KingCo Baseball

Mustangs Cruise to State Tourney

2011-05-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Redmond 10, Marysville-Pilchuck 0 - Senior Zach Abbruzza tossed six shutout innings and classmate Dylan Davis doubled twice and homered as the Mustangs cruised past Marysville-Pilchuck 10-0. The win secures a berth in the 4A state tournament for Redmond, who joins Bothell and Newport as the other KingCo 4A teams to qualify. Abbruzza allowed just three hits and struck out eight in a dominant pitching performance. Junior Peter Hendron also enjoyed a big day, going 3-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBI. Redmond will open the tournament on Saturday against Olympia at Heidelberg Park in Tacoma.

On Tuesday, Lake Washington will get their shot at advancing to the 3A state tournament as they host Bishop Blanchet at Bannerwood. Game time is 7:00 PM.

Redmond/LW Still Alive for State Berths

2011-05-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Playoff Brackets: [ 4A Tournament ] [ 3A Tournament ]

The KingCo playoffs are now over, with two teams from the 4A and one from the 3A having punched their tickets to the State tournament. One more team from each classification has a chance to earn a spot in the final 16. Here's a quick look:

KingCo 4A
State tournament bracket: http://www.wiaa.com/bracket.aspx?ID=26

KingCo #1: Bothell
KingCo #2: Newport
KingCo #3: Redmond

Bothell & Newport are in the State tournament. Redmond takes on Marsyville-Pilchuck today at 4:00 PM at Hartman Park in a winner-to-state, loser-out game.

KingCo 3A
State tournament bracket: http://www.wiaa.com/bracket.aspx?ID=27

KingCo #1: Mount Si
KingCo #2: Lake Washington

Mount Si is in the State tournament. Lake Washington takes on Bishop Blanchet Tuesday, 7:00 PM at Bannerwood in a winner-to-state, loser-out game.

Mount Si Wins 3A Championship

2011-05-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

Mount Si and Lake Washington played a championship game for the ages on Friday night. Saturday brought the end of the KingCo baseball playoffs, with district and state tournament games left to be played.

Friday, 5/13 - KingCo 3A Championship
Mount Si 1, Lake Washington 0 (8 innings) - Dustin Breshears' single in the bottom of the eighth inning plated Ryan Atkinson with the game's lone run, as Mount Si edged Lake Washington in dramatic fashion for the KingCo 3A championship. The epic game featured two dominant pitchers, with Mount Si's Reece Karalus and LW's Spencer Jackson controlling the game all night. It also featured tremendous defense at opportune times, with numerous web gems ending scoring threats the entire night. Karalus was the winner, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 6 in 8 shutout innings. Jackson was just as tough, scattering 7 hits and the lone run with one out in the eighth. Neither pitcher walked a single batter the entire game - incredible command from both arms. Mount Si wins both the regular season and tournament championship, and will advance to the 3A state tournament as the KingCo #1 seed. LW would have to wait for the Sammamish/Mercer Island winner to determine their fate.

Saturday, 5/14 - KingCo 3A
Mercer Island 11, Sammamish 1 - Freshman Chris Lawler helped keep the Islanders' season alive, allowing just three hits and a run in four solid innings as MI topped Sammamish 11-1 in the first of two Saturday contests. Junior David Oppenheim led the Islander 11 hit attack, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and four runs scored, while Brian Higgins and Jordan Richartz each drove in 3. Mercer Island would advance to the 4:00 PM loser-out game against LW, with Sammamish's season coming to an end at 10-13.

Lake Washington 6, Mercer Island 2 - The Kangs got strong pitching from junior Zach Johnson and a big performance from senior Chris Moore in topping the Islanders, 6-2. The win earns LW the KingCo #2 seed and a date with Metro #4 Bishop Blanchet on Tuesday night with a state tournament berth on the line. Johnson allowed two earned runs over six innings, his fourth consecutive quality start. Lake Washington responded from a leadoff home run from MI's David Oppenheim by scoring twice in the bottom of the first and four more times in the bottom of the second. Moore finished the afternoon 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI, while sophomore catcher Steve Semler was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Oppenheim finished the game 3-for-4 with two doubles and the HR, giving him 4 doubles and a home run in the doubleheader.

