Tigers Head To Regionals!

WALLA WALLA - The WP Tigers clawed their way past the Dayton Bulldogs, 6-0, last Saturday at Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla, earning the regionals berth and the third place District 9 trophy. The Tigers will next play in Adna this Saturday. Their competitor has not yet been announced.

"We worked hard all week," said WP head coach Dustin Snedigar. "The kids were ready to play on Thursday."

All of that good practice leading up to the game gave WP the confidence it needed to take down the Bulldogs, who boast a susperstar pitcher of their own. But, Dayton's Lowden Smith seemed to be a little off on the mound on Saturday, giving up nine hits to the Tigers.

WP's pitcher Zach Bartlow gave up only three hits to the Dogs on Saturday.

"Zach pitched a heck of a game," said Dayton head coach Sal Benavides. "And they had some timely hits that helped them score."

Saturday' s game opened with a moment of silence for the late Jack Smiley, who died May 1. Smiley had served as the athletic director for Prescott and Dayton and had been very active in the District 9 sports community. After this special moment and the flag salute, it was time to play ball and the first four innings came and went in the blink of an eye.

It was difficult for both teams to get on base in the first couple of innings.

In the first inning, the inaugural batter up was Dayton's Colton Bickelhaupt who got a hit that was caught in the outfield. In the second inning, the score was still, 0-0, and no one had yet managed to even get on base.

WP's Riley Stevens broke the pattern and finally got on first base in the second inning. Stevens made it onto second base, but Justin Zuger couldn't get a hit and bring him home.

In the top of the third inning, there still weren't any points up on the board. WP's Chris Monzano hit a double, but Dalton Estes couldn't bring him home and left him abandoned.

Bickelhaupt hit a single for the Dogs in the top of the fourth inning. However, he later strayed too far from first base and was tagged out.

With the Tigers at bat in the fourth inning, WP's David Herzog hit a triple. A Bartlow RBI double brought Herzog home and got a point on the board for the Tigers.

At the top of the fifth inning it was, 1-0, WP. Bulldog Garett Turner hit a single. Bulldog Wyatt Frame bunted next and Turner capitalized on a WP error and reached second while Frame made it to first.

Unfortunately for the Dogs, two runners were left stranded at the bottom of the fifth.

With WP next at bat, Kyle Dozier hit a single and was later brought home by a Monzano RBI double to bring the score up to 2-0.

A few plays later, two more batters get on base and Stevens was walked, bringing Manzano home and the score up to 3-0.

At the bottom of the fifth inning, WP's Brice Paxson brings home two more runners for WP, bringing the score up to 5-0.

At the top of the sixth, Bulldog Joey Yenney hits a single but the Dogs don't rack up any runs.

With WP up to bat, the bases get loaded again and a Herzog single brings in a runner and WP up to 6-0.

In the final inning, Turner was tagged out trying to steal second base.

Joey Schlachter hit a triple, but Hayden Fullerton was the final strikeout for the Dogs. WP won the game and the third place trophy.

Snedigar credited the win to great infield plays and the pitching arm of Bartlow. Now that the Tigers are on to regionals, Snedigar is keeping his cool and simply says his team is just going to think positive.

"We're still trying to do something," Snedigar said.