coach praised the pitching of Joe Taylor for “a great job of pitching to contact and trusting his defense to make plays. He was perfect after five and lost the no-no with one out to go.”
“The fact that he was able to go out and deal against the second-place team in our league in a must situation solidifies the fact that he the best player in the league if not the state at out level,” Phillips said of Taylor’s abilities.
“We probably have the four best players in the league if not more,” said Phillips. “We have guys on the bench that would be the best players on most of the teams in the league.”