A Little League team from Elma has been on a run as of late, and it’s led the squad to a spot in the state championship game.
The Elma Juniors Division (12- to 14-year-olds) has hammered opposing teams to four straight wins in the Washington State Little League Juniors State Baseball Championship, culminating with a 16-9 thrashing of South Kitsap Little League (Port Orchard) in a semifinal matchup Tuesday in Bothell.
Elma pounded South Kitsap pitching for 17 hits — eight for extra bases — as Elma scored at least 13 runs for the fourth consecutive game.
Four players collected three hits each for Elma’s balanced lineup. Jack Alexander (3-5, 2B, R, 2RBI), Isaac McGafey (3-4, 2B, 3R, 3RBI), Cam Green (3-4, 3B, 2R, 3RBI) and Rusty Johnson (3-4, 2 2B, 2R, 3RBI) all had big games at the dish for Elma on Tuesday, as did TJ Dunlap (2-4, 2B, 3B, R, 3 RBI) who joined Green and Johnson with five total bases in the game.
After South Kitsap jumped on Elma for four runs in the top of the first — with two runs being earned off Elma starter Ethan Camus — Elma’s run-producing machine of an offense got to work. A single from Alexander drove home Brody Palmer — aboard with a leadoff double — to push across Elma’s first run of the game. McGafey followed with a two-run double with one out to pull Elma to within a run at 4-3.
Later in the inning, Johnson doubled home McGafey and Tanner Moe to erase South Kitsap’s early lead and give Elma a 5-4 advantage.
Camus worked around a leadoff single to toss a scoreless top half of the second inning and a Dunlap triple scored Ashton McKinney for Elma’s sixth run of the game the following half inning.
After allowing a run on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the third, Elma’s offense provided some breathing room. A two-run single off the bat of Green followed by a run-scoring double from Johnson put Elma up 9-5.
Later in the inning, Dunlap drove in a run on a sac fly, followed by an RBI double from Alexander. Camus then drove in a run on a sac fly to put Elma up, 12-5.
Elma would add a run each in the fourth and fifth innings and took a 14-5 lead into the top of the sixth.
South Kitsap responded with four runs in the sixth, but got no closer as Elma scored on a balk and an RBI double from Dunlap to go up by seven runs at 16-9 heading to the final inning.
Dunlap and Moe combined to pitch a scoreless seventh inning, giving Elma the victory and a spot in today’s championship game.
Camus picked up the win, allowing five runs (two earned) on four hits with six strikeouts and four walks in five innings pitched.
Dunlap (1.2 IP, 4ER, 2H, 2K, 2BB) and Moe (0.1 IP, BB) combined to toss the final three innings in relief.
“I’m very proud of how this team has made the most of this opportunity,” Elma coach Chazen Hurd said. “We didn’t shy away from the competition. Most of all, I’m just proud of how the kids are having fun with it.”
The reigning District 3 champions, Elma has romped through its state-tournament foes by scores of 18-6 (six innings over District 10), 23-0 (four innings over District 11) and 13-6 (District 1).
Elma will face the winner of South Kitsap vs. North Central (Seattle), which was scheduled for Wednesday in Bothell.
The championship game is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. today at Funko Field — home of the Class High-A Everett AquaSox.
