Richland Bombers advance to 4A WA semifinals after opening day sweep

The Richland Bombers opened the WIAA 4A State Baseball Championships with a pair of victories Saturday at Bomber Bowl, surviving a tense opening round matchup against Skyline before rolling past Olympia in the quarterfinals to advance into the state semifinals.

The Bombers defeated Skyline 2-0 behind a complete-game shutout performance from senior pitcher Michael Revell, then returned later in the day to overpower Olympia 11-1 in quarterfinal play.

“It wasn’t our best game of the year, but we found a way to win, and that’s really the important thing when you get to playoff baseball,” Richland head coach Grant Richardson said following the opener against Skyline.

The opening round matchup against Skyline developed into a pitcher’s duel early, with both teams struggling to generate offense through the first four innings. Revell settled in quickly for Richland, striking out seven batters while allowing Skyline little room to build momentum offensively.

Richland finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dylan Parrott delivered an RBI single to score junior centerfielder Parker Smoot for the game’s first run. Jackson Woodard later added an RBI as the Bombers secured the 2-0 victory.

“You know you’d like to win better than 2-0 in a game like today, but it’s a win, and that’s what counts at this point,” Revell said.

“Overall, I didn’t feel like I had my best stuff today. My fastball wasn’t coming out as well as I wanted, but you find a way, and that’s what we did. The guys pulling in those two runs, that’s what this team has been about. Now we’ve got the win, we survived, and now we advance.”

Revell, who has played baseball since first grade, will continue his career next season at NCAA Division I Grand Canyon University.

Smoot, playing in his first 4A state tournament, scored one of Richland’s two runs against Skyline and said the Bombers’ chemistry has helped fuel the team’s success this season.

“We’ve got a really good bond and really come together like a family,” Smoot said. “We’ve all been playing together for a while now and that really matters. We are all really good friends and that along with our coaches make us really strong.”

“Being part of this program has been awesome. Getting to go to state, and we are all staying focused on bringing home another championship for the Bombers.”

Richland returned to the field later Saturday afternoon and quickly took control against Olympia in the quarterfinals.

The Bombers jumped out early in the bottom of the first inning after Jaren Lee singled home a run and Tyler Huck followed with a two-run triple. Richland added five more runs in the third inning to break the game open.

Braylon Edwards earned the victory on the mound for Richland, allowing just one unearned run over six innings while striking out six batters.

Huck finished with three RBIs for the Bombers while Edwards, Dominic Harper, Lee, Huck and Revell each collected hits. Richland also showed patience at the plate, drawing 10 walks and stealing four bases during the win.

Following the quarterfinal victory over Olympia, Richardson said the Bombers will spend the coming week preparing mentally and physically for the state semifinal matchup.

“Facing Gonzaga next, we are going to have to step it up,” Richardson said. “Today, my guys didn’t play to their potential. We need to get back to where we were.”

Even so, Richardson said the Bombers’ senior leadership continues to set the tone for the team during pressure-filled moments.

“I’d have to highlight our seniors,” Richardson said. “They are just a great group of kids, and they have really stepped up and become leaders of this team. As a coach, that’s just great to see. They know how to compete and how to get each other going.”

“This was a tougher opener for us, and they knew how to grind it out to get it done.”

Richardson, a 2001 Richland graduate and former Milwaukee Brewers draft pick, guided the Bombers to a Mid-Columbia Conference championship and the No. 1 seed into the state tournament after a dominant regular season.

“We won our last state championship in 2024, and we’re ready to take it back this year,” Richardson said. “Go Bombers!”

Richland entered the state tournament ranked No. 2 in the WIAA 4A RPI standings and improved to 24-2 on the season with Saturday’s two wins over Skyline and Olympia at Bomber Bowl.

The Bombers will now face Gonzaga Prep in the state semifinals at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 29, at Everett Memorial Stadium. The semifinal matchup will serve as a rematch from earlier this season when Gonzaga Prep handed Richland one of its only two losses of the year, edging the Bombers 3-2 in Richland on May 16.

“You bet we’re ready for that rematch,” Richardson said. “Should be a good game. But also glad to see the east side representing so well.”

Across-town rival Kamiakin also advanced to the semifinals Saturday after defeating Lake Washington 6-0. Kamiakin will face Sumner in the other semifinal at 10 a.m. Saturday in Everett. The winners of the two semifinal games will meet for the WIAA 4A State Championship at 4 p.m. Saturday.

-Scott Hunt is a freelance photographer and write in Tri-Cities.