Athletics

The Raider Softballers continue their run thru the West Division, as Week #3 resulted in 6 wins in 6 games.  Pierce avenged their lone loss of the season against Green River, by sweeping the Gators, 8-0 and 14-0.  Chantell Winter threw a 3-hit shutout, while striking out 5, and picked up her 8th win of the season.  Samantha Faust led another balanced Raider offensive attack with 2 hits and 3 RBI’s.  Freshman Aryn Knutsen got things started in the first with a 2-run single.  Katie O’Brien also had 2 hits for Pierce.  Game 2 saw another solid performance on the mound by Katie O’Brien.  O’Brien threw a 4-hit shutout, collecting her 7th win, and bringing her ERA down to .094.  Six Raiders had 2 hits each on the game, led by Marissa Poole with a double and a triple, driving in 4 runs and scoring 3 times.  Shannon Reed drove in 3 runs with a single and a double.  Melissa Ramos had 2 hits, drove in a run, and stole 2 bases.

Wednesday’s doubleheader against Grays Harbor was a make-up from their rained out date on April 5, and the Raiders just kept on rolling.  Chantell Winter threw another gem, going 4 innings of 2-hit ball, shutting out the Chokers and striking out 6, as the Raiders coasted to a 9-1 win in game 1.  KC Routos pitched the 5th inning and gave up one unearned run.  The Raiders found their power stroke, as Katie O’Brien, Aryn Knutsen and Melissa Ramos all hit home runs.  O’Brien and Ramos each had 3 hits on the day, and Becca Cable had 2 doubles and 2 steals.  Game 2 brought another stellar performance from Katie O’Brien, as she threw 4 innings of 1 hit, shutout ball.  Routos came in to finish things out again in the 5th, and the Raiders picked up their 13th win of the season (against 1 loss), beating Grays Harbor 11-0.  Freshman outfielder Aryn Knutsen hit her second home run on the day, had 3 hits and drove in 4 runs.  O’Brien helped her own cause at the plate, collecting 2 doubles and a single, driving in 3, and scoring 3.  Cable continues her offensive onslaught at the top of the order with 2 more hits, and a team leading 23 stolen base.

The Raiders hit the road on Friday, headed to Aberdeen for a rematch with Grays Harbor.  All cylinders were clicking for Pierce, as the swept the Chokers 21-1 and 16-2.  Chantell Winter picked up her 8th win, allowing just one run, on 3 hits, and striking out 5.  The Raider bats were on fire, led by Katie O’Brien with 4 hits and 4 RBI’s (she scored 4 runs too).  Cable, Routos, Ramos, and Candice Vela each had 3 hits on the day.  Routos and Sammy Faust joined O’Brien with 4 RBI’s each.  Faust hit her first home run of the season, a 2-run shot in the 3rd inning.  Game 2 on the day was another solid Pierce performance.  KC Routos threw the complete game for the win, giving up 1 earned run and striking out 5.  DH Chantell Winter set the tone in the 1st inning with a 3-run home run.  Marissa Poole rapped out 3 hits and drove in 3 runs.  Becca Cable had another great day at the top of the order, slapping 2 singles, scoring 3 runs, and stealing 3 bases.  The wins improved Pierce’s record to 15-1 (21-6 overall), and extended their lead in the West to 4 games over second place Centralia.

Following a 4-game sweep of Grays Harbor to open the Western Region league schedule, the Raiders were rewarded with two milestone recognitions.  The Raiders made a rare appearance on the April 4 NWAACC Coaches Poll, showing at a program best-ever #3 Ranking.  This marks the highest ranking ever by a Pierce Baseball team in the 15 year history of the Coaches Poll.  Despite an outstanding 11-3 pre-season record, the Raiders had been overlooked in the NWAACC’s pre-season poll – receiving no votes.  The wins over Grays Harbor, gave the Raiders a perfect 4-0 record in the early going, improved the team’s overall record to 15-3, and affirmed what many people were thinking at the end of last season — new head coach Mike Nadeau has been quietly building Pierce Baseball into a contender.  Led by a sophomore laden pitching staff that looks to be one of the best in the NWAACC, the Raiders have turned up the offense, and are providing solid defense, in a balanced attack that looks to put the team in contention for a berth the NWAACC Championships in May.

The Raiders #3 ranking on the NWAACC poll led to a first-ever Top 25 ranking on the ABCA’s Pacific Association Division Poll.  The poll, which ranks all community and junior college baseball programs in Washington, Oregon, and California, placed the Raiders at a lofty #12. 

The Raiders return to action this weekend, with two doubleheaders against Centralia.  Pierce hosts the Trailblazers on Saturday, at Mt. Tahoma High School, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.  The team travel to Centralia on Sunday for day 2 of the weekend series.

Day 1 of the 3rd Annual Raiders Holiday Invitational Touranment produced two one-sided victories, and two games that proved to be pretty comptitive.  Defending tournament champion Lane, set a tournament record with 121 points against Peninsula (59), to begin the day’s play.  In Game 2 Skagit Valley had a tough time with Tacoma, finally pulling away for a 77-53 victory.  Game 3 was another blowout, as Clackamas made it look easy against Olympic, 104-54.  The final game of the day saw the host Raiders come back from a 7 point halftime deficit to pull out a 65-55 win.

Day 2 match-ups are as follows:  In the consolation bracket, Peninsula and Tacoma play at 1:00 p.m., and Olympic takes on Wenatchee Valley at 3:00 p.m.  In the winners bracket, Lane and Skagit Valley take the floor at 5:00 p.m., in a rematch of last year’s championship battle, and Clackamas will match up against the Pierce Raiders at 7:00 p.m.

The third and final day of the 7th Annual Raiders Thanksgiving Tournament produced one squeaker and two not-so-close outcomes.  In the the first game, Shoreline captured 4th Place by beating Columbia Basin, 64-44.  Bellevue had a tough time with South Puget Sound, but managed to pull out a 72-67 victory in the end, to take 3rd Place.  In the championship game, Whatcom proved too much for the host Raiders to handle, as the Orcas coasted to a 76-52 win, to take home this year’s championship trophy.

The All-Tournament Team selections were as follows:  Scott Backstrom (South Puget Sound), Alix Hernandez (Pierce), Jonathon Humphrie (Bellevue), Zach Kelsh (Shoreline), and Brandon Welch (Whatcom).  Whatcom’s JB Pillard earned Tournament Most Valuable Player honors, as he led the Orcas with 18 points and 9 rebounds against Pierce.