Photos by Eric DeMello
Considering his status as leadoff hitter and team captain, who better to set the stage for the Taft High baseball team’s undeniable success than senior shortstop Josh Salsbery?
“Everyone is swinging the bat well, guys are playing their positions to their full potential, and it’s showing,” Salsbery said Monday after the No. 1-ranked Tigers overcame a hailstorm and blustery weather to roll to a 13-1 West Valley League home victory over Willamina in five innings.
Left fielder Tyee Fisher drove home two runs on three extra-base hits, and fellow juniors Kam Kessler and Bleiz Kimbrough combined on a one-hitter as first-place Taft won its seventh straight game to improve to 13-2 overall and 5-0 in league play.
The Tigers, who have outscored their opponents 43-2 in the last four games, scored like the cloudburst that interrupted play with four runs in the first, five in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth behind nine hits, including two each from senior first baseman Jack Stempel and sophomore catcher Eli DeMello.
“Sometimes it can be challenging to get in the right mindset going into the day unsure if the game will be played,” Taft coach Matt Hilgers said. “We jumped on them early again in the first inning. We made some mental mistakes that we were fortunate didn’t cost us. Pitching and defense has continued to carry us.”
Stempel and DeMello joined Fisher with two RBIs, while Stempel and Salsbery — team tri-captains with senior centerfielder Caleb King — scored three runs each for Taft.
“A couple of walks and guys behind me swinging the bat well set that up,” Salsbery said of his team-leading run production.
Salsbery joined Fisher, who doubled twice, with a triple for the Tigers.
“I just took advantage of the pitcher leaving one out over the plate and went the other way with it,” he said.
DeMello scored two runs in a game moved to Taft due to wet playing conditions in Willamina, while King, Kessler, junior second baseman Cody Knott and sophomore infielders Trenton Fisher and Lucas Hindman also scored for the Tigers.
Kessler had the other hit and joined Knott and Salsbery with an RBI each the Tigers.
Kaleb Ried had the only hit for the Bulldogs, who fell to 2-11, 0-5 with their seventh straight defeat.
Taft is at Clastskanie (4-5, 2-1 Class 3A Lewis & Clark) at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, and host league foe Dayton (5-8, 2-1 West Valley) at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 20. Dayton plays Tuesday afternoon at Amity.
Taft 13, Willamina 1
WILLAMINA AB R H BI TAFT
Austin Wadkins 2 0 0 0
Kaleb Ried 2 0 1 0
Tanner Onstot 2 0 0 0
Keegan Cook 2 0 0 0
Ian Bruckner 1 1 0 0
Brad Milton 1 0 0 0
David Elwood 2 0 0 1
CJ Toney 2 0 0 0
Josh Royce 1 0 0 0
Ashi Austin 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 16 1 1 1
TAFT AB R H BI
Josh Salsbery 2 3 1 1
Eli DeMello 4 2 2 2
Caleb King 2 1 0 0
Jack Stempel 2 3 2 2
Cody Knott 3 1 0 1
Kam Kessler 3 1 1 1
Tyee Fisher 3 0 3 2
Caleb Jones 2 0 0 0
Trenton Fisher 2 1 0 0
*Lucas Hindman 0 1 0 0
TOTALS 23 13 9 9
WILLAMINA 010 00 — 1
TAFT 453 1x — 13
LOB–WILLAMINA 2017/18 2, TAFT 2018 4. ERR–Brad Milton, Ian Bruckner, Josh Royce (3). 2B–Tyee Fisher (2), Eli DeMello. 3B–Josh Salsbery, Tyee Fisher, Eli DeMello. HBP—Caleb King, Caleb Jones. SB–Josh Salsbery (2), Caleb King.
WILLAMINA IP H R ER BB SO HR
Tanner Onstot 2.00 7 9 5 2 1 0
Keegan Cook 1.67 2 4 1 2 0 0
David Elwood 0.33 0 0 0 0 0 0
TAFT
Kam Kessler (W) 3.00 1 1 1 2 4 0
Bleiz Kimbrough 2.00 0 0 0 0 2 0
PB–Kaleb Ried (6), Caleb Jones. SO–Austin Wadkins, David Elwood, Ashi Austin, Keegan Cook, CJ Toney, Josh Royce, Trenton Fisher. BB–Brad Milton, Ian Bruckner, Trenton Fisher, Josh Salsbery (2), Jack Stempel.
Taft roster/schedule
Class 3A West Valley League standings
Class 3A OSAA rankings
