BENTON CITY -- Needing a win to secure a state berth, the Kiona-Benton baseball team went with its horse on the mound.
Matt Mason delivered another big outing, grinding out 6 2/3 innings of six-hit ball and working around four errors in a 9-5 win over visiting Connell on Friday in an SCAC district semifinal.
The win guarantees Ki-Be (16-6) a state berth.
Hayden Wing went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs for the Bears, ripping a crucial two-out double to unload the bases in the fifth inning and open a five-run lead.
"That was probably the hit of the day," said Ki-Be coach Clark Brown. "It gave us some breathing room."
Jimmy Gifford added three hits for the Bears, who will play Columbia-Burbank in the district championship game at 5 p.m. today at Davis High in Yakima.
Chandler Salisbury and Steven Bermudez each had two hits for Connell, which faces a loser-out matchup with Zillah at 11 a.m., also at Davis.
Connell 100 020 2 -- 5 6 2
Kiona-Benton 101 232 x -- 9 11 4
Leo Bermudez, Shelby Harty (4), Gunnar Mathis (6) and Austin Ochoa; Matt Mason, Daniel Deaton (7) and Todd Riley. Highlights--Chandler Salisbury (C) 2x3, 3B; Steven Bermudez (C) 2x4, 2 RBI, 2B; Hayden Wing (KB) 2x4, 2 2B, 4 RBI; Jimmy Gifford (KB) 3x4; Deaton (KB) 2x3, 2B; Tim Herman (KB) 2B; Mason (KB) 6 2/3IP-12K-6H.
Burbank 10, Naches Valley 9
T.J. Gamache had a 3-for-3 performance at the plate and garnered a home run en route to three RBIs on the day as Columbia-Burbank edged host Naches Valley in an SCAC 1A district contest.
"It was a great win for us," Burbank coach Mike Steberl said.
The Coyotes will play Kiona-Benton for the championship 5 p.m. today at Davis High in Yakima.
Burbank 503 100 1 -- 10 13 4
Naches Valley 000 522 0 -- 9 15 1
Dyllon Bertsch, Jordan Shuttlesworth (6) and Kevin Ireland; Walker, Gonzales (4), Gilman (7) and Wells. Highlights--Nate Roberts (B) 1x3, 2B; Garrett Long (B) 2x4; Dylan Smith (B) 3x4, 2 2B, 3R, RBI; Bertsch (B) 2x4, 2B, 2R, 3 RBI; TJ Gamache (B) 3x3, HR, 3 RBI; Cody Johns (NV) 3B, 2 RBI; Chris Walker (NV) 3x5, 2B; Noel Gonzales (NV) 2x4, RBI; Carson Kass (NV) 2x4, 2 RBI; Nathan Giles (NV) 3x4.
