No. 1-ranked Taft High turned yet another page toward the conclusion of a storybook season Friday by winning a league baseball championship for the first time in 34 years.
Cody Knott had four hits and six RBIs, and Caleb King and Jack Stempel combined on a one-hitter Tuesday as the No. 1-ranked Taft High baseball team moved to within a victory of the West Valley League championship by trouncing Amity 23-0 in five innings.
First baseman Jack Stempel drove home three runs, including one in the bottom of the first inning behind winner Caleb King, to get No. 1-ranked Taft off and running to its 11th straight victory -- 11-1 over fifth-rated Horizon Christian/Tualatin.
Junior reliever Bleiz Kimbrough made the most of a rare start Tuesday with a one-hit, 10-strikeout road shutout of Sheridan for Taft High’s 10th straight victory and seventh in a row shortened by the state’s 10-run mercy rule.
The first-place Tigers scored 11 runs in the first inning and eight in the second, and supported senior starter Jack Stempel with 18 hits to win their ninth straight game and sixth in a row with 10 runs or more.
Outfielder Caleb Jones drove in four runs on two hits and scored twice, and fellow sophomore Trenton Fisher and junior Cody Knott added two RBIS each Wednesday to lead the Taft High baseball team to a 14-3 road win at Clatskanie.
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.
Starter Caleb King surrendered just one hit over six innings and fellow senior Jack Stempel collected three hits and four RBIs Saturday to lead the Taft High baseball team to a 10-1 non-league victory at Pleasant Hill.
They have a 10-run mercy rule in Oregon high school baseball for a reason -- and that reason might be pitching ace Jack Stempel and the players supporting him at the plate and in the field for the Taft High baseball team.
