[Lacey, WA] – JRW & Associates of Yakima, WA and Cleon’s Auto of Tacoma, WA met in a 4 game series this past weekend at Bucknell Park in Lacey, WA to tune up for their respective Championship play.
JRW & Associates will travel to Kitchener, Ontario for the ISC II Tournament of Champions.
JRW used superb pitching, outstanding hitting and great defense to sweep the 4 game series 9-0; 11-0; 9-1 and 9-1. The JRW team committed one error for the weekend, a dropped third strike that allowed the batter-runner to reach first base. Catcher Jason Grow made up for the miss by racing with the ball to home plate to make a diving tag out at home plate to end the inning.
JRW had 46 hits in the 4 game series including home runs by 3B Kasey Knight (3 Run HR); pitcher Dave Drotzmann (3 Run HR); LF/C Jason Grow (Solo) and SS Trevor Knight (Solo).
3B Kasey Knight led the barrage with 7 RBI’s on an 8-13 (.615) effort. Closely following was RF Scott Nokes who batted .600 (9-15) with 3 RBI’s. 1B Lance Erickson made Sunday’s two games, going 5-6 (.833) with 4 RBI’s.
JRW pitchers Dave Drotzmann and Mike Egerdeen each had two complete game wins and each allowed only one run (both earned). Dotzmann had 13 K’s in 2 games and Egerdeen had 14 K’s in his two games. The duo gave up only 14 hits in 4 games with only two of the hits going for extra bases.
Cleon’s had won the last two NW Invitational tournaments in July including a 4-3 win over JRW in the opening game of Yakima’s Les Schwab Invite. (previously reported).
But with a few starters missing, Cleon’s was no match for the JRW team this weekend which had assembled ALL members of its rostered ISC II team for the first time this season (Well, the SS had to work).
With partial team members present this summer, the JRW team had a 2nd and two 3rd place finishes in 3 tournaments. The fourth was rained out and JRW did not place in the Portland’s Rose Cup, losing to all 3 ISC ranked OPEN teams.
JRW heads to Kitchener with a 27-20 season record.