ANACORTES — Cedarcrest senior Nick Bowersock pitched a two-hitter and the Red Wolves got a home run from Tanner Schaefer to beat Granite Falls 2-0 in a loser-out consolation quarterfinal in the 2A District 1/2 Tournament at Volunteer Park on Tuesday.
Cedarcrest advances to play Archbishop Murphy in a winner-to-state consolation semifinal game at Volunteer Park on Saturday at 11 a.m. The winner of that game plays in the district’s third-place game to follow.
Tuesday, Bowersock retired the first 11 batters he faced before allowing a two-out double to deep left to Granite Falls’ Daniel Head. After walking Chris Gentry, Bowersock got Greg Barnett to fly out to second base to end the threat.
The Red Wolves starter didn’t allow another base runner until Gentry singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Bowersock, who finished with four strikeouts, coaxed a groundout and flyout to end the game, keeping his team’s state hopes alive and ending the Tigers’ season.
“He just got ahead of our hitters,” said Granite Falls coach Doug Engstrom of Bowersock.
Granite Falls starter Chris Gentry was solid as well. The right-hander allowed just five hits and had six strikeouts over seven innings, but one of the hits was Schaefer’s home run and a first-inning walk came around to score on Colton Sandhofer’s single.
Granite Falls (13-9 overall) may have fallen short of state, but the future is bright. The Tigers graduate only one senior, Riley Larsen, and return the heart of their order in Head, Gentry and Barnett and an ace on the mound in Gentry.
“We should have a solid group the next couple of years,” Engstrom said. “We have a good group of freshman and sophomore coming up. It’ll be a good battle for varsity next year.”
At Volunteer Park
Cedarcrest1000100—250
Granite Falls0000000—021
Nick Bowersock and Blaine Wagner. Chris Gentry and Griffin Chapman. WP—Bowersock (5-2). LP—Gentry (6-2) 2B—Daniel Head (GF). HR—Tanner Schaefer (C). Records—Cedarcrest 13-9. Granite Falls 13-9.
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