The Oak Harbor Legion AA baseball team finished third in the 10-team Steamer Invitational Tournament in Anacortes last weekend.
In addition to the third-place performance at Anacortes, the Wildcats posted a come-from-behind win over host Bellingham in a league contest Monday, June 2.
Oak Harbor opened the tournament with an 11-2 win over Ferndale Thursday, June 17.
Friday morning the ‘Cats lost to host Anacortes 5-3. Coach Tyson VanDam said, “We just couldn’t get anything going. We lined out all over the field and left nine runners on base.”
VanDam said Gabe Clark threw a good game. After two errors kept an inning alive, Clark made his one mistake and surrendered a grand slam.
The hits started falling Friday afternoon when Oak Harbor ripped Moon Valley (Duvall) 18-2 in five innings. The Wildcats collected 13 hits, including four doubles.
Jay Stout was 4-for-4 with two doubles, three stolen bases and three RBI. Sam Wolfe went 3-for-4, and Brad Farnum hit a doubled and walked three times.
Ryan Byrne gave up only two hits in four innings to get the win.
Saturday night Oak Harbor blanked Wenatchee 8-0 in five innings. Yale Rosen was 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBI. Clark added two hits and two runs batted in, and Spencer McBride drove in the game-ending run.
Josh Evans “threw a gem,” according to VanDam, tossing a two-hitter and striking out six.
Sunday Oak Harbor won the third-place game 8-0 in five innings over a team from Everett comprised of players from Everett, Cascade and Lynnwood high schools.
Rosen had a single, double and three-run home run; and Clark and Peter Franssen each rapped two singles.
Byrne fired a two-hitter and struck out five.
VanDam said his club played “great, fundamental baseball” in the tournament.
Back in league play Monday, Oak Harbor defeated Bellingham 5-4. Rosen drilled a two-run double in the first inning, and the score stayed 2-0 until Bellingham posted four runs in the sixth.
Down to its last at bat, the Wildcats rallied for three runs in the seventh for the win.
Consecutive singles by Franssen, Stout, Rosen and Clark tied the score, then Justin Counts produced the game-winner with a sacrifice fly.
Franssen and Stout, who was also the winning pitcher and gave up just two earned runs, finished 2-for-4. Rosen was 4-for-4 with three RBI. That made Rosen 9-for-9 over the past three games with two doubles, a home run and eight runs batted in.
Oak Harbor now travels to Wenatchee for the Apple Valley Invitational. Thursday, June 24, the ‘Cats face the Redmond Flames at 5:30 p.m. and the AV Blues at 8 at Recreational Park.
Friday, June 25, they meet the Shelton Timbers at 12:30 p.m. at Rec Park. Saturday, June 26, they take on the Bothell Pride at 11 a.m. at Dan White Field at Eastmont High School.
Depending on the outcome of the first four games, Oak Harbor will play at 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. Sunday in the championship round at Rec Park.
