LACEY — Following a four-game losing streak, Timberline was in borderline desperate need of a jolt of energy.
The entire Blazers roster seemed to understand that sense of urgency, as Timberline put together a complete effort in a 9-2 home win against North Thurston Thursday to split the season series with its rival.
From the top of the lineup to the bottom and from all positions across the defense, Timberline played clean and flashy. Adrian Williams pitched a complete game, Dalton Abbott and Jr. San Nicolas combined for seven hits, and the Blazers defense shined with highlight-reel play after highlight-reel play.
“All year long, we’ve talked about energy and effort. When you put in the energy and effort, good things will happen,” Timberline head coach Doug LaPalm said. “All of those things clicked for us. We finally played with the energy and effort that we had expected and thought that we would play with the entire year.”
Reid Ovist opened the game with a diving catch in center field in the first, and the Blazers built off that buzz by loading the bases with no one out in the bottom of the frame. Will Tennent’s RBI groundout put the Blazers on the board first, but North Thurston turned a double play to escape the inning.
Williams retired the first six batters he faced before Wyatt Albertson led off the third with a single. Grady Wright tied the game with a two-out double.
Timberline quickly answered in the bottom of the third. Ovist doubled to left field to score Will Tennent and Kyle Brown, giving the Blazers back the lead. After a double in the second inning, Abbott’s second hit came on an RBI single in the third.
North Thurston pressed Williams again in the fourth, with Kole French doubling and Zachary Albright singling to lead off the inning. David Perez successfully brought French home on a sacrifice fly, but the Rams couldn’t pull any closer.
The Blazers pulled away with a strong fourth inning off Rams starter Perez. After the first two batters reached base, Gamble came up clutch with an RBI single, and Brown scored on a passed ball. Caleb Bacon added to the lead, which was suddenly 7-2, on a sacrifice fly to right field.
San Nicolas and Gamble picked up RBIs in the bottom of the fifth, and the Blazers defense and Williams took care of the rest. While Williams only struck out two batters, the defense made the other 19 putouts without an error. Williams allowed two runs on five hits.
“We’ve always known that Adrian is capable of pitching like that. We saw it last year,” LaPalm said. “It’s just a matter of having confidence in his defense and our offense. He did exactly what we expected him to do because I think that’s the level of player he is. He was throwing strikes in the zone, keeping off-speed pitches in the zone. He was really good with all of his pitches today.”
On the other bump, Perez pitched four innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out four.
“We didn’t help him defensively,” North Thurston head coach Joe Meggs said. “They’re a good hitting team, and we knew they were going to get hits. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make some big plays in key moments to help him out. I thought he battled for us and gave us a chance to win and kept us in the game.”
Abbott went 4 for 4 at the plate, breaking out for his best game of the young season after a tough start to the campaign.
“I just threw my hands really well and I saw pitches great,” he said. “We play for each other. In this game, we really had each other’s backs and we really put in the effort.”
Timberline (3-5, 3-4 Puget Sound League) will return to action April 6 for the start of a two-game series against Lakes, first in Lakewood and then at home Tuesday. North Thurston (4-3, 3-3 Puget Sound League) will round out the week with a non-league contest at Skyview Saturday afternoon before league action resumes next week with two games against Peninsula.
