Union-Bulletin

RICHLAND - Wa-Hi wrapped up the regular season by splitting a pair of baseball games with Hanford here Tuesday, moving into fourth place in the Cascade Division of the Big Nine.

Wa-Hi lost the first game, 4-2. The Blue Devils then won the six-inning, mercy-rule second game, 11-1.

A six-run third inning clinched the victory, highlighted by a three-run homer by Morgan Maddess.

In the fifth inning, Maddess and Moe Handcox had back-to-back homers.

Hanford made a pitching change in between.

"That was an ironic," said Wa-Hi coach Keith Gradwohl of the change. "Maddess hit a homer off the first kid and Handcox greeted the reliever with the second to left field."

The first game was well pitched, Gradwohl said.

"There was a little too much pitching from Hanford's side," he said. "(Hanford pitcher) Ryan Shintaffer pitched a good ball game. We could only come up with two runs in the fifth."

But the split moved them to fourth place and guarantees the Blue Devils a playoff spot.

"Out goal was to make the playoffs, so now we start a second season," Gradwohl said.

Wa-Hi was 7-7 in the regular season.

Wa-Hi plays a loser-out game against Wenatchee at 4 p.m. next Tuesday in Wenatchee. Wenatchee is in third place in the Columbia Division.

First Game

Wa-Hi 000 200 0 - 2 4 6

Hanford 002 020 x - 4 6 4

James and Meyer, Holbrooke (4). Shintaffer, Landon (6) and Synoground.

HR - Han: Haskins.

Hits - Wa-Hi: Matthews, Toon, Watson, Holbrooke, Jimenez, Campeau. Hanford: Manderbach 2, Payne, Jones, Hoskins 2.

Second Game

Wa-Hi 106 031 - 11 16 1

Hanford 010 010 - 1 5 2

Watson, Campeau (5) and Holbrooke. Manderbach, Becker (5) and Synoground.

HR - Wa-Hi: Maddess 2, Handcox.

Hits - Wa-Hi: Handcox 2, Matthews, Toon 2, Jimenez 2, Holbrooke 2, James, Campeau, Watson 3, Maddess 2. Hanford: Manderbach, Scheibe, Jones, Shintaffer, Hoskins.