Bothell Wins 4A; Mount Si - LW for 3A Title

2011-05-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Playoff Brackets: [ 4A Tournament ] [ 3A Tournament ]

**NOTE - Yesterday's posts have been temporarily removed by the hosting service. They should be restored sometime today. **

KingCo 4A Championship Game
Bothell 4, Newport 3 - Congratulations to the Bothell Cougars, who won the 2011 KingCo 4A championship with a 4-3 win over Newport on Thursday night. Cougars starter Brian McAfee saw his scoreless innings streak end at 46 innings, but would I'm sure trade that for a KingCo championship any day. The Cornell-bound senior allowed seven hits and three runs in a complete game victory, securing Bothell's second KingCo tournament championship in four years. Senior Jon Mercer homered and drove in two and junior Mark Woods drove in the eventual game-winner, breaking a tie in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Keith Van Court homered for the Knights, who enter the 4A state tournament as the District 2 #2 seed. Bothell is the #1 seed from District 2 and will open the state tourney at Kent Memorial on Saturday, May 21st.

KingCo 4A Third Place Game
Redmond 6, Inglemoor 2 - The third time was the charm for Redmond against Inglemoor, as they kept their season alive with a 6-2 win over the Vikings. Seniors Dustin Doucette (Inglemoor) and Dylan Davis (Redmond) faced off against each other, with Davis finally coming out on top after losing the first two meetings. The Oregon State bound senior allowing just 2 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Davis helped himself offensively, as both he and Patrick McGrath homered in the victory. Redmond has won three straight games since an opening round loss, and will take on the winner of the WesCo third place game between Mariner - Marysville Pilchuck. The WesCo game is this afternoon at 3:00 PM, with the bi-district winner to state game is scheduled for Monday, May 16th. Inglemoor's impressive tournament run ends with the loss, finishing at 15-9 on the season.

KingCo 3A Semi-Finals
Lake Washington 10, Sammamish 1 - Senior Bob Cruikshank tossed a complete-game four hitter and junior Zach Johnson homered twice and drove in four as the Kangs advanced to the KingCo 3A Championship game with a 10-1 win over Sammamish. Cruikshank, who recently signed with the University of San Francisco, settled in after a 28-pitch first inning, needing just 56 more pitches over the final six frames. Johnson's first home run in the third inning gave LW their first lead at 2-1. He followed that up his next at-bat with another blast deep to right-center field to push the lead to 5-1. Cruikshank did the rest, helping LW advance to their fourth KingCo title game in the past seven seasons. Senior Chris Moore was 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI for the Kangs. Sammamish must now win twice on Saturday to keep their state tournament hopes alive.

Mount Si 5, Mercer Island 0 - Mount Si punched their ticket to the KingCo title game behind junior Trevor Lane's shutout as the Wildcats topped MI, 5-0. Lane allowed just five hits and struck out nine, and also added two hits and 2 RBI to help his cause. Seniors Dustin Breshears (1-for-3, triple) and Tim Proudfoot (2-for-3, RBI, two runs) were part of the Wildcats balanced 9-hit attack. Senior George Jiranek took the loss for the Islanders, who will take on Sammamish in the first of two loser-out games on Saturday.

The KingCo 3A championship game will feature the top two seeds - Lake Washington (#2) vs. Mount Si (#1). The game is set for Friday night 7:00 PM at Bannerwood Park in Belleuve. The winner earns the District 2 top seed in the 3A state tournament. The loser will play the Sammamish-Mercer Island winner (Saturday, 1:00 PM) on Saturday at 4:00 PM for the right to play Metro #4 with a trip to state on the line.

