The 2022 Titans ball club ended its season in style, defeating #6 ranked Clackamas 9-4.  West used a huge 8 run 3rd inning to break the game open.  In the third clutch hits from Trey Ward (2 run single) and Aiden Rock (2 run double) were key moments in the rally.

Senior starting pitcher Brody McMullen dominated on the mound for the Titans going 6 innings, allowing no earned runs on four hits.  McMullen struck out thirteen Clackamas Cavaliers on the day.  It was a fantastic way for Brody to wrap up his Titan career.

Offensively, seniors Brooks Ferguson (2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI) and Jeremiah Pinkerton (2-4, 1 run) topped off their careers with huge  games.  Trey Ward (2-4, 1 2B, 1 run, 2 RBI) also had a solid day at the plate for the Titans.

West goes into the off-season graduating eight seniors (McMullen, Ferguson, Pinkerton, Evan Faust, Jaebin Sotelo, Ashton Simmons, Jon Olsen, and Colin Kronenberg).  The underclassmen remaining will look to use performances like those in this game to build upon for next year as they hope to get back into the playoffs after missing the postseason for the first time in several years.

The West Salem baseball club ends its year with an overall record of 7 wins and 19 loses, with a 3-9 mark in league.

Win, lose, or draw, West Salem's baseball season will come to and end at Clackamas High School on Thursday evening.  With the Titans having been eliminated from playoff contention what remains is one more ballgame as a group in the 2022 season.  After the game the program will bid a fond farewell to its eight seniors: Brody McMullen, Jaebin Sotelo, Colin Kronenberg, Brooks Ferguson, Ashton Simmons, Jon Olsen, Evan Faust, and Jeremiah Pinkerton.

Entering the game West Salem sits at 6-19 on the season, while Clackamas is 23-3 and ranked 6th in the state.  The Titans will look for the upset as Clackamas, no doubt, would be the betting favorite in this one, if there were such a thing in high school baseball.  Maybe we'll have to check with Las Vegas; anything is possible these days.  Still, as they say, "You don't play the game on paper" and the Titans will most certainly give it one final shot to put together a complete game and play David to Clackamas' Goliath.

First pitch from Clackamas High School is scheduled for 5pm.

Note for parents and fans attending: As with the previous contest vs. Lincoln, this matchup is an Endowment Game, meaning that all fans must pay to attend.  Clackamas is asking for cash only payments.  

Lincoln defeated West Salem 10-2 on Tuesday at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro.  The Cardinals nine run third inning was the difference in the game; if one were to take that inning out the Titans come out on top 2-1.  Unfortunately, rules are rules and you can't simply take out one inning.

Despite the lopsided score, West Salem had several highlights.  Maybe the most impressive of those was Ashton Simmons relief pitching performance.  In three innings of relief Simmons no hit Lincoln while striking out five.  At the plate the Titans scattered seven hits by seven different players.  Brody McMullen had one of those hits; an RBI double that started West Salem's scoring in the fifth.  Matthew Luke also had an RBI groundout for West Salem.  Aiden Rock and Carter Howard came across the plate for the two Titan runs; both in the 5th inning.

West Salem finishes up the season on Thursday at Clackamas.

West Salem will head up north today to face off against Lincoln High School.  The game will take place at Ron Tonkin Field, home of the Hillsboro Hops; first pitch slated for 4:30pm.  This is an Endowment Game, meaning that all fans attending will need to pay admission.

Thursday's game was a a perfect reflection on the 2022 season in its entirety.  Originally scheduled to be played at home at 4pm, the game was moved to West Linn High School with a first pitch of 7pm.  There were no buses available so West Salem was forced to borrow a milk wagon from Sprague to make the journey up north. 

Undeterred by the melee of circumstances the Titans played a solid game versus Wilsonville, who was the home team in this game (despite West being home team before the location change).  Matthew Luke started on the mound for the Titans and was able to keep Wilsonville off balance most of the day.  Over 5 1/3 innings Luke gave up two earned runs while striking out 5.  John Olsen, who came in to relieve Luke in the 6th, was stellar in his 2/3 innings of work, allowing no earned runs.

Offensively, West managed 5 hits, including a double by Jeremiah Pinkerton.  The Titans had plenty of opportunities to score but only Colin Kronenberg was able to come through with an RBI when runners were in scoring position.

The game was tied at one until the bottom of the 5th, when Wilsonville managed to plate a run.  They would add two more in the bottom of the 6th to put the game away.  

Final Score from West Linn: Wilsonville 4, West Salem 1

The Titans wrap up the season next week with games against Lincoln and Clackamas.