LITTLE LEAGUE SENIORS: Kent blasts Redmond, plays for state title on Saturday

Call it gut instinct.

Whatever it was, Kent Senior Little League coach Kevin Vallala was right on the money Wednesday night at Redmond’s Hartman Park.

“I had a good feeling before the game,” the coach said. “I told the players we were going to get 15 hits and win 10-3.”

Vallala undershot just a bit.

Instead, the Kent Senior All-Star team, which is comprised of 14-16 year olds, racked up 20 hits and rolled to a 14-2, six-inning throttling of Redmond in a state semifinal game.

Leadoff hitter Jared Mackie gave Redmond a quick demonstration on what to expect in the first at-bat of the game, launching a double off the wall. Kent proceeded to score three runs in the opening inning, four more in the third, one in the fourth and six in the sixth.

Of the 20 hits, 13 were singles, five were doubles, and two were triples.

“It’s a young team, but the boys are very, very poised,” Vallala said. “There was no jumping around after the game. They know we have another game to go.”

Mackie, DJ Vallala, Dalton Cryderman, Ricky Davis and David Prince collected three hits apiece for Kent. Prince also delivered a strong performance on the mound, going six innings, allowing just four hits and striking out four. Matt Nutting added a pair of hits, a run scored and an RBI in the win.

The win helped Kent earn a berth in the championship game, which is slated for 10 a.m. July 24 (Saturday) at Hartman Park in Redmond against a yet to be determined opponent. If Kent falls Saturday morning, it would get a second chance for the tournament title since it’s the lone team in the field to avoid the loser’s bracket.

The winner of the tournament heads to regionals, which will be played the following weekend in Ontario, Calif.