Thursday (4/23) Results

Quick update this morning with more details later. Three more teams - Redmond, Skyline and Woodinville - wrapped up spots in the KingCo 4A playoffs based on Thursday's results...

Crest Division
Skyline 11, Eastlake 3
Redmond 14, Newport 2
Issaquah 8, Garfield 2

Crown Division
Inglemoor 10, Bothell 6
LW 9, Ballard 2
Roosevelt 4, Woodinville 2

Standings are updated with last night's results. Four regular season games remain for each team, with the playoffs set to start on Saturday, May 9th.

Tuesday (4/21) Results: Crest Sweeps Crown

The final day of cross-division play was owned by the Crest division, as they swept through the Crown division with a perfect 6-0 record. I will expand more on the results later - in the meantime, here are Tuesday's scores:

• Redmond 7, Lake Washington 6
• Skyline 6, Inglemoor 2
• Issaquah 11, Woodinville 3
• Garfield 3, Ballard 1
• Eastlake 3, Bothell 2
• Newport 9, Roosevelt 2

Standings are updated - both Bothell and LW clinched playoff berths despite their losses on Tuesday night. Three more teams can secure playoff berths today, as the magic number for Skyline, Redmond and Woodinville is 1.

Final Day of Interdivisional Play

Tuesday's games are the last interdivisional games of the season until the playoffs begin on Saturday, May 9th. Starting on Thursday, the league hits the home stretch, with the final five games being played within the Crest and Crown divisions. The schedule is highlighted by a clash between two first place teams as Lake Washington (8-2) travels to Hartman Park to take on Redmond (8-2) in the KingCo 4A's lone night game (7:00 pm). The other games on the slate are:

Inglemoor (5-5) @ Skyline (8-2), 3:45 pm
Bothell (8-2) @ Eastlake (3-7), 3:45 pm
Ballard (2-8) @ Garfield (2-8), 3:45 pm
Roosevelt (1-9) @ Newport (4-6), 3:45 pm
Woodinville (7-3) @ Issaquah (4-6), 3:45 pm

Week 4 KingCo 4A Players of the Week

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 4: April 13-18, 2009

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Michael Russo, Jr., Eastlake
Russo, a junior third baseman for the Wolves, is the winner of the Crest Division player of the week for week 4. Russo finished the week 3-for-9 (.333) with a triple, home run and 4 RBI. The triple turned out to be a game-winner in a 1-0 win over Ballard on Friday afternoon. Overall this season, Russo is batting .222 with four home runs and 15 RBI.

Also nominated: Dylan Davis, Redmond

Pitcher of the Week: Nick Hooper, Jr., Eastlake
Making the week 4 awards a clean sweep for Eastlake is junior right hander Nick Hooper, who picked up the hardware for Crest Division pitcher of the week. Making his first KingCo start of 2009, the junior came within one out of a no-hitter against Ballard on Friday. He needed just 76 pitches to go the distance, allowing just a double in the seventh inning. Hooper finished the day with 10 strikeouts against no walks. For the season, the right handed pitcher is 2-0 with an 0.55 ERA, with 2 walks and 13 punchouts in 12 2/3 innings.

Also nominated: Mac Acker, Redmond

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Eric Folkers, Sr., Lake Washington
Folkers, the senior corner infielder, becomes the second Kang in as many weeks to pick up the Crown Division player of the week award, following up teammate Chris Viltz who was the week 3 winner. Folkers won the week 4 award based on a week which saw him go 4-for-10 (.400) with a double, two home runs and five RBI. The highlight of the week was a two home run performance at Bellevue CC against Newport. Folkers is currently tied for the KingCo lead in home runs with 4, and leads all players with 16 RBI. Overall this season, Folkers is hitting .357 with 4 doubles, 4 home runs and 20 RBI.

Also nominated: Gene Watson, Bothell; Obadiah Taylor, Inglemoor

Pitcher of the Week: Brett DeRooy, Sr., Woodinville
In a week full of dominant pitching performances, Brett DeRooy is the winner of the Crown Division pitcher of the week award for week 4. The senior southpaw, who is headed to Washington State this year, was exceptional on Friday night, allowing just 3 hits and an earned run while striking out 11 in a win over Newport. For the season, DeRooy is 1-2 with a 3.43 ERA, recording 35 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings of work. His 29 strikeouts in KingCo play are good for 4th in the league.

Also nominated: Obadiah Taylor, Inglemoor; Kevin McShane, Bothell; Karl Myers, LW; Christian Kaiser, LW

Expanding on Friday's Results

Friday in the KingCo conference featured some incredible pitching performances, while tightening the races for first place in both the Crown and Crest divisions...

