Beetles' season ends with slugfest loss to Wenatchee

by Scott Spruill
Yakima Herald-Republic

Those were foul winds that blew through Parker Field on Wednesday night, at least for the shell-shocked Yakima Pepsi Beetles.

Hard-hitting Wenatchee, on the other hand, took flight and rode the summer breeze to an offensive onslaught and a rare berth to the Senior Legion state tournament.

Pounding out 32 hits, including three wind-swept home runs and 11 doubles, the Apple Packers shot out fast and repelled repeated comeback bids by the Beetles en route to a 23-14 victory in a winner-to-state, loser-out contest that stretched over three hours.

Even with Wenatchee swinging away, the Beetles appeared poised to steal it -- just as they did in last week's 27-26 slugfest on the same field. But after pulling within 17-14 with a five-run seventh inning, Yakima gave that five right back in the top of the eighth and that was it for the comebacks.

In the disheartened moments after the game, the biggest question for Yakima coach Mike Bailey wasn't how it all came undone but whether or not the season was actually over.

Just before the game there was news that a state-qualifying team from the Southwest's Division 4 had been disqualified due to a number of player suspensions. Bailey was told there was a possibility the berth would go to the loser of Wednesday's game.

But in the hour following the loss to Wenatchee the news wasn't good. The Southwest team would be disqualified but the extra berth would come from a different division.

"We've been up, we've been down," Bailey said after the game. "That's the season we've had."

The maybe-you're-in, maybe-you're-not twist seemed like a fitting end to five bizarre games between Yakima and Wenatchee in the past week. Both teams proved they could pummel the ball and pitch well in the league split, but in Wednesday's nine-inning game there was simply no stopping Wenatchee's bats.

The Apple Packers sent 12 batters to the plate in the second inning and jumped to a 6-0 lead. They accumulated 14 hits in the first three innings alone and hit their three homers in the first five frames.

Yet even with ace starter Seth Haehl, who shut Yakima out 6-0 last Saturday, Wenatchee's big lead wasn't safe. The Beetles managed nine runs off Haehl, then rocked his reliever, Jordan Osborn, for five runs in the seventh to boost their spirits.

But it was Haehl who saved the day with his bat, delivering a two-out, two-run double in the eighth. The Eastmont grad finished with two doubles, a home run and seven RBI.

Yakima's Gibby Briones, batting leadoff, was 4-for-6 with three runs, including one on a bases-loaded balk that was called when Osborn was intentionally walking Kevin Komstadius in the seventh. Teammate Mycal Lopez was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and three runs.

With the league's fourth and final state berth, the Apple Packers will travel to Spokane for a four-team regional that starts on Friday.

The Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak, the CWL's No. 3 state seed, is headed to the Vancouver regional. The Pak will play Budd Bay of Olympia on Friday at 4 p.m. at Harmony Sports Complex.

The Beetles finish the season with a 33-27 record.

Wenatchee 063 222 251 -- 23 32 4

Yakima 020 124 500 -- 14 15 4

Haehl, Osborn (7) and Johnson; Cameron, Summers (2), Wall (5), Briones (7) and Kline.

Highlights -- Wenatchee: Kellen Parton 6-7, 2b, 3 runs; Evan Visser 4-6, 2 2b, 2 runs; Kris Carlson 4-8, 2 2b, 3 runs, 3 RBI; Seth Haehl 3-7, 2 2b, HR, 7 RBI; Derek Johnson 2-run HR; Colten Richards 3-6, 2b, 2-run HR; Blair Dorn 4-6, 2b, 3 runs, 3 RBI. Yakima: Gibby Briones 4-6, 2b, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Ryan VanBeek 2-6, 2b, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Tyler Berman 2-4, RBI; Trent Sikes 2-5, 2b, 2 RBI; Mycal Lopez 2-4, 2b, 2-run HR.