McCormick’s complete game shutout, Wiler’s five-RBI day lead CK to win over Shelton

EAST BREMERTON — A day after being shutdown by Shelton’s ace, a 16-hit mercy-rule game was just what the doctor ordered for Central Kitsap.

Cougars hitters teed off all game long, blasting the ball all around the diamond and racking up six extra-base hits in a 10-0 win on Tuesday at the Fairgrounds over the Highclimbers.

Carson Wiler was the most productive of all, hitting a pair of doubles and driving in five runs, but just about every Central Kitsap batter contributed to the win in a meaningful way.

“It was the polar opposite of yesterday,” said head coach Bill Baxter. “We struggled at the plate yesterday.”

On Monday, Shelton ace Brenden Engstrom struck out 12 Central Kitsap hitters yesterday and gave up just two hits and one run on a solo homer by Nathan DeSchryver. Austin Ramsfield struck out the side in the seventh to close out the game.

The Cougars needed a bounce back performance on the back end of the home-and-home Tuesday to keep pace with the top teams in the South Sound Conference.

“I said, ’ 15 strikeouts yesterday we, better get that many hits today to make up for it.,’” Baxter said.

They made up for it, plus one hit.

Wiler got the team on the board in the first inning with a long RBI-double to left field. In the third, he cleared the bases with another double to the gap as Chandler Lindstrom, John Corley and Austin McMinds all came in to score. Kaden McDowell added a sacrifice fly and Central Kitsap led 5-0 after three innings.

Justin Baldoria scored on a wild pitch in the sixth and Wiler picked up his fifth RBI on a groundout to extend the lead. Joshua Flaugher’s RBI-triple in the seventh was part of a three-run inning that ended the game early.

Greyson McCormick got plenty of run support, though he didn’t need much. The senior right-hander gave up just three hits and one walk in five innings of work, picking up the complete game shutout.

“What shows the character of a team is how you bounce back from a loss, and they did a great job today,” Baxter said.

Central Kitsap 10, Shelton 0

SH 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 3 1

CK 1 0 4 2 3 — 10 16 0

WP: McCormick LP: Max F. Johnson

Pitching

Shelton — Max F. Johnson 4 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 7 ER, BB, 3 K; Max M. Johnson IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER.

Central Kitsap — McCormick 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K.

Hitting

Shelton — Engstrom 1-2; Wagner 1-2; Dehning 1-2.

Central Kitsap — Wiler 2-3, 2 2B, 5 RBI; McMinds 3-3, 2B, 2 R; Baldoria 3-4, RBI, 2 R; Corley 2-3, 2B, 2 R; Flaugher 1-3, 3B, RBI, R; McDowell 1-2, RBI, R; DeSchryver 2-3; Tolentino 1-1, RBI, R; Coombe 1-2, 2B, BB.