Bears beat Bulldogs, Tigers, advance to Regionals

BREWSTER – The defending state champion Brewster varsity baseball team punched its ticket for a return trip with a 6-2 win over Okanogan in a loser-out league/district game last Tuesday, May 9.

The Bulldogs had earlier ended Manson’s season, 4-3, but in three previous regular season games Brewster had defeated Okanogan by a score of 11-3 on March 28, and 3-0 and 16-1 in an April 1 doubleheader.

Head coach Todd Phillips said his team started slower than usual in the four-hitter game, falling behind in the first inning for only the second time this season.

“Taking ten days off and going into a loser out game left us a little tight,” Phillips said. “I think it was the lowest team batting average in a game that we have ever had in a win.” 

Pitcher Tyson Schertenleib had some early trouble locating the strike zone but still only allowed one hit to one of the better Bulldog hitters in the league. 

“We really should have gotten out of there with only one run on the board, maybe a shutout, but we made a few bad decisions defensively,” said Phillips. “(Schertenleib) was one batter away from getting the complete game.”

In the first inning Okanogan’s Carson Boesel drew a walk, stole second, stole third and then scored on a throwing error attempting to throw him out, Phillips said. 

The Bears evened the score in the second inning when Nico Maldonado was hit by a pitch, advanced on a fielder’s choice and scored from second on an errant throw off the bat of Kash Vandelac, said Phillips. 

The Bulldogs reclaimed the lead when Boesel singled up the middle, stole second, advanced on a fielder’s choice, and scored on a ground out by teammate Brayden Meyer.

The Bears took their first lead in the bottom of the third. Cole Aparicio led off with a single, Reese Vassar singled, and Brady Wulf laid down a bunt to advance both runners. Aparicio scored on a passed ball and Vassar followed on an overthrow to the pitcher who was covering home plate. 

In the fifth inning Aparicio drew a walk, and Vassar reached first on an error. A wild pitch advanced both runners. When Okanogan failed a run-down attempt “allowed us to score two more on the fielder’s choice off the bat of Brady Wulf,” Phillips said.

In the sixth inning Grant Baker reached base on an error, Vassar walked, and Wulf walked to bring in Baker on a wild pitch, Phillips said.

Summing up the game Phillips said, “Aparicio may have been our offense player of the game and he flashed some leather on a pretty diving play in the outfield.”

That was a running, diving catch Aparicio made on a high fly ball outside the left field line.

As of this writing the 21-1 Bears lead the state 2B RPI rankings with the remaining top four teams being:

2. Cle-Elum/Roslyn (19-2)

3. Jenkins (Chewelah) (18-3)

4. Toutle Lake (19-2)

5. Tri-Cities Prep (15-3)

Tonasket (11-10) comes in at 21, and Liberty Bell at 23 (8-11).

Stats

Inning:            1          2          3          4          5          6          7          R         H         E 

Okanogan        1          0          1          0          0          0          0          2          1          3 

Brewster         0          1          2          0          2          1          X         6          3          1           

W-Tyson Schertenleib (7-0) 

L-Cutter Pritchard 

S-None 

2B-None 

3B-None 

HR-None 

Brewster defeated Tonasket, 10-0 in five innings on Saturday, May 13, in Wenatchee’s Rec Park to win the District title. Both teams advance to Regional play.