Mariners pick up undefeated Districts title, head to State tourney
Carrie Pichler
Bradley Pichler pitched the game of his life on his 19th birthday to start the Mission Valley Mariners on the road to an undefeated Districts title in Kalispell.
Carrie Pichler
Alex Killian dives back to first base.
Carrie Pichler
Mariners celebrate the win.
Carrie Pichler
Mariners celebrate the win.
Carrie Pichler
TJ Olson
Carrie Pichler
Trevor Paro
Carrie Pichler
Zeke Webster-Yaqui
Carrie Pichler
Mariners celebrate the win.
Carrie Pichler
Mission Valley Mariners show respect to Old Glory during the playing of the National Anthem.
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Strong pitching performances and big bats proved dominant against the Mariners opponents at the District Tournament in Kalispell last week as the M’s knocked down every team to go undefeated in the double elimination tournament. In just the first two games alone, M’s pitchers threw 25 strikeouts, allowing only one run while putting up 20 runs of their own at the plate, including two knocked over the fence.
“They’re peaking at the right time,” Assistant Coach John Rausch said. “They’re keeping the dimmer switch that we’ve talked about with them before, they’re keeping it on and leaving it on. They’ll turn it down a little bit, but it’s never off.”
“Strong pitching performance” is an understatement when it came to game one on Wednesday as Bradley Pichler threw what he believes was his best game yet from the mound, giving him a 19th birthday present he’ll never forget. Pichler hurled 14 K’s while allowing only two hits and one walk in the 11-0 blowout against Libby.
“I don’t know, I was just in zone,” Pichler said about his outing. “I just paced myself from the beginning, adding a couple miles per hour each inning.”
Pichler also said his curve ball “was definitely working. They just weren’t hitting it.”
Pichler attributes his success to his team.
“If they hit it, I knew I had good defense behind me,” Pichler said, adding that the whole pitching staff is where it needs to be for the upcoming State Tournament.
“If they have good junk, you can strike them out,” he said. “Luckily for us we have a lefty,” Pichler said in reference to Mariner pitcher Derek Peel. With Zeke Webster-Yaqui and Alex Killian, both who “throw really good,” Pichler thinks a State title is not out of reach.
Adding fuel to the fire in game one was mighty offense off Mariner bats. TJ Olson and Webster-Yaqui each went 3-4 with Olson reaching second base twice with doubles. Bransen Krebs was 2-3 with a triple. Alex Killian threw in a two run homerun to seal the deal.
Game two of the tournament played on Thursday showed another “bravo” mound outing with Webster-Yaqui tossing another gem. The Mariners picked up the 9-1 victory against Missoula’s Mavs behind Webster-Yaqui’s 11 strikeouts while only allowing a single walk and earned run.
Olson notched another double for the tournament in his 2-3 effort at the plate while Pichler had a game high three RBIs including a two run shot over the left center wall.
On Friday, the Mariners took on the Glacier Twins in a 12-2 win that would clinch their spot at the State Tournament. Peel got the win for the M’s, going the distance on the hill striking out two, walking one, and allowing only a single earned run.
Killian proved perfect at the plate, going 3-3 bringing in three runs off his bat. Webster-Yaqui chipped in a pair of RBIs in his 2-3 game.
In Saturday’s title Championship game, the Mariners faced the Glacier Twins yet again. Though the M’s already clinched a spot at State, this game would determine their seed placement. Krebs held the helm on the bump, grabbing the Championship win with Micah McClure coming in to pick up the save.
While the Mariners snagged the early lead, the Twins gave the M’s a run, rallying five runs in the fifth and sixth innings and putting the Mariners on edge to close it up.
Crafty defense played a part with a phenomenal play by freshman shortstop Trevor Paro pulling off a rare triple play after Glacier loaded the bases, saving the Mariners from the Twins crossing home.
“It was pretty exciting knowing it was for the District Championship,” Paro said about the play. “It sort of ended the inning with a bang.”
As for State, Paro is ready. “I’m confident in my team,” he said. “We’re playing great defense and hitting the ball. We have a good chance at State.”
Paro also helped at the plate with two runs batted in while Webster-Yaqui was 3-4 with two RBIs and Olson landed two more doubles, bringing his double count to five for the tournament.
The M’s persevered to achieve the 2014 Western District Title and will continue on to fight at the State Tournament with game one slotted on Tuesday, July 29 against the Belgrade Bandits.
For Mariner parents the tournament has made for some proud moments.
“They all played together like a well-oiled machine,” Mariner mom Dawn Krebs said.
Coach Rausch is excited for his team’s upcoming State run.
“The boys are going back to where they need to be every year,” Rausch said.
Results
Mariners 1 0 5 3 2 0 – 11 13 1
Libby Loggers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0 2 2
Ryan Pablo 1-3, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 3-4, Alex Killian 1-3, TJ Olson 3-4, Jared Young 0-3, Derek Peel 2-4, Jacob Harrod 1-3, Bransen Krebs 2-3, Trevor Paro 0-2.
2B – Olson (2), Webster-Yaqui, Peel. 3B – Krebs. HR – Killian. RBIs – Pablo (2), Killian (2), Olson (2), Harrod (2), Peel, Krebs.
Mariners 4 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 – 9 7 1
Missoula Mavs 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 1 5 2
Ryan Pablo 1-4, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 0-2, Alex Killian 0-4, TJ Olson 2-3, Bradley Pichler 2-4, Derek Peel 0-3, Jacob Harrod 1-5, Bransen Krebs 1-3, Trevor Paro 1-3.
2B – Olson. 3B – Pablo. HR – Pichler. RBIs – Pichler (3), Webster-Yaqui, Olson, Peel, Harrod.
Mariners 3 4 2 0 3 0 – 12 13 2
Glacier Twins 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 – 2 6 3
Ryan Pablo 2-5, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 2-3, Alex Killian 3-3, TJ Olson 2-4, Bradley Pichler 1-3, Jared 0-2, Jacob 1-3, Bransen Krebs 0-4, Trevor Paro 2-2.
2B – Paro. RBIs – Killian (3), Webster-Yaqui (2), Olson (2), Harrod (2), Young.
Mariners 1 4 2 0 3 0 0 2 – 12 15 3
Glacier Twins 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 1 0 – 8 9 4
Ryan Pablo 1-5, Zeke Webster-Yaqui 3-4, Alex Killian 1-5, TJ Olson 3-5, Bradley Pichler 1-5, Derek Peel 1-4, Jacob Harrod 0-3, Micah McClure 3-5, Trevor Paro 1-3, Bransen Krebs 1-1.
2B – Olson (2), Webster-Yaqui, Pichler, Peel, Paro, Krebs. RBIs – Webster-Yaqui (2), Killian (2), Olson (2), Paro (2), Pablo, McClure, Krebs.
