West Seattle waltzed past another opponent Thursday, June 30 to continue on its way back through the loser's bracket of the District 7 age 9-10 Little League baseball tournament.
The Westsiders pounded the Rainier District team, 10-1, to reach Friday's 6 p.m. loser's bracket final against PacWest, with the winner going on to play South Highline National in the championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday. If West Seattle or PacWest beats undefeated National, a second championship will be played at 10 p.m. Sunday with a state berth on the line.
West Seattle hopes to join its age 10-11 team in winning a District 7 title this year.
The age 9-10 Westsiders were derailed in their second tournament game by South Highline National, 9-7, but rebounded for a 21-1 win over South Highline American and then the 10-1 victory over Rainier.
West Seattle opened with one run in the top of the first inning as Chris Frost hit into an outfield error, stole second, went to third on a base hit by Henry Muench and scored on a wild pitch.
Three more runs were tacked on in the second inning.Three errors, one walk and a Frost single combined with two stolen bases for the score.
West Seattle broke the game open with four runs in the third.
Kenji Suzuki hit an infield single to start it off and Paul Johnson followed with a base hit and both stole one more base before scoring. It was a two-run double by Joe Pare down the left-field line that drove in the final two runs of the rally.
West Seattle's bats then fell silent in the fourth and fifth, with Rainier's Oscar Kopischke striking out the side in the fifth.
The Westsiders managed to two insurance runs in the fifth. Suzuki doubled to right center and Johnson singled him over to third. Suzuki came in on a wild pitch after Johnson stole second. Johnson scored on another wild pitch.
Rainier District picked up one run in the bottom of the sixth and final inning when Taj Moore tripled down the left field line and eventually scored on a base hit by Kelly Corl.
Corl finished 3-for-3.
Johnson hit 3-for-4 for West Seattle, with Muench and Suzuki going 2-for-4.