WesCo / Metro Playoff Update

2011-05-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

Both the 3A and 4A leagues share a State tournament berth with the Metro (3A) and Wesco (4A). The third team coming out of the KingCo 4A tournament will take on the third team from the WesCo 4A tournament. For the 3A, KingCo's #2 entry takes on Metro's #4.

For those interested, the tournament brackets from the two leagues are below:

WesCo 4A
http://www.nwcathletics.com/tournament.php?act=view&league=1&page=1&school=0&sport=6&tournament_id=380

Metro 3A
http://blogs.issaquah-reporter.com/endzone/metro-league-baseball-bracket/1880/

Thursday's Slate Includes 4A 'Ship

2011-05-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

Playoff Brackets: [ 4A Tournament ] [ 3A Tournament ]

Thursday is the final day of the 4A tournament, with Bothell and Newport facing off tonight for the championship. In the 3A, a semi-final doubleheader is on tap for Bannerwood Park:

KingCo 4A Schedule
4:00 PM - Inglemoor (Crown #3) vs. Redmond (Crest #2) - winner to district game
7:00 PM - Bothell (Crown #1) vs. Newport (Crest #1) - both to state
** games at Woodinville HS

KingCo 3A Semi-Finals
4:00 PM - Sammamish (#6 seed) vs. Lake Washington (#2 seed)
7:00 PM - Mercer Island (#4 seed) vs. Mount Si (#1 seed)
** games at Bannerwood Park (Bellevue)

Tuesday Playoff Recaps

2011-05-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

Playoff Brackets: [ 4A Tournament ] [ 3A Tournament ]

First Round 3A Games
Sammamish 1, Bellevue 0 - Freshman Joe Giacchetti pitched like a seasoned veteran, allowing just 3 hits in a complete game 1-0 shutout of Bellevue. The right hander spotted his fastball and mixed his pitches well all afternoon, keeping the Wolverines off balance and off the scoreboard. Giacchetti did not strike out a single Bellevue hitter, but allowed just 6 baserunners all day. Chris Strain doubled home a run in the top of the first, which amazingly held up the entire game. Strain finished the day 2-for-3 with a double, triple and the eventual game winning RBI. Sammamish moves on to the semi-finals to take on Lake Washington. Michael Raine matched Giacchetti nearly pitch for pitch, allowing just the single run on 6 hits while striking out 10. He takes the defeat for Bellevue, whose season comes to an end with the loss.

Mercer Island 10, Liberty 1 - It was an impressive first round showing for the defending KingCo tournament champions, as they scored early and often in a 10-1 romp over Liberty. Junior Max Dammeier struck out five in 6 strong innings, and the Islanders got help offensively from Brian Higgins (2-for-4, double, 2 RBI), Cameron Ogard (2-for-3, 3 RBI) and Evan Thompson (2-for-2, double, 2 RBI). MI will now play the top seed Mount Si in the second of two semifinal games on Friday. Junior Izak Styskal took the loss for the Patriots, who were eliminated despite possibly being the league's hottest team in the second half.

Losers Bracket 4A Games
Redmond 7, Skyline 0 - Senior Zach Abbruzza dominated the Spartans, allowing just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 7 in Redmond's 7-0 win on Tuesday. The win was the second straight loser-out victory for the Mustangs, who need one more win on Thursday to advance to the district play-in game against WesCo #3 on Saturday. Abbruzza was also 3-for-4 with an RBI, and got help from fellow seniors Dylan Davis (2-for-4, 3-run HR) and Nick Rothermel (2-for-3, double, 2 runs). Clayton Huber took the loss for Skyline, which sees its season come to an end with an 11-12 record.

Inglemoor 9, Woodinville 8 - The two Northshore rivals hooked up in an instant classic on Tuesday night, with the Vikings prevailing 9-8. Inglemoor scored four times in both the first and last innings of the game, with the latter helping them overcome a 3-run seventh inning deficit. Woodinville fought back from the four-run first, scoring 3 runs in their half of the frame and two each in the third and fourth innings to take a 7-5 lead. A single run in the bottom of the sixth extended the lead to 8-5, but they could not hold off the late Vikings charge. Sophomore infielder Brandon Edwards was 4-for-4 with 2 RBI to lead Inglemoor, which will take on Redmond for the second time in the KingCo tournament and third time this season. Woodinville's season ends with a 14-7 record.

