Richland uses big inning to pull away from Kamiakin for 4A District 8 baseball title

How good is Tri-Cities baseball? The Bombers are one of five Mid-Columbia Conference teams qualified for next week's regional round.

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Richland head baseball coach Grant Richardson has his Bombers in top form right now.

“We always say we want to be playing our best at the end of the season,” said Richardson.

And that’s just what the Bombers are doing.

On Saturday, Richland had a great pitching performance from both Cameron Kallsen and reliever Kenyon Coleman, and used some clutch hitting at the right time to beat Kamiakin 5-1 in the District 8 Class 4A championship at LaPierre Field in Kennewick.

With the victory, the Bombers are hoping to move into a top 4 position in the WIAA’s RPI rankings, and then have the 4A state tournament seeding committee award them to host one of the four regional sites next weekend.

Richardson said they’ll know by late Sunday morning.

Regardless of where Richland goes, Richardson loves the way his team is playing.

“We don’t depend on just one person on this team,” he said. “Everybody is playing well, and in our lineup, 1 through 9, we expect something to happen.”

That “something” came in the sixth inning, when the Bombers snapped a 1-1 tie with a four-run inning.

Senior Joey Weissenfels opened the inning with a line drive single to right field, and junior Jase Vopalensky followed with a perfectly placed bunt single to put runners on first and second.

Junior Kooper Jones advanced both runners a base on a sacrifice bunt.

Sophomore Chris Daniels then drove in the go-ahead run with a single to right.

“I saw the outside pitch, and I was pretty close to the plate,” said the right-handed hitting Daniels, who slapped at the pitch.

After Ethan Ammerman walked to load the bases, Richland’s Troy Molnaa was hit by a pitch to score another run, and Drew Johnson finished the barrage with a two-run single to right field.

That was all that was needed for the Bombers, thanks to starter Kallsen — who went five innings — a Coleman, who tossed a perfect final two innings with three strikeouts.

“I was worried about missing my spots,” said Kallsen, who who struck out two batters in his five innings. “And I needed to stay around the strike zone enough, but not get too pretty. I had to locate my fastball in the right spots.”

Kallsen did just that, surrendering only a first-inning run, thanks to an RBI double by Kamiakin’s Peyton Rickard. But over the next four innings, Kallsen scattered three singles and shut the Braves down.

“I told the guys after the game it’s time to change the page and look to Monday,” said Kamiakin coach Steve Woods. “Everyone is in the same situation in that they have to win two games next Saturday (at regionals) in order to make it to the state semifinals.”

It just wasn’t Kamiakin’s day, added Woods.

“At the end of the day, (Richland) beat us,” he said.

“I think,” added Kallsen, “we’ve just gotten on a roll, and we’re riding it.”

And that’s kind of been the modus operandi in the Mid-Columbia Conference this spring: there have been no easy games, and teams just have to stay hot.

With Chiawana’s 8-7 victory over Gonzaga Prep (in nine innings) on Saturday, the MCC took all three state berths from Greater Spokane League in Class 4A.

In the 3A portion of the tournament, Walla Walla upset Kennewick 4-3 in the title game. Mount Spokane beat Southridge 4-3 in nine innings late Saturday afternoon for the final 3A state berth.

In total, 56 percent of the MCC has qualified for state tournaments.

“I’ve told our kids they can beat anyone in this conference, but anyone can beat you,” said Woods. “This conference is set up where everybody has good players. You’ve got to show up every day, ready to play. It’s crazy.”

--Jeff Morrow; @morrow_jeff.