Mules go 2-1 in final regular season games

Story and photos by Diana Zimmerman

The Wahkiakum Mules baseball team ended regular season play with a non-league loss to Naselle last Wednesday and two league wins against Toledo on Saturday. The team is in fifth place in the Central 2B league and will begin district play at Lower Columbia College this weekend.

Last Wednesday, the Mules hosted old rivals, the Class 1B Naselle Comets, and lost 13-6.

Beau Carlson hit two doubles for the Mules and drove in two runs. Ashden Niemeyer, Luke Brown and James Anderson hit doubles as well, and combined for four runs.

Mule pitchers got a lot of practice. Anderson started the game, striking out five and allowing three hits against 11 batters. Damion Curl followed the fourth inning to face seven batters. He allowed three hits and three runs and walked three. Brown took over, facing 17 batters, striking out one, walking four and allowing one run. Niemeyer took the mound in the sixth inning and faced nine batters, striking out two, walking four, and allowing two hits and three runs. Chance Cothren finished the game, striking out two and allowing three hits and six runs.

On Saturday, the Mules beat the Indians 13-3 in game one of their doubleheader.

Cothren hit a double and drove in three runs. Brown had three RBIs, Niemeyer had two and Jake Leitz had one.

Anderson got the win, pitching all six innings, striking out eight and allowing six hits and three runs.

The Mules took the nightcap, 15-5.

Tristan Collupy hit a double and drove in a run. Anderson had four RBIs, Niemeyer had three RBIs, Cothren and Brody Carlson had two apiece. Brown and Isaac Moon each had one RBI.

Anderson started on the mound, but Cothren stepped into the game in the second inning and finished it, facing 26 batters, and allowing eight hits and five runs.

"We hit the ball hard all day and executed small ball and base running," Coach Marc Niemeyer said. "We still need to clean up errors defensively."

District: The Mules will face either Raymond or Ilwaco in a loser out game at noon this Saturday at Lower Columbia College, Longview. The winner will go on to play the number one Central 2B team, Kalama, at 3 p.m., also at LCC.