Taft High scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning of the second game and held off a four-run rally in the bottom of the frame Friday to split a league doubleheader at Rainier.
“We struggled today,” said Taft coach Matt Hilgers, whose Tigers lost the opener 4-2, but won the second game, 7-6. “We didn’t have the energy or mindset to win two ball games. We were fortunate to come out of there with one win.”
Senior center fielder Tyee Fisher had two hits in support of senior starter Bleiz Kimbrough, and relievers Trenton Fisher and Cody Knott in the nightcap as eight Tigers collected hits to open an eight-game road swing to conclude the regular season.
“We pitched well and played pretty solid in the infield,” Hilgers said.”We really struggled at the plate. We didn’t make the needed adjustments until the seventh inning of Game 2.”
The Columbians opened a 2-0 lead with runs in the second and third innings off Kimbrough before the Tigers cut the margin to 2-1 by scoring in the sixth with Trenton Fisher on the hill.
Taft erupted for six tuns in the top of the seventh off three Rainier pitchers to move on top 7-2 before a rally by the host Columbians came up a run short in the last of the seventh.
Sophomore Ethan Thomas drove home two runs for Taft, and seven different players scored for the Tigers, who committed six errors and stranded 10.
Sophomore Fco Ramos doubled and Tyee Fisher tripled for Taft.
The victory lifted the ninth-ranked Tigers to 10-9 overall and 6-3 in Special District 2 play when coupled with Friday’s two-run opening-game defeat. The doubleheader split left seventh-rated Rainier at 8-6, 4-3.
Rainier’s Logan Keizur went the distance for the win in the opener while striking out five and allowing just two hits — singles by junior starter Eli DeMello and freshman Kaden Hindman.
The Columbians scored a run in the first, two and the fourth and one in the fifth to go up 4-0 before Taft cut the margin in half with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh from Tyee Fisher and Thomas.
Sophomore Darius Smith was credited with Taft’s only RBI.
Austin Cantrell hit a home run for Rainier.
“Sitting in the bus for almost four hours showed today,” Hilgers said. “We need to find a way to make these road trips and show up with energy and ready for baseball.”
Taft is at first-place Warrenton at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“I give [Rainier] credit,” Hilgers said. “They came ready to play and made some defensive plays and put good swings on the ball when they needed to. We showed some fight in Game 2. We need to take that momentum into next week and make the necessary adjustments at the plate.”
GAME 1 Rainier 4, Taft 2 TAFT AB R H BI RAINIER AB R H BI Trenton Fisher 3 0 0 0 Joey Tripp 4 0 1 0 Eli DeMello 3 0 1 0 Kenney Tripp 4 0 0 0 Cody Knott 3 0 0 0 Jorden Kangas 3 1 1 0 Tyee Fisher 2 1 0 0 Austin Cantrell 3 1 2 1 Bleiz Kimbrough 3 0 0 0 Jayden Robb 3 1 1 0 Fco Ramos 1 0 0 0 Logan Keizur 2 1 0 0 Darius Smith 2 0 0 1 Tanner Chapman 3 0 1 0 Kaden Hindman 3 0 1 0 Tyler Nelson 3 0 1 1 Ethan Thomas 3 1 0 0 Hunter Boulch 3 0 1 1 TOTALS 23 2 2 1 TOTALS 28 4 8 3 TAFT 000 001 1 -- 2 RAINIER 100 210 x -- 4 LOB--TAFT 4, RAINIER 7. E--Darius Smith, Cody Knott, Austin Cantrell, Logan Keizur. HR--Austin Cantrell. SACF--Darius Smith. SB--Ethan Thomas. TAFT IP H R ER BB SO HR Eli DeMello 5.33 8 4 3 1 1 1 Trenton Fisher 0.67 0 0 0 0 0 0 RAINIER Logan Keizur 7.00 2 2 1 3 5 0 WP--Logan Keizur. SO--Tyee Fisher, Fco Ramos, Kaden Hindman, Darius Smith, Cody Knott, Kenney Tripp. BB--Tyee Fisher, FCO Ramos (2), Logan Keizur.
GAME 2
Taft 7, Rainier 6
TAFT AB R H BI RAINIER AB R H BI
Trenton Fisher 4 0 1 0 Joey Tripp 3 1 0 0
Eli DeMello 5 1 0 0 Kenney Tripp 4 1 0 0
Cody Knott 4 1 1 0 Jorden Kangas 3 1 3 1
Tyee Fisher 3 1 2 1 Austin Cantrell 4 0 0 0
Bleiz Kimbrough 4 1 1 1 Jayden Robb 4 0 1 0
Darius Smith 4 1 1 0 Logan Keizur 3 1 0 0
Fco Ramos 4 1 1 0 Tyler Nelson 3 0 1 0
Kaden Hindman 4 1 1 0 Hunter Boulch 3 1 0 0
Ethan Thomas 3 0 1 2 Preston Setzer 1 0 0 1
Kevin Boursaw 0 1 0 0
TOTALS 35 7 9 4 TOTALS 28 6 5 2
TAFT 000 001 6 -- 7
RAINIER 011 000 4 -- 6
LOB--TAFT 10, RAINIER 6. E--Tyee Fisher (2), Fco
Ramos, Eli DeMello, Darius Smith (2), Austin Cantrell,
Braden Marcum, Joey Tripp, Jayden Robb, Preston Setzer (2).
2B--Fco Ramos, Jorden Kangas. 3B--Tyee Fisher.
TAFT IP H R ER BB SO HR
Bleiz Kimbrough 5.00 3 2 1 3 3 0
Trenton Fisher 1.00 2 4 2 2 0 0
Cody Knott 1.00 0 0 0 0 0 0
RAINIER
Braden Marcum 6.00 4 1 0 3 5 0
Joey Tripp 0.33 5 6 5 0 1 0
Jorden Kangas 0.67 0 0 0 0 0 0
PB--Preston Setzer. WP--Braden Marcum, Joey Tripp. SO--Tyee
Fisher, Fco Ramos (2), Kaden Hindman, Darius Smith, Cody
Knott, Kenney Tripp, Jayden Robb, Preston Setzer. BB--Tyee
Fisher, Ethan Thomas, Trenton Fisher, Logan Keizur, Joey
Tripp, Preston Setzer, Jorden Kangas, Kevin Boursaw.
