Madden Pike shines in relief, Puyallup beats rival Sumner to win 4A bidistrict title
Puyallup reliever Madden Pike kept losing his cap after his pitches Saturday, but he didn't lose his head or the lead once he got it in a 7-6 Class 4A District 3/4 championship win over rival Sumner.
'I've got to strap it down I guess,' said the 15-year-old ninth grader who showed composure beyond his years. 'The fastball, fork ball, slider and curveball, they all worked good together.'
'He's got no fear,' said Vikings head coach Marc Wiese. 'He's just going to compete. That's why we wanted the ball in his hands.'
After being greeted by a game-tying, two-run triple to Spartans catcher Grayson Meier with one out in the top of the third, Pike kept wriggling out of jams and did not allow another run the rest of the way.
He held Meier on a ground ball back to him for the second out in the third and the threat ended on a pop out to third base.
That was a sign of things to come.
A Sumner runner was left on second with one out in the fourth and another on third with two outs in the fifth after Kyler Malner singled and scored on a triple by Noah Benedict for a 7-6 Puyallup lead in the bottom of the fourth.
The Spartans threatened again in the sixth as Jaxon Cummings hit an infield single and Wyatt Plyler doubled him over to third with one out.
But Pike held the runners on another ball back to him and center fielder Riley Sanoy snagged a low sinking shot into the gap in left center off the bat of Xander Cypher to end it and save two runs.
Sumner loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh and final inning, but a grounder to Puyallup second baseman Mason Pike wrapped up the Vikings' third win over the Spartans this year.
Now both teams go on to state regional play next Saturday with locations and pairings to be announced Sunday.
Puyallup advances with a 26-0 overall mark and hopes for four more wins for a 30-0 record and a state championship.
'Hopefully we're good and lucky at the same time,' Wiese said.
Sumner started off Saturday's game on a windy night at Tahoma High School beyond Covington with three runs in a two-out rally in the top of the first.
Jacob Miller was hit by a pitch and advanced on a Cypher single ahead of a Bryce Carl double and a Cameron Westerdahl single.
Puyallup got two runs back in the bottom of the inning on four walks, a hit batter and an RBI sacrifice fly by Mason Pike.
The Vikings rallied for four more in the second to go up, 6-3.
Madden Pike drew a leadoff walk and scored on a one out double by Sanoy. Mason Pike singled home Sanoy ahead of a Gage Thompson walk and a two-run single by Malner.
Benedict walked to load the bases and Keagan Soliza scored Thompson on an infield single.
Sumner knotted it with a three-run third.
Cypher walked and Carl was hit by a pitch ahead of a RBI double by Westerdahl and Meier's two-run triple deep to left center.
But Madden Pike held the Spartans scoreless the rest of the way and Benedict tripled in Malner with the winning run in the fourth.
'We haven't won this thing in three years,' pointed out Wiese. 'These guys wanted this game.'
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