ELLENSBURG – On Saturday, the Central Washington Sixers 14U began their final tournament of their summer season. They went 2-0 in their two games Saturday. Head coach Ray Lopez had praise for one of his players' efforts.  

“Our first game kind of started off a little slow there, but we put some bats together. Drake Hansen started off for us, and got a triple in there, cleared the bases, so that kind of set the momentum,” Lopez said.

In game one, the Sixers played the Tri-City Warriors 14U team. The Sixers' defense opened the game strong after Drake Hansen made a diving catch in the outfield to knock a Warriors batter out.  

Both teams remained scoreless until the bottom of the second inning. The Sixers would get on the board first with two runs, taking a 2-0 lead. The game remained tight through the fifth inning, led by the pitching efforts of Eddie Gonzalez and Cannon Delong.  

Gonzalez pitched three of those innings, allowing zero earned runs and striking out five batters. Delong also did not allow any earned runs and struck out four batters, too. Beau Fricke took over in the sixth inning for the Sixers.  

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Sixers led 3-1 after a single by Fricke to score Hansen. Shortly after, the Sixers had two outs, but the bases were loaded. Conveniently enough, Hansen was up to bat again and proceeded to hit a triple that scored Cade Chlarson, Ryder Barnhart and Carson Valdez. The Sixers took a 6-1 lead over the Warriors.  

An energetic Lopez made sure to meet Hansen at third base to celebrate the play.  

“Hansen has improved tremendously,” Lopez said. “If we had an all-star selection, he would definitely be the number one kid. That kid has played with a lot of guts, a lot of heart, he's a tremendous player.” 

The Sixers would double down on their offensive momentum and score three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. They secured their first win of the day with a final score of 9-1.  

In game two, the Sixers played the Washington Select Warriors 14U team. In the top of the first, Hansen and Valdez’s runs put the Sixers at a 2-0 lead. Pitching led by Joaquin Hernandez kept the Warriors scoreless in the bottom of the first.  

In the top of the second inning, the Sixers would build their lead with four runs, increasing the score to 6-0. Their momentum from the first game was carrying over; Hansen would record another triple that scored Valdez.  

“I just remember seeing the ball. It was right where I liked it; I got my pitch and drove it. It was just hype,” Hansen said.  

The Sixers would change pitchers in the third inning, and Krue Judkins took over. The Sixers would hold the Warriors scoreless once again. In the top of the fourth, they erupted for six runs to widen the gap to 12-0.  

The Warriors tried to respond but could only score two runs in the bottom of the third. The Sixers added three more runs before securing a 15-2 win and advancing further in the Bullpen Series: Season Finale.  

Throughout both games, the team chemistry on the Sixers could not be ignored. The dugout was energetic, and the players were constantly encouraging each other.  

“We just always try to pick each other up, keep everything going, make sure no one's down,” Hansen said.  

According to Lopez, a key element to their chemistry is as simple as making sure the players are focused on having fun. A big part of the fun on Saturday was their efforts to work on team celebrations after big plays. According to Hansen, R.C. Rashford has the best celebration.  

“We let the boys have fun,” Lopez said. “It's kind of sad to see our season end, because of how we've been playing and how the camaraderie and the teamwork these boys put in, it's showing, and you wish you could keep on playing.” 

As they headed into Sunday's competition, Lopez felt confident that their momentum would carry over and they would finish the season on high note. He said that with Chlarson starting on the pitching mound, the team confidence is high.  

“If we can continue hitting the baseball like we did today, we're going to be unstoppable. Our mentality is one game at a time,” Lopez said.  

Box Scores 

Game One: 

TCWR: 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
SXRS: 0 2 0 0 4 3  9 

Game Two: 

SXRS: 2 4 6 3 15
WSHN: 0 0 2 0    2 

    Sixers 14U Carson Valdez takes off for first base after driving the ball to the outfield. Valdez recorded an RBI against the Tri-City Warriors.
  

    Joaquin Hernandez pitches for the Sixers 14U team against the Washington Select Warriors 14U team. Hernandez struck out five batters on the way to a 15-2 win.
  

    Sixers 14U Cade Chlarson prepares to take his swing against the Washington Select Warriors 14U. Chlarson recorded an RBI in their second game of the day.
  

    Sixers 14U Cannon Delong scores for the Sixers against the Washington Select 14U team. Delong also pitched in their first game of the day against the Tri-City Warriors, no
  

    Drake Hansen of the Sixers 14U baseball team dives into third base to complete a triple play. Hansen was diving all over the field on offense and defense against the Warriors.