Kennewick Cal Ripken teams continue battle in World Series
Kennewick National has dropped to 1-2 in pool play after falling 8-2 on Tuesday to host Palm Beach Gardens American in the Cal Ripken 12s/60 World Series in Florida.
On Monday, Kennewick edged Hanford, Calif., 10-9 for its first victory of the tournament.
Kennewick National took on Rockville, Md., on Aug. 11 in its final pool-play game.
Tournament officials will next seed all 15 teams, with the top nine playing for the World Series title in a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament.
The remaining six teams will compete in the consolation bracket.
▪ Kennewick American lost 9-0 to Hawaii in pool play Monday morning at the Cal Ripken 12s/70 World Series in Branson, Mo.
Cooper Bender, Sebastian Iniguez, Nicholas Wade and Ryan Wade each had base hits for Kennewick.
Kennewick then lost 3-2 to Bryant, Ark., on Tuesday in its final pool-play contest, finishing with a 1-3 pool play record.
That keeps Kennewick American from playing for the World Series title, and instead the team will play in the single-elimination consolation bracket that started Wednesday.
The KA 12s were set to play either Mineral Area, Mo., or West Fargo, N.D., on Wednesday.
In the loss to Arkansas, Kennewick pitcher Teryn Curtis struck out six batters in 4 innings, while reliever Cooper Bender pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
Both Curtis and Ryan Wade each had RBI singles for Kennewick.
▪ Connell’s Madison Smith had played in SWX’s Media Classic both in 2018 and 2019. But she turned down SWX for this summer’s contest, which was held July 2 at Kamiakin.
Smith had good reason, though. She was already headed to school in Colorado.
She’ll be playing women’s basketball this coming winter for the Air Force Academy.
▪ Hanford dominated in Mid-Columbia Conference all-conference swimming.
In boys’ big awards, Falcons sophomore Andy Gelston and senior Ryan Monrean were named co-swimmers of the year, while teammate and junior Landen Claybrook was named boys diver of the year.
On the girls’ side, Hanford senior Regan Geldmacher — who committed to BYU in 2020 — was named girls MCC swimmer of the year.
Only Kamiakin sophomore Maia Canada was a non-Hanford major award winner, as Canada was named MCC girls diver of the year.
Geldmacher dominated the short spring season, and she earned first-team honors in 200 free, 500 free, and as part of the Hanford girls’ 200 free relay and 400 free relay teams.
Richland junior Bryn McGinnis also was outstanding, being named first team in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly.
Walla Walla senior Laurel Skorina was also a two-time first-team swimmer, in both the 100 free and 100 backstroke.
Hanford senior Kodi Younkin was a first-team pick in the 50 free, and was a member of the Falcons’ 200 Medlay relay and 200 free relay.
Richland senior Karma Johnson was a 100 breaststroke first-team pick.
Hanford’s Cameron Rutherford (200 Medley, 400 free), Chamelle Abringe (200 Medley, 400 free), Macy Bagwell (200 Medley, 400 free), Carrie Moore (200 free) and Madison Vincent (200 free) were all first-team selections in the relays.
In the MCC boys, Hanford’s Gelston was first-team in the 500 free and 100 backstroke, Falcons teammate Monrean was first team in the 50 free and 100 free.
Richland sophomore Ethan Johnston was first team in the 200 freestyle, and was part of the top 200 Medley relay and the 400 free relay.
Richland senior Nick Zink was a first-team selection in the 100 breaststroke, as well as part of the 200 Medley and 400 free relay teams.Walla Walla junior Luke Bona was a first-team pick in the 100 butterfly, and he was part of the top 200 free relay team team.
Richland sophomore Luc Johnston made first team in the 200 IM, and was part of the top 400 free relay team.
Richland’s Kaleb Prigge (200 Medley, 400 free) and Aidan Pollick (200 Medley); and Walla Walla’s Caleb Goin (200 free), Zach Juhnke (200 free) and Jesse Snyder (200 free) were all first-team selections in the relays.
▪ We’re less than a month from the first high school football games already.
Opening night is Friday, Sept. 3, for the Mid-Columbia Conference schools. Here are the openers (all kickoffs at 7 p.m.): Davis at Southridge, Lampson Stadium (non-league); Hanford at Chiawana, Edgar Brown Stadium; Kamiakin at Hermiston; Kennewick at Walla Walla, Borleske Stadium; and Pasco at Richland.
▪ Hermiston High School graduate Jayden Ray will be playing this coming winter for the Pacific University women’s basketball team in Forest Grove, Ore.
Ray averaged 10.6 points over 14 games in the abbreviated spring season for the Bulldogs girls basketball team.
That was enough to earn her a second-team all-Mid-Columbia Conference all-star honor.
Ray was the MCC’s defensive player of the year as a junior in 2019-20.
▪ Kennewick wide receiver Max Mayer, who graduated in June, will be playing for Ottawa University in Arizona this fall. Ottawa is an NAIA school.
▪ Kamiakin senior-to-be Payton Graham has a chance to pitch in the Area Code Games in San Diego this week.
Graham is one of over 220 of the top high school baseball players in the nation to compete in the event, which began last Sunday and runs through Thursday.
Major League teams are sponsoring the event, which has eight teams playing in the showcase overt the five days.
Scouts from all 30 MLB teams are evaluating players — and some top NCAA Division I coaches are in attendance as well — in preparation for next summer’s MLB Draft.
Graham, who has already committed to pitching for Gonzaga University after he graduates in June of 2022, is playing for the Royals.
In an 11-3 loss to the Nationals on Monday, Graham tossed two solid innings of relief, giving up just one hit, two unearned runs, two walks, but also had four strikeouts.
▪ Former Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Joey Lucchesi was 1-4 in eight pitching starts for the New York Mets this season, with a 4.46 earned run average, before being placed on the 60-day injured list on June 23, suffering from left elbow inflammation.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 12:48 PM.