The Thomas Jefferson baseball team advanced into the West Central District Tournament with a seventh-inning comeback win Saturday at Kent-Memorial Park.
The Raiders (12-8) tallied three runs in the bottom of the seventh to overcome a 4-2 Beamer lead in a loser-out game at the South Puget Sound League Tournament. The two teams both finished in fourth place in their respective divisions.
The loss ends Beamer’s season. TJ will take on the Emerald Ridge Jaguars, the fourth-place team in the SPSL, at 2 p.m. Saturday at Heritage Park in Puyallup in a loser-out game. The winner will then play the loser of a game between Puyallup (SPSL No. 2) and South Kitsap (Narrows League No. 2) in another loser-out game at 5 p.m.
Against Beamer, Jefferson’s Andrew Jones tripled in two runs to tie the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh. Anthony Tomyn followed with a pinch-hit single to score Jones with the game-winner.
Beamer jumped all over the Raiders in the top of the first inning. The Titans plated three runs to take a quick lead. Jefferson fought back with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to make it 3-2. Beamer tallied a run in the top of the seventh to take a 4-2 lead and set up the late TJ heroics.
Jefferson pitcher Drew Staples limited Beamer to just two hits on the day, but the Titans were assisted by a pair of Raider errors. Jefferson had seven hits, including two from Harold Adams.
The Titans earned the game with TJ after beating up Rogers Thursday afternoon in an SPSL South tiebreaker to determine the league’s fourth and final berth into the SPSL Tournament. Beamer and Rogers tied with identical 10-6 records in the South. The Titans blew away Rogers, 11-1, in five innings at Kent Memorial Park.
Against Rogers, the Titans tallied two runs in the second, six in the third and three more in the fifth and got a solid pitching performance from senior Carson Wolbert.
Wolbert allowed only two Rogers’ hits, struck out six and didn’t walk anybody during his five innings of work.
Offensively, Beamer was led by the 2-for-3 day of Jeffrey Apigo, who homered and finished with four RBIs. Kelvin Ketchum added a two-run home run and Mac Gridley finished 2 for 2 with three RBIs. Travis Crumb scored three runs.
Boys track and field
For the second year in a row, the Federal Way boys rolled through the South Puget Sound League North Division unbeaten. The Eagles dominated Kentwood Thursday, 89-47, in their final regular-season dual meet.
The win improved Federal Way to 8-0 in the North, just ahead of the 7-1 Kent-Meridian Royals.
Against Kentwood, the Eagles got a pair of individual wins from Jeffrey Forbes and Andru Pulu. Forbes won the 200 meters (22.82) and 400 (52.79) and Pulu won the shot put (49-3) and discus (146-4 1/2). Federal Way’s other victories came from Andre Barrington in the long jump (20-9), Damon Hardy in the triple jump (43-8), Anatoliy Koval in the pole vault (12-0), Trenton Pinson in the 100 (11.03) and Meron Simon in the 3,200 (10:27.97).
Jefferson split a pair of meets Thursday against Tahoma and Kent-Meridian. The Raiders (4-4) beat Tahoma, 79-56, and lost to Kent-Meridian, 100.66-34.33.
The Decatur boys were swept by Curtis and Rogers Thursday in their regular-season finale. The Gators’ lone win came from Keith Arns in the discus (141-7).
The South Puget Sound League Track and Field Championships are scheduled for today and Friday at French Field at Kent-Meridian High School. Each event will include the top-16 athletes from the SPSL North and South divisions.
The top-10 performers from field events and the 1,600 and 3,200 will advance to the West Central District meet, which will be held at Mount Tahoma Stadium on May 22-23. In all races run in lanes, the 800 and all relays, the top-three in each heat and the next four fastest times will advance to the district meet.
Girls track and field
The Federal Way Eagles finished 5-3 in the SPSL North after an 89-52 loss to Kentwood Thursday. The Eagles got a pair of individual wins from Jaleecia Roland in the high jump (4-10) and triple jump (36-8), Jacqie Evenson in the 300 hurdles (46.81), Tiara Fuller in the 100 (12.68) and Jasmine Johnson in the 1,600 (5:26.97).
Jefferson (3-5) was swept by Kent-Meridian and Tahoma Thursday. The Raiders’ got wins from Kayla Adams in the shot put (41-8) and discus (109-3) and Kendra Ansotigue in the javelin (119-2).
The Decatur Gators split a pair of meets Thursday, losing to the Rogers Rams and beating Curtis.
The Gators got wins from Alaina Butler in the 100 hurdles (17.38) and 300 hurdles (51.28), Lindsey DeBie in the shot put (33-11), Shlonda Baker in the 100 (12.81) and Carly Carson in the pole vault (8-6).
Fastpitch
The Thomas Jefferson Raiders (12-4) will be the third seed from the SPSL North Division after dropping a 2-1 heart-breaker to Auburn Riverside Thursday afternoon. The Raiders will open the SPSL Tournament at 4 p.m. at the Service Fields in Kent against the fourth-place team from the SPSL South. The tournament features the top-five finishers from each division. All 10 teams will advance into next weekend’s West Central District Tournament in Tacoma.
The Raiders’ offense couldn’t get anything going against Auburn Riverside pitcher Amanda Fitzsimmons Thursday. The Raven senior, who is headed to the University of Washington in the fall, limited TJ to just three hits and struck out 15. The Raiders’ only run was scored by senior outfielder Erin Fujita in the bottom of the fourth inning. Fujita finished 1 for 2 and junior Hannah Kiyohara had TJ’s other two hits.
Senior Jessica Dickson gave up only five hits to Auburn Riverside.