Tuesday Playoff Schedule

2011-05-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Playoff Brackets: [ 4A Tournament ] [ 3A Tournament ]

Tuesday brings another day of playoff action, with the 4A continuing their tournament and the 3A starting theirs. Here's a look at today's schedule:

KingCo 4A - Losers Bracket Games
4:00 PM - Skyline (Crest #3) vs. Redmond (Crest #2)
7:00 PM - Inglemoor (Crown #3) vs. Woodinville (Crown #2)
** games at Woodinville HS

KingCo 3A - First Round Games
4:00 PM - Sammamish (#6 seed) vs. Bellevue (#3 seed)
7:00 PM - Liberty (#5 seed) vs. Mercer Island (#4 seed)
** games at Bannerwood Park (Bellevue)

Higher Seeds Prevail in 4A Action

2011-05-10T07:25:00.001-07:00

Monday saw the higher seeds hold serve, with the two division winners advancing to Thursday night's KingCo championship game...

Winners Bracket
Bothell 2, Inglemoor 1 - For the second straight game Bothell won a pitcher's duel, this time behind senior Henry Baillargeon as the Cougs defeated rival Inglemoor, 2-1. The win puts Bothell into Thursday night's KingCo championship and also secures a state tournament berth. The Cougars scored a single run in the bottom of the first and held that 1-0 lead into the sixth. Emmett Maki drove in the tying run in the top of the sixth, but Bothell responded with a run of their own in the bottom half, taking the lead for good at 2-1. Baillargeon allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out four, outdueling Viking starter Obi Taylor, who was nearly as effective. The senior right hander allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in six innings of work, coming away with the loss. Dain Gilbert drove in one of the two Bothell runs, with Mitchell Viydo finishing the night 2-for-3. Inglemoor's season will be on the line Tuesday night, when they take on Woodinville at 7:00 PM.

Newport 10, Skyline 1 - University of Oregon signee Cole Wiper continued his dominant season, striking out seven over six innings to lead the Knights to the championship game after a 10-1 victory over Skyline. Wiper was a little wild, but was able to work around five walks to allow just the one run. Senior Lee Stoops was 2-for-2 with 3 RBI, while juniors Curtis Kojima and Mason Paul chipped in with two hits a piece. Skyline will take on Redmond Tuesday at 4:00 PM in a loser out game. Meanwhile, Newport secured a bid to the state tournament with the win, and will take on Bothell in Thursday night's KingCo championship game. Both teams will enter the contest riding 9 game win streaks, with Newport having won the only regular season meeting between the clubs, 8-0.

Losers Bracket
Redmond 15, Issaquah 3 - Last year's KingCo champions showed their resolve on Monday, responding to an opening round loss with a 15-3 win over Issaquah. Senior Nick Rothermel and junior Patrick McGrath each homered and drove in five runs, with junior Peter Hendron contributing with a 3-for-4 night, doubling and driving in 2. Michael Conforto, T.J. Whidby and Thomas Crosley staffed the game for the Mustangs, who advance to another loser out game Tuesday against Skyline. Issaquah junior shortstop Jake Bakamus was 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI in the Eagles' final game of the season. The young squad's season ends with a 6-10 record in KingCo play, 8-14 overall.

Woodinville 11, Ballard 6 - Senior Carl Svanevik doubled twice and drove in four, sparking the Falcons to an 11-6 win over Ballard on Monday night. Junior Spencer Greer gave up two runs in the first, but settled in nicely after that while his teammates gave him the offensive support he needed. Woodinville would take the lead with 3 runs in the third and blew the game open with 4-spots in the fifth and sixth innings. Ballard would score four times in the seventh and get the tying run to the on-deck circle, but could not complete the miraculous comeback. Junior Shea Donlin was 2-for-2 with a double, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored for the Falcons, who will take on Inglemoor Tuesday night in a loser out game. Ballard was led by Brendan Foor (3-for-4, 2 runs) and Ryan Kangas (2-for-4, 2 runs) in the season's final game.

