High School Baseball: Clatskanie controls the zone to neutralize Knappa in County Line Clash
PHOTO GALLERY — Tigers turn 13 walks into 13 runs in mercy rule shutout against Loggers
Skyler Smith for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com
OSAA Prep Baseball / Report
CLATSKANIE — The Clatskanie baseball team didn’t need a barrage of hits to take control in the County Line Clash. Instead, the Tigers turned patience at the plate into production, drawing 13 walks and capitalizing on free bases to roll past Knappa 13-0 in a mercy rule victory,
Tuesday, in an OSAA 2A Northwest League matchup between familiar foes at Wallace Field.
The Tigers sent Zach Mollenhour, a southpaw senior, out to the hill to do their bidding and were rewarded for their faith in his arm. Mollenhour picked up the victory in the shutout while pitching into the fifth inning and allowing just one hit.
“Just throw strikes—that’s what my coach tells me all the time,” Mullenhour said. “That was my mentality... I trust my defense to have my back. I just focus on attacking the zone and letting them make plays.”
And that attack was effective in preventing the visitors from getting comfortable.
“We haven’t seen many lefties this year, and he kept everything around the strike zone,” Knappa head coach Tim Miller said. “He just did a good job mixing his pitches.”
After a slow burning start, the hosts broke the game open in the third inning – not with power, but with pressure.
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