Mules battle for state baseball position

The Wahkiakum Mule baseball team is returning to the state tournament.

District began last Saturday at Lower Columbia College, with a 10-0 Mule win against Raymond, ending the season for the Gulls.

Luke Brown hit a triple and two doubles for the Mules, driving in two runs. James Anderson had two doubles and one run and Ashden Niemeyer hit a double and had two RBIs.

Anderson got the win, striking out 13 batters and allowing one hit.

The win put the Mules into the District 4 bracket against the number one Central League team, Kalama, who they would face later on that same day.

The Chinooks beat Wahkiakum 11-1, sending the Mules into the loser’s bracket.

“Pitchers are dialed in much better,” Coach Marc Niemeyer said. “We have got to stop giving up innings defensively.”

On Tuesday in Adna, the Mules beat Pe Ell/Willapa Valley 16-1. The win guaranteed Wahkiakum a trip to the state tournament, and a top six finish in the district tournament.

“We hit the ball hard as a team and we were really aggressive in the base paths,” Coach Niemeyer said. “Big win, we are excited to be back at state.”

Niemeyer hit two doubles and had five RBIs. Anderson hit a double and drove in two runs. Tristan Collupy, Chance Cothren, and K.C. Beery had two RBIs apiece. Brown drove in one run.

Anderson got the win, striking out 12 batters and allowing one hit and one run.

The Mules face Ocosta in Adna on Friday at 3 p.m.

If they lose, the team will play for fifth or sixth place on Saturday at 10 a.m. If they win, they will play for third or fourth place at 1 p.m. Both games are scheduled to be played at W.F. West High School in Chehalis.

The state tournament begins on May 18.