The Olympian

Cougars outduel rival Bears

Capital holds on in 7th to top Olympia

by Gail Wood | The Olympian • Published April 05, 2008

OLYMPIA - Sean Simpson was sure he hadn't missed the tag at home plate.

But when the umpire didn't make a call, the Capital catcher alertly tagged Kramer Skidmore again. This time, the umpire signaled "out," capping a first-to-home double play in the bottom of the seventh inning.

And somehow Capital got out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs to eke out a 1-0 win against Olympia on Friday, pulling out a pitchers' duel in which there were more strikeouts (14) than hits (12).

"I tagged him, and the ump didn't make any call," Simpson said. "To make sure, I tagged him again. My sophomore year, I had the same play at the plate against Olympia and we won it."

Capital's Jason Monda and Kellen Camus combined for a five-hit shutout to beat their crosstown rival. Camus struck out the side in the sixth and finished with seven strikeouts in three innings of relief.

It was Camus' first pitching appearance.

"He showed a lot of poise," Capital coach Eric Stark said. "He's a bulldog. Nothing seems to bother him."

Skidmore put Camus in a pressure cooker when he led off the seventh with a double. Camus then hit Cameron Lowe and walked Kramer Champlin to load the bases.

Then came the play of the game. Camus bobbled a soft popup running off the mound. Because it was a low hit, the umpire did not call the infield fly rule.

Camus then lobbed an underhanded throw to Michael Monda for the out at first. Monda had alertly hustled over from second base to cover first.

Monda then threw a strike to the plate for the double play.

"It was a crazy play," Stark said. "Michael stayed with it. That was a heads up play."

Camus struck out the next batter for the final out.

Olympia loaded the bases twice in the game withouot scoring. In the fifth, Corwin Patis doubled with one out and Camus walked two batters to load the bases.

But Camus got out of the jam again with a strikeout.

"He was lights-out," Simpson said. "And he's only a sophomore."

Olympia, which was playing its fifth game in seven days, dropped to 10-2 overall. Capital improved to 7-1.

"We squandered a lot of opportunities," Olympia coach Todd McDougall said. "We played like a team that's played five games in seven days. And Capital came ready to play."

McDougall thought Skidmore had touched the plate and was safe at home in the seventh. The umpire ruled Skidmore never touched the plate.

"We just didn't get the big hit when we needed it," McDougall said.

In the third inning, Capital's Jason Monda singled to the outfield, and Camus scored when the grounder was bobbled.

Olympia's Tanner Justin and Willie Willard pitched well enough to win if the Bears' offense had given them run support. They combined to give up one run on seven hits.

It was Justin's first start and Willard's first appearance on the mound.

"Our guys did a nice job of pitching," McDougall said. "They kept us in it."