Cruisers down T-Birds, 12-2

After not playing a game since the previous Friday, the Cruisers knocked the rust off and snapped their two-game losing streak by promptly putting up 12 runs on the visiting Thunderbirds from Mt. Tahoma and defeating them 12-2 in a mercy rule-shortened five-inning game on Friday.

The Cruisers posted two runs in the first inning when Brandon Storm scored on a passed ball, and Payton Hanly hit a sacrifice fly to score Dally Curtis to take a 2-0 lead.

Eatonville pushed across six more runs in the second inning, three in the third and one more in the fifth to secure the 12-2 victory.

Hanly picked up the win for the Cruisers after starting the game and throwing three no-hit innings. Hanly struck out the side in the second and third innings to record a total of seven strikeouts on the day with only one walk.

Storm went 2-4 at the plate and scored three runs for Eatonville. Jakob Lucht and Ashton Meyer both went 1-4 at the plate and drove in two RBIs each. Hanly went hitless in the game but drove in three runs through a sacrifice and a fielder's choice.

The Cruisers now sit at 7-6 overall and 3-3 in league play. With a three-game series this week against the Montesano Bulldogs, they look to stay in contention to advance to the district playoffs.

The Cruisers host the Montesano Bulldogs at 4 p.m. on Friday.