Enumclaw baseball comes back to beat two-time defending state champion Tumwater

Eric Fiedler gathered his team around, grabbed a black three-ring binder, stood it up on the turf near the batter’s box at Auburn High School’s baseball field, took a few steps backward and paused for a moment. Then he charged.

Doing his best field goal kicker impression, Enumclaw High School’s longtime baseball coach smashed his leg through the binder, likely rendering it useless for future use.

The binder was meant to represent a door, one that had blocked Enumclaw’s baseball team from reaching the ‘final four’ state tournament semifinals. Consider it broken down after Enumclaw’s wild 9-8 come-from-behind Class 2A state tournament quarterfinal win against two-time defending state champion Tumwater on Saturday evening in Auburn.

“I’m so tired of that, not being able to kick down the gosh darn door,” Fiedler said. “It’s been a long two years because I’m not certain I haven’t had the best team in the state of Washington the past three years.”

The past two seasons, Enumclaw has fallen just short of reaching the state semifinal round. For much of Saturday, spent in the pouring rain, it looked like this year’s top seed might once again fall short. But Tumwater had to pull starting pitcher Derek Thompson because of his pitch count, and Enumclaw finally got things rolling against Tumwater’s bullpen, putting together a five-run seventh inning to take the lead for good.

Center fielder Hunter Anderson hit the RBI go-ahead single with the bases loaded.

“It felt great, but I think it was more of the team,” Anderson said. “They battled through everything and they were able to get the bases loaded for me to get that one play and be able to do that.”

In the process, Enumclaw not only knocked off the two-time defending state champion — the Hornets also avenged their only loss of the 2024 spring season. Tumwater beat Enumclaw in the season opener on March 9, 5-2. Since then, Enumclaw has won 23 straight, counting Saturday’s two wins.

“I think the team’s just so all good to each other,” Anderson said. “They’re always picking each other up. The guys are the best to each other. Team dinners, everyone’s there. We’re all having a great time and just building our bond together.”

It was looking bleak for a while. Tumwater jumped out to a 5-0 lead, pouncing on Enumclaw ace Cooper Markham, who endured some control issues in the challenging conditions. Team-wide, Enumclaw’s effort was sloppy.

“Playing just awful,” Fiedler said, laughing. “But seriously, in 33 years of coaching, it’s the most resilient group of boys I’ve ever had.”

While Anderson dutifully answered postgame questions from The News Tribune, his teammates danced in the background, carried each other on their backs and collaborated on wheelbarrow exercises. High school sports, after all, are supposed to be fun. Enumclaw’s crew got the memo.

“I think the chemistry is great with the team,” Anderson said. “We’re all fighters and I think we’re all here for each other. That’s what I love about this team.”

SOUTH SOUND TEAMS ADVANCE

CLASS 4A: the Puyallup Vikings are through to the Class 4A state tournament seimfinals next weekend in Pasco after back-to-back blowout wins in the state tournament opening round and quarterfinals, beating Newport (Bellevue) 10-0 in the opener and Camas 12-0 in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at Heritage Recreation Center.

Mason Pike led the Vikings in their win against the Camas Papermakers, hitting two home runs in the fifth and sixth innings and driving in seven runs. Michael LeJeune was dominant on the mound, pitching six innings, allowing two hits, a walk and striking out three in the win.

No other South Sound 4A team made it past the opening round: Tahoma lost 4-1 to Eastmont, District 3/4 champion Olympia lost 2-1 to Bothell, Rogers lost 6-0 to Eastlake and Kentridge lost 6-4 to Gonzaga Prep.

CLASS 3A: No locals advanced past the opening round. Gig Harbor, Capital and Silas all lost in the play-in round last Tuesday, while Kentlake, Peninsula and Stadium all lost in the opening round on Saturday.

CLASS 2A: Enumclaw is the lone local in the semifinals after Saturday’s win over Tumwater. White River and Steilacoom both lost in the opening round.

CLASS 1A: Tenino, the tournament’s No. 5 seed, is in the state tournament semifinals after a 3-0 win over Lakeside Nine Mile Falls in the opening round and a 12-2 rout of Lynden Christian in the quarterfinals. Ace Kellan Knox was electric in the mound in the opening round game, throwing 6 2/3 innings of no-hit baseball, walking four and striking out nine. Cody Strawn’s triple in the bottom of the fourth plated a pair of runs. Tenino racked up 14 hits in the win over Lynden Christian in the quarterfinals, led by Will Feltus, who went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored from the leadoff spot.