EPHRATA – Cashmere senior Tom McDevitt on Saturday again showed why he is the two-time SCAC Player of the Year.

The left-hander tossed a two-hitter, striking out seven, and was a double short of the cycle from his leadoff spot, and the second-ranked Bulldogs beat SCAC co-champ Zillah, 7-1, to win a second straight District 5 championship at Ephrata’s Johnson-O’Brien Stadium.

Cashmere likely locked up a home regional next Saturday in the Class 1A state baseball tournament with its 17th victory in a row.

McDevitt finished 3 for 4 with three runs and an RBI on his fourth-inning homer.

“He came out and did what we expected him to do,” Bulldogs coach Colton Loomis said. “Today was a big day for him.”

The three-sport standout also sparked a lineup that scored six runs on Zillah all-league pitcher Caleb Rutherford.

Jacoby Tait doubled home a run, scored another with a sacrifice fly and pushed a third across when he was hit by a pitch.

Jake Peterson had three hits, two runs and an RBI, and Thomas Bergren added an RBI double.

“It was definitely a team effort – the hitting was contagious,” said Loomis, the 2012 1A Player of the Year for state champion Cashmere coached by Jeff Carslon, now the school’s athletic director. “I’m just amped the boys showed up ready to go.”

Senior slugger Nathan Kibbe hit a solo home run, and Westin Layman also had a hit for the Leopards (18-5), who saw its eight-game winning streak end.

Zillah fell to fourth in the RPI, keeping them in the conversation to host a regional. The state pairings are announced Sunday.

In the other games Saturday at Ephrata:

ROYAL 6, CHELAN 3: Bronson Scroggins had two hits – including a two-run single – and knocked in three runs for the Knights (14-9), who earned their second straight berth in the state tournament.

Bryan Larsen had two hits and two runs, and Ernis Weeks added two hits and a run.

NACHES VALLEY 10, CONNELL 0: Alex Sigler tossed a five-inning one-hitter for the Rangers (12-12), who earned their fourth state trip in the last five seasons.

Logan Clements had three hits, drove in four runs and scored two more for Naches Valley, which also got two hits and a run from Brent Mises, three runs from Dane Bacchus, and two more from Koben Clark.

The victory capped a big weekend for Selah’s baseball family, for which Naches Valley coach Jaek Fife was the CWAC Player of the Year. His uncle Mike Archer on Thursday guided the Vikings to the CWAC district championship, and Mike’s son Brooks led unbeaten West Valley to its second straight CBBN district title Friday.

Ethan Hart had a hit for Connell, which finished the season 13-10.

FASTPITCH

ROYAL 12, COLVILLE 5: At Royal City, the Knights (19-7) won their fourth straight district game after being upset in the opening round, and earned a Class 1A state tournament berth for the sixth time in a row with the victory against the Crimson Hawks.

SCAC co-Player of the Year Jill Allred hit a solo home run, doubled and scored three runs, Livi Wardenaar singled and knocked in three runs, and Sarah Bergeson added two hits and an RBI for the 2024 state champions.