Vikings stave off Mustangs, reach 1B state tourney
May 11—BOX SCORE
At Shelton
VIKINGS 6, MUSTANGS 4
Rainier Christian 000 110 2 — 4
Mossyrock 201 201 X — 6
MOS Pitching — Kolb (W) 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO; Greisen 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 5 SO. Highlights — Kolb 3-3, 2 2B, 3 R, 4 SB; Greisen 2-4, RBI, 2 R, SB; Edgar 1-3, RBI
The pitching and legs of Easton Kolb fueled the Mossyrock baseball team to extend its season into state with a 6-4 triumph over Rainier Christian in a Class 1B crossover district glue game on Saturday at Shelton High School.
By Sunday, the Vikings (10-7) will find out their opening round opponent for Tuesday's game. They had to get out of a hairy situation in needing three outs to survive and advance.
A leadoff double and hit by pitch put two on base with no outs. The next Rainier Christian hitter grounded to third and a throwing error cut its deficit in half. Then a walk put the go-ahead run at the plate.
Mossyrock's Wylde Greisen proceeded to strike out the next three batters and send the dugout into a frenzy.
"Wylde came through today," Vikings head coach Darren Kolb said. "I need that out of him."
Mossyrock took an early 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI single from Greisen and he scored on an error. It added another run in the third, two more in the fourth and a final insurance run in the sixth inning.
Easton Kolb and Greisen combined for five of the Vikings' eight hits and crossed home plate a total of five times. Easton Kolb notched a team-high four stolen bases and two of the hits were doubles.
He also struck out nine in over four innings on the mound. He threw 74 pitches, putting him on track to pitch in the opening round.
"He actually struggled to me," Coach Kolb admitted. "We can't be wasting five-to-six pitches in the bottom of these lineups. His pitch count was way too much."
After a winter that saw the Mossyrock boys basketball team make a run to the 1B state title game and the girls returning to state, its baseball roster is starting to talk about a final destination.
"They want to get to the Final Four," Coach Kolb said. "They're fighters. They know what we got to do."
