LONGVIEW — Up until the final, desperate innings of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Baseball Championships, the potent Edmonds offense had enough pop to compensate for the team’s other shortcomings.
But against Mount Hood on Monday at David Story Field, the rescue effort never arrived.
Edmonds was eliminated one game shy of the title game by a 3-2 loss to the Saints, shut down by the same pitcher the Tritons bowled over in the tournament opener. Shannon Wirth tossed a complete game for Mt. Hood, and was set up for the victory by a three-run rally in the top of the seventh.
A Tritons squad which averaged 14 hits in their first four games managed just five on Monday.
“We got runners in scoring position,” said Edmonds coach Tighe Dickinson. “We couldn’t come up with the big hit.”
Lower Columbia defeated the Saints 6-2 in the championship game.
Mt. Hood had just three hits against the Tritons, but needed only one to win. Chad Schroeder’s two-out single on a soft line drive to center knocked in two runs to give the Saints a 3-1 lead in the seventh inning.
After pushing home its first run in the bottom of the sixth, Edmonds opened the door for a Mt. Hood response by hitting a batter and misplaying a sacrifice bunt attempt to start the seventh.
“It’s always the little things defensively that kill you,” Dickinson said.
All-tournament selection Paul Gran pulled the Tritons to within a run by singling home Michael Gilbert in the bottom of the eighth to make it 3-2.
But Wirth retired Edmonds in order in the ninth, bouncing back from a Thursday effort that saw him surrender six runs and throw 119 pitches in a no-decision against the Tritons.
“Wirth had a great game. The difference today was that he threw his slider for strikes,” Dickinson said. “To come back after throwing all those pitches like he did? That was tough.”
Edmonds starter Josh Amberson, who has been with the Tritons for three years after losing a year to an injury, was solid in a losing effort. The first-year pitcher took a one-hitter into the seventh inning against Mt. Hood, with just one walk and two strikeouts.
“He rehabbed so hard,” said Dickinson. “That’s what I’m proudest of him for.”
Nick Whitworth replaced Amberson who allowed the first two batters of the seventh to reach when he beaned Saint James Allan and made a high throw on Greyson Thain’s sacrifice bunt, pulling first baseman Ryan Strieby off the bag.
After a pop-out, Whitworth gave up a single that loaded the bases, then walked in the tying run with a free pass to Cody Herrick, setting up Schroeder’s game-winning hit.
Edmonds took a 1-0 lead in the sixth, when Mark Thompson reached on an error, moved to second on a bunt by Gilbert, and scored on a bloop double by Strieby to shallow right.
“This is not the way you want it to end,” said Dickinson. “But do I consider this a successful season? No doubt. The things we did offensively were amazing. We played the way we play and had a great year.”
Gran was joined on the all-tournament team by Strieby, Gilbert, and Josh Waite.
At Longview
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Shannon Wirth and Cody Herrick; Josh Amberson, Nick Whitworth (7), Tyler Johnson (7) and Josh Waite
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