Offense was the theme in Tuesday's KingCo tournament elimination games, as 35 combined runs were scored between the four teams...
- Issaquah 13, Redmond 7 - The Eagles' offensive onslaught continued, as they scored double-digit runs for the third straight playoff contest, eliminating the top seed Mustangs with a 13-7 win. Shortstop Michael Dixon was 3-for-3 with a double, 3 runs scored and 3 RBI and catcher Devin O'Donnell doubled, tripled and drove in four for Issaquah, who scored four runs in the top of the first and never looked back. They have scored 38 runs on 45 hits in their three tournament games. Redmond was led once again by super sophomore Michael Conforto, who was 3-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI. Second baseman Josh Bircher finished the afternoon 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI for the 'Stangs, whose great season comes to an end with a record of 18-5.
- Inglemoor 11, Skyline 4 - Senior first baseman Erick Raynes had a grand slam and a two-run homer in his first two at bats as the Vikings jumped out early and cruised to an 11-4 win over Skyline. Inglemoor scored 11 times in their first four at bats, led by the two big blasts. Senior Austin Hueter was the winning pitcher, allowing 5 hits and a run over 5 innings of work. Inglemoor advances to Thursday's third place game, where they will take on Issaquah at 4:00 pm at Woodinville HS. Meanwhile, Skyline, who was the #2 seed from the Crest Division, finishes their year at 15-8.
The stage is now set for the final day of the KingCo 4A baseball tournament. Thursday features a double-header, with the opener being the third place game between Inglemoor (13-10, Crown #4) and Issaquah (12-10, Crest #4). The winner of that game will host the loser of the Greater St. Helen's League championship game (Kelso vs. Heritage) on Saturday at 2:00 pm for a trip to state. Meanwhile, the loser of Thursday's third place game will travel to Vancouver on Saturday to play the GSHL champion, also with a state berth on the line.
In the night cap, the Newport Knights (14-8, Crest #3) take on the Lake Washington Kangs (17-5, Crown #1) with the KingCo championship on the line. The first meeting between the two clubs saw LW top the Knights, 10-5. However, as this tournament has already proven, you can throw the regular season results out the window, as three of the top four seeds have been eliminated. Newport comes in riding an eight-game win streak, while the Kangs have won 10 of their last 12 ball games. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm - BE THERE!
