Round 2 Previews

Day 2 of the KingCo 4A baseball tournament is today, with four games at two different sites. Two of the four possible state participants in the conference will be determined today, as the two teams who win the winner's bracket contests will advance to Thursday's KingCo Championship game and earn an automatic berth to the 4A state tournament.

Winner's Bracket (games at Woodinville HS)
Skyline (Crest #2) vs. Lake Washington (Crown #1), 4:00 pm
The #8 and #10 ranked teams in the state get together in the first game of the winner's bracket doubleheader when the Kangs and Spartans hook up. Skyline was victorious in the first meeting between the teams this season, topping LW 3-2 in early April behind the pitching of senior southpaw Blake Fulghum. The Kangs are 9-2 since that game and look to avenge their defeat this afternoon at 4:00 pm. Skyline won their opener 4-1 over Bothell, using strong pitching from junior right hander Adrian Sampson and a clutch three-run home run by Sean Penberthy. Meanwhile, Lake Washington advanced with a six-run bottom of the seventh inning, beating Issaquah 11-10 on Saturday afternoon.

Newport (Crest #3) vs. Redmond (Crest #1), 7:00 pm
The league's two hottest teams face off with a berth in the KingCo championship on the line as Newport takes on Redmond. The Knights come in winners of five straight league games and seven straight overall and are fresh off an impressive 9-3 win over the Crown Division #2 seed Woodinville Falcons. Senior Brandon Andreini went the distance to pick up the win for the Knights, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 7. They take on the top-seeded and 2nd ranked Mustangs, who won their final 10 regular season games and extended their streak to 11 with a 12-10 win over Inglemoor on Saturday night. Redmond sports an 18-3 overall record, including a regular season sweep over Newport.

Loser's Bracket (games at Inglemoor HS)
Issaquah (Crest #4) vs. Bothell (Crown #3), 4:00 pm
In the first of two loser-out games, the Eagles and Cougars square off at Inglemoor HS at 4:00 pm. Both teams are coming off defeats in games where the outcomes were in doubt late into the contest. Bothell lost on a late home run, while the Eagles lost in their opponent's final at bat. The first meeting between the teams was an extra inning affair won by Bothell, 5-4.

Inglemoor (Crown #4) vs. Woodinville (Crown #2)
Two long time divisional rivals hook up in the second of two loser-out games when the Vikings take on the Falcons. The teams split the regular season series, with Woodinville winning the final matchup in a pitcher's duel, 2-1. Both teams are riding two game losing streaks following their first round defeats, facing the task of snapping those streaks or ending their season.