Philomath High’s baseball team carried a big bat into Thursday’s series finale against visiting Cascade to the tune of 17 hits in a 16-4 rout in six innings.
Every batter in the Warrior lineup had at least one hit and the game ended appropriately on a three-run homer to center field by junior AJ Altishin. Philomath took two of three in the series.
Gallery: PHS baseball vs. Cascade (May 7, 2026)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s 16-4 victory in six innings at home over Cascade on Thursday.
PHS coach Levi Webber said it was important to come back and win strong Thursday, especially after surrendering five runs in the sixth to lose on the 10-run rule on the road Wednesday.
“They understood the importance of today’s game and they came out and answered,” Webber said. “Basically from the start we just jumped on them and we had a lot of great at-bats all day. I can’t say much more about our offensive approach really all week.”
Meanwhile on the mound, senior Wylie Griffith added another quality appearance to his pitching repertoire this season. Over his six innings, Griffith threw 97 pitches and allowed six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. Only one of the four runs allowed was earned.
“We have a lot of confidence every time he gets the ball,” Webber said. “I mean, he’s no stranger to it … He’s pitched in a lot of big games so he’s a calming presence for everybody because he just goes out there and you know what you’re going to get out of him.”
Griffith said he built a lot of confidence in his abilities on the mound last season. He said he had been throwing a lot in relief but moved permanently into the role of a starter. He started this season right where he left off last year.
“I just go out with the same motion as always — I throw a strike and what can I do after that?” he said, adding that the changeup is his favorite pitch.
“He’s going to throw strikes, he’s going to pound the zone, he’s not going to be overpowering and he’s going to be even keeled,” Webber said. “He’s not going to lose his emotions or anything out there — he’s just going to be Wylie.”
Griffith said he has the ability to block out any noise when he’s pitching — and not just literally but the type of thoughts that can get into a pitcher’s head if things aren’t going his way.
“Whatever happens, happens,” he said. “It sucks at some point but you’re the ringleader on the mound so you can’t let things get to you too much.”
Webber characterized Griffith’s performance on the mound against the Cougars as dominating.
“They got four runs, but shoot, we made seven errors so we didn’t help him out a ton defensively,” Webber said. “We gave him a bunch of extra bases on some not very hard hit balls. I thought Wylie was really, really good today.”
Six players had multi-hit games for the Warriors, led by three hits apiece by Altishin and sophomore Sammy Hernandez. Senior Caleb Babcock, junior Rustan Woosley, junior Jacob Hernandez and sophomore Jayce Iverson each had two-hit games.
Altishin drove in four and Jacob Hernandez drove in three.
Sammy Hernandez set the tone during Philomath’s first at-bat of the game. Saying that he feels comfortable at the plate in the leadoff position, Hernandez admitted, “I’m looking for that first pitch.”
Indeed, the first pitch delivered against the Warriors in the bottom of the first was a Hernandez double to left field.
“If you lead off, you’ve just got to get on base and then everything happens from there,” he said.
Griffith followed by reaching on an error and then Hernandez scored on Altishin’s sacrifice fly to center field. Two batters later, Griffith also scored on a sac fly to center off the bat of junior CK Kvidt. The team’s third run of the inning came on junior Gavin Bennett’s one-run double to right-center.
Cascade got back to within 3-2 in the top of the third before the Warriors put up a four-spot in the bottom half. Babcock and Woosley hit one-run doubles and Jacob Hernandez, Iverson and Sammy Hernandez followed with one-run singles.
Philomath then pulled away with three runs each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Woosley had a sac fly, a run scored on a balk and Iverson connected for a one-run single in the fourth. In the fifth, Altishin scored while a teammate reached on a dropped third strike and Jacob Hernandez drove in two more on a single to right.
Needing just one run to end the game in the bottom of the sixth, Philomath’s Sammy Hernandez reached on a dropped third strike and Griffith singled up the middle to set the stage for Altishin. The home run to end it came on a 2-2 pitch.
Altishin’s success at the plate hasn’t gone to his head with the coach and teammates describing him as a quiet, modest player.
“He just stays quiet and is not trying to do too much — just putting good swings on the baseball,” Webber said. “He’s had a knack for coming up with big hits when he has opportunities.”
Altishin’s teammates are well aware of what kind of damage that he can do at the plate — especially in clutch situations in the late innings.
“He’s so good,” Hernandez said. “Everyone’s like, ‘oh yeah, here goes another one.’”
Cascade (7-13, 6-3) got two hits apiece from freshman Jacob Born and junior Caden Bitikofer. Sophomore Blake Jackson took the loss at pitcher.
Philomath has now won two of its three series in the Oregon West so far this season.
“This was very important,” Hernandez said about the win. “We needed this so we’ve got some energy for Monday.”
The Warriors will open a three-game series at home Monday against Newport.
Philomath 16, Cascade 4 (6)
Thursday, May 7, at Terry Stephenson Field, Philomath HS
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E Cascade (7-13, 6-3) 1 0 1 0 2 0 4 6 3 Philomath (9-11, 5-4) 3 0 4 3 3 3 16 17 6
Jackson, Born (3), Majors (6) and Metcalf; Griffith and Herbert. W — Griffith. L — Jackson. 2B — S. Hernandez (P), Bennett (P), Zehr (C), Babcock (P), Woosley (P), Altishin (P), Bitikofer (C). HR — Altishin (P).
Junior varsity: Cascade 12, Philomath 10.