Monday 4A Playoff Schedule

2011-05-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Semi-Finals (winner-to-state)
4:00 PM - Inglemoor (Crown #3) vs. Bothell (Crown #1)
7:00 PM - Skyline (Crest #3) vs. Newport (Crest #1)
** games at Woodinville HS

Loser's Bracket (loser out)
4:00 PM - Issaquah (Crest #4) vs. Redmond (Crest #2)
7:00 PM - Ballard (Crown #4) vs. Woodinville (Crown #2)
** games at Inglemoor HS

4A Playoffs - First Round Recaps

2011-05-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Pitching dominated the first round of the KingCo 4A playoffs on Saturday, with the four winning teams combining to allow just five total runs.

KingCo 4A - First Round Results
Inglemoor 8, Redmond 1 - For the second time this season, Vikings senior right-hander Dustin Doucette stymied the Mustangs, this time in an 8-1 Inglemoor playoff win. Doucette allowed just one run on five hits while striking out five, sending his Viks to a winner-to-state game on Monday. Junior Blake Wilson led the Inglemoor attack, finishing the day 2-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI. Redmond will also play Monday afternoon at 4:00 PM in a loser-out game at Inglemoor HS.

Bothell 2, Issaquah 0 - In what should come as no surprise to followers of the KingCo baseball blog, Bothell's Brian McAfee continued to be the story, outdueling Issaquah senior Brandon Mahovlich in a 2-0 Cougar win. McAfee extended his scoreless streak to an incredible 46 innings, allowing just four hits and not walking a single batter while striking out six. John Mercer and Mitchell Viydo drove in runs in the first and fifth innings, with McAfee taking care of the rest. Bothell will square off with Inglemoor for a spot in the KingCo championship, while Issaquah will fight for their lives in an elimination game against Redmond.

Skyline 4, Woodinville 1 - Brandon Fischer and Zach Liddle each hit solo home runs, propeling the Spartans to a 4-1 win over Woodinville. The game was delayed for over an hour due to rain and lightning, with Skyline prevailing through the raindrops. Senior Travis Snider picked up the win, with junior Marty Luckenbach taking the loss for Woodinville.

Newport 12, Ballard 3 - The Knights scored multiple runs in each of the first three innings, cruising to a 12-3 opening round victory over the Beavers. UW bound senior Jared Fisher allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings of work and also doubled and drove in three runs. Cole Wiper, Daniel Altchech and Billy Sahlinger each drove in two runs a piece, pacing Newport's 12-hit attack. Newport advances to the Monday night's semi-finals at Woodinville HS, where they will take on Skyline at 7:00 PM. Meanwhile, Ballard will face Woodinville at Inglemoor HS on Monday with the loser going home.

4A Playoffs Start Today

2011-05-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

The KingCo 4A playoffs get underway today at Woodinville HS. Here is today's schedule:

Saturday, May 7th
10:00 AM - Inglemoor (Crown #3) vs. Redmond (Crest #2)
1:00 PM - Issaquah (Crest #4) vs. Bothell (Crown #1)
4:00 PM - Skyline (Crest #3) vs. Woodinville (Crown #2)
7:00 PM - Ballard (Crown #4) vs. Newport (Crest #1)

I will post updates on Twitter (@KingCoBaseball) as I receive them.

Playoff Seeding Finalized

2011-05-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Playoff Brackets: [ 4A Tournament ] [ 3A Tournament ]

Just one game remains on the KingCo regular season schedule, but with both Mount Si and Lake Washington having locked up the #1 and #2 seeds respectively, it will not impact the playoff seeding. One game and one coin flip yesterday determined the #3 - #6 seeds in the upcoming 3A tournament.

