He looks up to Tim Lincecum, the star right-handed pitcher of the San Francisco Giants and Liberty High product.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Kent\u2019s Jaylen Eichler, as he has done all season, pitched just like his idol.<\/p>\n
Behind yet another solid pitching performance from Eichler, the Kent Little League 9 and 10-year-old All-Star team brought home the state championship, fending off Gig Harbor 3-2 at Valley Ridge Park in SeaTac.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinning the state title would have been really tough to do it without Jaylen,\u201d said Kent coach Steve Wright.<\/p>\n
How tough?<\/p>\n
During the district tournament, Eichler won a pair of games and struck out 16 batters in 9 2\/3 innings of scoreless work, helping Kent twirl a perfect 4-0 record. The 10-year-old righthander was just as good during the state tournament, allowing one earned run in 13 2\/3 innings pitched. He also picked up the win in the championship game against Gig Harbor, allowing just one run and striking out seven in 4 1\/3 innings pitched.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has such good poise and he doesn\u2019t get flustered,\u201d said Wright. \u201cHe just does his business, works ahead of the batters and his offspeed stuff is great. It\u2019s amazing how many strikes he throws.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kind of like his local hero who now plays for the San Francisco Giants.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe uses all his body, not just his arm and he pitches with momentum,\u201d Eichler said of Lincecum.<\/p>\n
And like Lincecum, Eichler is as competitive as they come.<\/p>\n
When asked about his golden pitching performances, Eichler responded: \u201cPretty good, but I felt like I shouldn\u2019t have given up any runs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, Eichler\u2019s dominance was only half the story for the Kent team.<\/p>\n
In the championship victory over Gig Harbor, Cody Faulkner ignited the offense in the third with a leadoff single to the right-center gap. Moments later, Travis Hansen singled home Faulkner, giving Kent a 1-0 lead. Nate Arreola then singled home Hansen, essentially giving Eichler and the rest of the Kent pitching staff all the offense it would need.<\/p>\n
Gig Harbor cut the Kent lead to 2-1 with a fourth-inning run.<\/p>\n
Kent, however, quickly responded in the fifth, when Ryan Anderton singled home Arreola, pushing the lead to 3-1. Arreola reached on a single.<\/p>\n
Gig Harbor threatened in the sixth inning, opening the frame with back-to-back singles, which put runners on first and third base with not outs. Kent catcher Cody Faulkner threw out the runner on first attempting to steal, then pitcher Jacob Anderson \u2013 after one run came home to score \u2013 iced the title with a pair of strikeouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a huge play,\u201d Wright said of Faulkner\u2019s throw. \u201cNow, we have one out and a runner on third with a two-run lead.\u201d<\/p>\n
As good as Kent\u2019s pitching was throughout the tournament, it also showed plenty of thump at the plate and proved to be stingy on defense as well. For the tournament, Kent outscored its opponents 43-7. Most of those runs, however, came in Kent\u2019s first two wins, when it throttled South Skagit 18-1 and followed with a 13-1 thumping of Asotin County.<\/p>\n
Defensively, there wasn\u2019t a more sound team in the tournament. In four games, Kent committed just three errors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were just so strong defensively,\u201d Wright said. \u201cOur outfield in particular was phenomenal. They didn\u2019t give up the extra base.\u201d<\/p>\n
That outfield includes Anderson in right field and Hansen in center. Kent rotated Koby Huerta, Jordon Wright and Grant Stockman in left field.<\/p>\n
In the championship victory, Arreola led the Kent offense with three hits, a run scored and an RBI. Faulkner, Anderton and Hansen also added hits.<\/p>\n
The title capped a perfect run through district and state for the Kent boys, which completed the summer with an unblemished 9-0 record.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really big winning state,\u201d Eichler said. \u201cIt was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
KENT 9-10 ROUNDUP<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 Kent 18, South Skagit 2, Game 1:<\/b> Kent wasted little time jumping on South Skagit, scoring five first-inning runs and nine more in the second. Ben Wadowski and Nate Arreola delivered big for the Kent stars. Wadowski belted a home run while Arreola went 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Ryan Anderton also swung a hot bat, driving in four runs.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u2022 Kent 13, Asotin County 1, Game 2:<\/b> Kent\u2019s bats remained torrid in a rout of Asotin County. Jaylen Eichler continued to come up big for the Kent team, going 2-for-2 with a grand slam and five RBIs. Ryan Anderton picked up the win on the mound, striking out four in four scoreless innings of work. Jacob Anderson and Ben Woods also chipped in on offense. Anderson went 2-for-3 while Woods added a hit and two RBIs.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u2022 Kent 5, Alderwood 3, Game 3:<\/b> This proved to be the pivotal game of the tournament for the Kent boys. Tied 0-0 in the ninth inning \u2013 the third extra frame of the contest \u2013 Kent struck for five runs. Alderwood responded with a three-run ninth, but it was to no avail as Kent earned a berth in the semifinals. Jaylen Eichler continued to be the ace on the mound for Kent, working scoreless 71\/3 innings and striking out 11. Eichler added a pair of hits and an RBI. Jacob Anderson picked up the win with 1 2\/3 solid innings of relief. Anderson chipped in a pair of hits and an RBI at the plate as well. Ryan Anderton added a hit and an RBI in the win.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u2022 Kent 4, Gig Harbor 1, semifinals:<\/b> Down 1-0, the Kent stars used small-ball tactics, piecing together four runs on bunts, a handful of walks and some good baserunning. The win helped Kent earn a berth in the championship game.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
MEET THE CHAMPIONS<\/b><\/p>\n
The Kent Little League 9 and 10-year-old All-Star team includes coaches Steve Wright and Mark Anderton along with players Jacob Anderson, Ryan Anderton, Nathan Arreola, Jaylen Eichler, Cody Faulkner, Travis Hansen, Bennett Harrison, Koby Huerta, Grant Stockman, Benjamin Wadowski, Benjamin Woods and Jordon Wright.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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