Taft High senior outfielder Tyee Fisher hit a grand slam and drove in five runs Tuesday as the Tigers erupted for 11 early runs and rolled to a 17-0 league home baseball victory over Clatskanie on Senior Night at the Pit.
“We came out very aggressive to start the game today,” Taft coach Matt Hilgers said. “We jumped on them in the first inning and you could feel that we had taken away any momentum they might have had.”
The Tigers improved to 9-8 overall and 5-2 in Special District 2 play behind two hits each from Fisher, his younger cousin, junior leadoff hitter Trenton Fisher, freshman Kaden Hindman and starting junior pitcher Eli DeMello.
Senior first baseman Bleiz Kimbrough knocked in three runs and DeMello and senior infielder Cody Knott scored three times each in support of three Taft pitchers.
DeMello went three innings and was relieved by Tyee Fisher and Kimbrough as Taft attempts to save innings and arms for a demanding schedule that calls for several Friday doubleheaders, including one this week at Rainier.
Sophomores Ethan Thomas and Graden Kerr joined the Fishers with two runs scored for Taft.
The Tigers’ dominating win came on Senior Night with honorees Knott, Kimbrough and Tyee Fisher,
“All three had their moms throw the first pitch to start the game tonight,” Hilgers said. “We really appreciate all three of our seniors and the support we have gotten from their families over the last four seasons.”
Clatskanie, which managed just three hits, fell to 4-9, 2-3.
Taft, which moved into the top 10 in the state’s Class 3A rankings at No. 8 with the win, returns to the field for a 3 p.m. SD2 doubleheader Friday at Rainier.
“We now need to focus on Friday,” Hilgers said. “Today’s game is over and we have a doubleheader Friday against a team that is wanting to beat us. To continue to reach our goals this year we need to have the right mindset heading into a long day of baseball on Friday against a good ball club. We have to play our game and control what we can control.”
Taft 17, Clatskanie 0 CLATSKANIE AB R H BI TAFT AB R H BI Luke Roth 2 0 0 0 Trenton Fisher 3 2 2 2 Dawson Evenson 3 0 0 0 Eli DeMello 3 3 2 1 Cade Warren 2 0 0 0 Cody Knott 2 3 0 1 Foster Evenson 2 0 0 0 Tyee Fisher 2 2 2 5 Jackson Boothe 2 0 0 0 Bleiz Kimbrough 4 1 0 3 Andre Combs 1 0 1 0 Darius Smith 3 1 1 1 Chase Baker 2 0 1 0 FCO Ramos 3 1 1 1 Noah Patterson 2 0 0 0 Kaden Hindman 3 0 2 1 Sam Shockley 2 0 1 0 Ethan Thomas 1 2 1 1 Graden Kehr 0 2 0 0 TOTALS 18 0 3 0 TOTALS 24 17 11 16 CLATSKANIE 000 00 -- 0 TAFT (11)03 3x -- 17 LOB--CLATSKANIE 5, TAFT 3. E--Sam Shockley (2), Noah Patterson, Fco Ramos. 2B--Kaden Hindman. HR--Tyee Fisher. HBP--Eli DeMello, Trenton Fisher. SACF--Ethan Thomas. SB--Eli DeMello. CLATSKANIE IP H R ER BB SO HR Luke Roth (L) 0.67 4 9 4 2 0 0 Jackson Boothe 0.33 1 2 2 1 0 1 Foster Evenson 3.00 6 6 5 2 1 0 TAFT Eli DeMello (W) 3.00 1 0 0 1 3 0 Tyee Fisher 1.33 1 0 0 1 1 0 Bleiz Kimbrough 0.67 1 0 0 0 1 0 PB--Cade Warren (3). BALK--Luke Roth. SO--Jackson Boothe, Luke Roth, Cade Warren, Dawson Evenson (2), Fco Ramos. BB--Luke Roth, Andre Combs, Tyee Fisher (2), Ethan Thomas, Cody Knott (2).
