North Thurston Shuts Out Yelm in Season Opener

Three Rams pitchers combine for 10 strikeouts in 3-0 victory

Mar. 15, 2026 at 6:41am

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Three North Thurston pitchers struck out 10 batters in a 3-0 shutout victory over Yelm on Saturday afternoon. Starter Ethan Shaefer threw three no-hit innings, while the Rams scored twice in the fourth inning on bases-loaded walks and added another run in the third on a balk.

Why it matters

The season-opening win for North Thurston sets them up well for the rest of the year, while Yelm will look to bounce back from the shutout loss in their next game.

The details

Shaefer struck out five batters and only walked one in his three no-hit innings. The Rams only recorded three hits on offense, but were able to capitalize on control issues by the Yelm pitchers. North Thurston tacked on an insurance run in the third on a balk. Yelm starter Jonah Smith pitched 3.1 innings, giving up one hit, two runs, two walks and two strikeouts.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
  • North Thurston (1-0) will host Gig Harbor on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
  • Yelm (0-1) will take on Kelso at home on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

The players

Ethan Shaefer

The North Thurston starting pitcher who threw three no-hit innings, striking out five and walking one.

Jonah Smith

The Yelm starting pitcher who went 3.1 innings, giving up one hit, two runs, two walks and two strikeouts.

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The takeaway

North Thurston's dominant pitching performance and ability to capitalize on Yelm's control issues led to a convincing season-opening win for the Rams. Both teams will look to build on this result in their upcoming games.