5/12/26
(Tumwater, WA) District playoffs have arrived as Tumwater and Ridgefield faced off in an EvCo 2A and GSHL crossover. Tumwater came in as the one seed in the 2A EvCo, going 13-2 in league and 17-4 overall. Ridgefield came in as the fourth seed in the GSHL, going 9-5 in league and 10-11 overall. The teams faced off in a defensive battle where pitching, outfield, and infield for both squads kept the game close. In the end, though, Tumwater’s offense got going just in time for them to take home the win and advance to the district semi-finals.
Tumwater 4, Ridgefield 2
Luke Overbay started on the bump for Tumwater, and it didn’t take long for him to start dealing. He struck out two of the first batters he saw in quick order and got Tumwater at the plate. In the bottom of the first, Tumwater would score two runs, but not from putting the ball in play. Max Bunn hit a single with one out to get on base, but after that, the bases started to load up after multiple HBPs in a row. Wyatt Chase would get with the pitch with bases loaded to score Tumwater’s first run, followed by a walk that would bring the score to 2-0 in favor of the T-Birds.
This is where the defense started to prevail for both teams. Neither team could do much offensively for a couple of innings, and the only time batters reached base was on walks or HPBs. A quick second and third inning went by until things started to pick up more and more in the fourth. Two Ridgefield batters would get walked in, Caleb DeBeaumont and Henry Wikstrom, followed by a single from Jake Blankenship to load the bases with one out. This was Ridgefield’s best opportunity to this point, but Tumwater escaped unscathed as Reece Holmes hit a ball right back to the mound, and Tumwater was able to get the double play to end the inning.
Tumwater opened the game up in the fifth inning and got the bats hot. Luke Overbay would lead off with a single followed by an RBI double from Jimmy Womach. Liam Gustafson would then hit another RBI single for the second run of the inning. A line drive would lead to a double play as Gustafson couldn’t tag up in time but he would be replaced on the base path after a double from Charlie Crawford. Tumwater would lead 4-0 and only needed six outs to get the win.
The sixth inning came and went for both teams, though Kale Cast for Ridgefield came into the game and struck out two batters, retiring the side quickly in an impressive display. At the top of the seventh, Ridgefield needed one last-ditch effort, and they refused to give up, making the game a nail-biter. Braeden Konrad would come into the game on the bump for Tumwater to close. Henry Wikstrom would reach base on an error to lead off followed by two back-to-back walks to Jake Blankenship and Reece Holmes. Carson Coberly would then hit an RBI single for the Spudders’ first run of the game. With two outs and bases loaded, Brayden Nieberger would get hit by a pitch to add another run for Ridgefield. The final out would come for the SPudders, though ad Tumwater would win 4-2 and advance to the semi-finals to face Aberdeen on 5/13.
MVP
Out Thorbecks’ MVP of the game went to Luke Overbay, who had a great game of pitching and at the plate. He pitched six innings, struck out eight batters, allowed one hit, and didn’t allow a run while only walking two. He also got a single in the game and reached base on 2/3 of his plate appearances. He got it done on the mound and helped lead his team closer to another state appearance.
Notable Performances
Tumwater:
- Luke Overbay – 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 Ks
- Max Bunn: 2-3, HBP
- Jimmy Womach – 1-2, RBI, HBP
- Liam Gustafson – 1-2, RBI, HBP
Ridgefield:
- Henry Wikstrom – 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 Ks
- Carson Coberly – 1-3, RBI
- Jake Blankenship – 1-1, BB, HBP
Game Highlights
Tumwater Escapes Trouble With the Bases Loaded with Double Play
Liam Gustafson With an RBI Single for Tumwater
Carson Coberly Gets Late RBI for Ridgefield