• Bothell 7, Skyline 2 - In a battle of first place teams, the Cougars banged out 14 hits en route to a 7-2 win over the Spartans. Kevin McShane allowed 2 earned runs over 5 2/3 innings to pick up the win for Bothell, who improved to 8-2 in league play. Zach Schwindt was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Tyler Atkinson, James Korn and Alex Reynolds each had two hits in the win. For Skyline, Blake Fulghum took the loss despite recording 10 strikeouts in just 4 innings pitched. Ryan Somers added a double in a losing effort.
• Redmond 7, Inglemoor 3 - Sophomore Dylan Davis broke a 3-3 tie in the top half of the seventh inning with a grand slam, propeling the 'Stangs into a first place tie in the Crest division with a 7-3 win over the Vikings. Davis's home run was his fourth in KingCo play, putting him in a tie with teammate and fellow sophomore Michael Conforto and LW's Eric Folkers for the league lead. Ryan Beliel and Zach Abbruzza combined to hold Inglemoor to 3 hits in the contest, while junior Matt Kimmel had a double and 2 RBI. Eric Edwards was 1-for-2 with an RBI for the Viks, who dropped to 5-5 in the Crown division with the loss.
• LW 2, Issaquah 1 - Senior Alex Potts' bases loaded single in the bottom of the seventh scored pinch runner Alex Donnelly with the winning run as the Kangs won their fourth straight, 2-1 over Issaquah. The rally was started by senior outfielder Andy Moore, who drove the first pitch of the seventh inning into the left-center field gap for a triple. Following two intentional walks to load the bases and a strikeout, Potts (3-for-4, 2 doubles) hit a fly ball over the drawn-in right fielder, giving LW the walk-off win. Christian Kaiser allowed just 3 hits and a run, striking out 12 before giving way to Blake Lively, who earned the win with a shutout inning of relief. Issaquah's Shane Yarnell was the tough luck loser, giving up two earned on seven hits over six innings, walking none while striking out nine. Shortstop Michael Dixon chipped in with a solo home run in the fifth for the Eagles, who saw their losing streak stretch to three games.
• Woodinville 10, Newport 2 - Senior left-hander Brett DeRooy struck out 11 in 6 innings of work and Sean Murphy and Matt Stefansson each drove in two runs as the Falcons kept pace with the Crown division leaders with a 10-2 win over Newport. DeRooy was masterful, keeping the Knights off balance all night allowing just 2 hits and a walk during his time on the mound. Senior catcher Carver Marshall had a double and a run scored for the Knights, who remained tied with Issaquah in third place in the Crest division at 4-6.
• Garfield 5, Roosevelt 4 (8 inn.) - The Bulldogs pushed across two runs in the top of the seventh and another in the top of the eighth for a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Roughriders. Junior Kyle Snow picked up the win for Garfield, working 3 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing for the late game comeback. Nick Conte and Joe Lucia had two hits a piece for the 'Dogs, who picked up their second win of KingCo play. For Roosevelt, Nick Foster and Andrew Johnson each finished the day with two hits.
• Eastlake 1, Ballard 0 - Michael Russo's RBI triple in the top of the first inning provided the only run in Eastlake's 1-0 win over Ballard on Friday afternoon. The game was featured two incredible pitching performances by the Wolves' Nick Hooper and Ballard's Nick Palewicz. Hooper took a no-hitter into the seventh, with Grady Williams' double being the only hit he'd give up on the day. He also didn't surrender a walk while striking out 10. Palewicz matched Hooper pitch for pitch after the first, allowing 3 hits and 4 walks in a complete game loss. With the win Eastlake climbs to within a game of third place Issaquah & Newport at 3-7.

In the Crest Division, Skyline and Redmond have separated themselves from the pack at 8-2, a full four games ahead of Issaquah and Newport for third place. Meanwhile, in the Crown Division, Bothell, Lake Washington and Woodinville are separated by just one game, with the Cougs and Kangs at 8-2 and the Falcons one game back at 7-3.

Next week features a Tuesday-Thursday two game set-up and the final game of interdivisional play before a five game final stretch featuring only divisional games. Tuesday's big game (and only night game) is a battle between first place teams at Hartman Park when Redmond plays host to Lake Washington.

Friday (4/17) Scores

Busy weekend so far for me. Here are Friday's scores with more details and updated standings to follow later today...

Friday, 4/17 Scores
Eastlake 1, Ballard 0
LW 2, Issaquah 1
Bothell 7, Skyline 2
Redmond 7, Inglemoor 3
Woodinville 10, Newport 2
Garfield 5, Roosevelt 4