Oak Harbor Legion AA baseball team finishes fourth in Apple Invite

The Oak Harbor Legion AA baseball team placed fourth at the Apple Valley Invitational Tournament in Wenatchee last week.

The Oak Harbor Legion AA baseball team placed fourth at the Apple Valley Invitational Tournament in Wenatchee last week.

The Wildcats defeated Redmond, Ore., 15-11, Wenatchee 5-4, and Shelton 10-2 before falling to Longview 13-8 in pool play. In the game to decide third place, Oak Harbor lost 13-9 to the Washington Warriors, a select team from Seattle.

Oak Harbor came back twice in its win over Redmond. A five-run fifth inning, highlighted by Jay Stout’s three-run triple, completed the final comeback.

The Wildcats pounded out 18 hits, led by Ryan Byrne and Sam Wolfe with four each. Byrne added four RBI and two runs, and Wolfe slugged a double and triple and finished with three runs and three RBI.

Gabe Clark rapped three hits, and Zach Zimmer, Peter Franssen and Brad Farnum (who homered) had two each.

Josh Evans won the game in relief.

Oak Harbor also came from behind to defeat Wenatchee. Clark’s two-run single in the sixth tied the game, then Stout drove home Spencer McBride, who had walked and stole second, with the game-winner in the seventh.

Farnum was 2-for-3 with two runs.

Against Shelton, Oak Harbor scored six runs, all with two outs, in the third to race to the lead. RBI singles by Byrne and Zimmer got things going, then Wolfe’s three-run double capped the big inning.

Wolfe had two doubles in the game and Byrne was 2-for-3 with two runs.

In the loss to Longview, Oak Harbor jumped to a two-run lead in the first inning. Wolfe sent the second pitch of the game over the left-field wall, and Farnum doubled in the second tally.

The lead was quickly erased as Longview scored eight runs before it recorded an out. It blasted three home runs and two doubles during the onslaught.

Oak Harbor coach Tyson VanDam praised his club for not quitting: “I like the way we battled back.”

Farnum added another double later in the game; and Wolfe, Clark and Justin Counts had two hits each; one of Counts was a double.

With its pitching staff depleted, Oak Harbor lost the battle for third Sunday morning. Rosen was 4-for-5 with a home run and triple, and Clark went 3-for-5.

Oak Harbor plays Stanwood here Tuesday, June 29, in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.