Union-Bulletin

HILLSBORO, Ore. - Complete-game pitching performances from Adam Mathews and Spencer Locati on Sunday and Joe Duehn's steady hitting throughout the weekend carried the Inland Cellular Walla Walla Black Sox 14-and-under youth baseball team to first place here in annual Lobos Classic.

Mathews went all seven innings, allowed four hits and two runs as the Black Sox defeated Gig Harbor 7-2 in the tournament's semifinal game. Then, in the championship contest, Locati scattered nine hits, allowed two earned runs and registered five strikeouts in a 7-3 victory over the host Silverdale Lobos.

In earlier tournament play, Walla Walla routed the Portland Baseball Club 16-4 on Friday and then rolled over K-Town Kelso 14-2 on Saturday. Both games were stopped early, with Eric Klicker, Nate Ortiz, Darryl Galloway and Duehn sharing the pitching duties in Friday's four-inning affair and Salomon Arellano tossing an abbreviated five-inning complete game Saturday.

Duehn hit safely in all four games for the Black Sox. He finished the tournament with nine base hits - for of them against Portland and three over Silverdale in the championship game - cracked a pair of doubles, scored seven times and drove in three runs.

Ali Buentello led the team with seven runs scored on the strength of four hits. He drove in three runs.

And Mathews had a team-best six RBIs. He hit safely three times and scored four times.

Ortiz also had three hits in the tournament, scored twice and drove home three runs. Tim Caudill, Galloway and Klicker each finished with a pair of hits - one of Galloway's was a triple - with Caudill driving in five runs, Galloway garnering four RBIs and Klicker scoring five runs.

Locati, who also scored five runs, drove home three and contributed one hit on the weekend, as did Arellano, Adam Eskil and David Pontarolo. Pontarolo scored five times, Eskil finished with four runs and three RBIs and Arellano three runs and three ribbies.

"This is our third tournament win of the season, and it's a real credit to our players hard work before and during the season," Inland Cellular coach Mike Postelwait said. "All of our starters pitched well, and we got the key hits when we needed them."

The Black Sox raised their season record to 29-7. They host their annual Black Sox tournament beginning Friday at Ray Lane Field on the DeSales High School campus and at Walla Walla Community College's Warriors Field on Tausick Way.

Walla Walla 16, Portland 4

Portland 020 20 - 4 5 2

Walla Walla 813 4x - 16 8 1

Klicker, Ortiz (3), Galloway (4), Duehn (5) and Ortiz, Duehn (3), Ortiz (4).

Hits - Portland: Lindell, Roos, Phes, Moore, Grubb; WW: Buentello, Duehn 4, Caudill, Klicker, Mathews.

Walla Walla 14, Kelso 2

Kelso 002 00 - 2 3 1

Walla Walla 590 0x - 14 8 2

Metzar, Buell (2) and Fix; Arellano and Ortiz, Duehn (3).

Hits - Kelso: Steinover, Buell; WW: Buentello 2, Duehn, Mathews, Galloway 2, Ortiz, Pontarolo.

Walla Walla 7, Gig Harbor 2

Gig Harbor 200 000 0 - 2 4 1

Walla Walla 430 000 x - 7 5 0

Selby, Villa (2), Miyake (3) and Slvysa; Mathews and Ortiz.

Hits - Gig Harbor: Selby, Gadiardi, Seaton; WW: Buentello, Duehn, Mathews, Klicker, Ortiz.

Walla Walla 7, Silverdale 3

Walla Walla 310 003 0 - 7 8 1

Silverdale 100 110 0 - 3 9 3

Locati and Ortiz; Christopherson, Giraldi (6) and Warrian.

Hits - WW: Duehn 3, Locati, Caudill, Ortiz, Eskil, Arellano; Silverdale: Imai, Biglow 2, Campball, Varadi 2, Warrian.