Thursday 3A Recap
Liberty 12, Sammamish 2 - A nine-run first inning helped the red-hot Patriots cruise to a 12-2 win over Sammamish. The win locked up the #5 seed in the KingCo playoffs, with Sammamish sliding in at #6. Senior Ryan Maio was 2-for-2 with a double and a home run, with Scott Zerda (3-for-4, RBI) and Harrison Diemert (2-for-3, run) also contributing to the offense. Junior Ben Wessel was the winning pitcher, helping Liberty complete a 5-2 second half. Senior Aaron Lawrenson and junior Ryan Hashimoto each had two hits for the Totems.

Bellevue earns #3 seed - The Wolverines and Islanders didn't play a game on Thursday, but their seeding in the playoffs was determined by a coin toss. Bellevue won and will enter as the #3 seed, with Mercer Island taking the #4.
So, the first round tournament matchups are finalized:

Tuesday, 5/10 - Bannerwood Park
4:00 PM - #3 Bellevue vs. #6 Sammamish
7:00 PM - #4 Mercer Island vs. #5 Liberty

KingCo Playoff Scenarios (Through Wed 5/4)

2011-05-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Playoff Brackets: [ 4A Tournament ] [ 3A Tournament ]

KingCo 4A - Crest Division
1) Newport (11-3) ** wins tiebreaker over Redmond (division record)
2) Redmond (11-3)
3) Skyline (8-6)
4) Issaquah (6-8)
Eliminated: Eastlake (1-13)

KingCo 4A - Crown Division
1) Bothell (13-2)
2) Woodinville (9-5) ** season sweep over Inglemoor
3) Inglemoor (9-6)
4) Ballard (6-8)
Eliminated: Garfield (3-12), Roosevelt (2-13)

First Round Playoff Schedule
Saturday, 5/7 @ Woodinville HS
10:00 AM: Inglemoor (9-6) vs. Redmond (11-3)
1:00 PM: Issaquah (6-8) vs. Bothell (13-2)
4:00 PM: Skyline (8-6) vs. Woodinville (9-5)
7:00 PM: Ballard (6-8) vs. Newport (11-3)

KingCo 3A
1) Mount Si (11-1)
2) Lake Washington (8-5)
3/4) Bellevue (7-7) / Mercer Island (7-7)
- teams split regular season series
- coin flip (on Friday) will determine seeding
5/6) Liberty (5-8) / Sammamish (4-9)
- winner of today's game between Liberty & Sammamish will be the #5 seed
- loser of today's game will be the #6 seed
Eliminated: Juanita (3-11)

Playoffs start Tuesday, 5/10 with 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5 games. Top 2 seeds earn a bye to second round on Thursday.

Walk-off Wednesday in 3A

2011-05-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Four close games highlighted Wednesday's 3A action, with three of the games being decided in the final at-bat.

3A Results
Lake Washington 3, Bellevue 2 - LW scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning, erasing a one-run deficit and walking off on Bellevue, 3-2. Sophomore Alac Wong scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch after Chris Moore had tied the game with a bases loaded single. The win, coupled with Mercer Island's loss to Sammamish, clinched the #2 seed for the Kangs in the upcoming KingCo 3A playoffs. Senior Bob Cruikshank earned the win on the mound, going the distance allowing just 2 earned runs while striking out 4. Sophomore Stevie Semler finished the night 3-for-3, while senior Chris Moore added two hits and the game-tying RBI. For Bellevue, Drew Quinlan was the tough luck loser, pitching well and keeping LW off balance the entire night. Reid Wagner added two hits and an RBI for the Wolverines, who will be seeded either #3 or #4 in the tournament based on a coin flip.

Sammamish 9, Mercer Island 6 - The Totems rallied back from an early deficit to clinch a playoff berth with a 9-6 win over Mercer Island. Sammamish improves to 4-9 in league play with the win, and will enter the KingCo tournament as either the #5 or #6 seed, pending results of their game with Liberty Thursday. Aaron Lawrenson's bases clearing triple sparked the Totems late-game rally. Mercer Island falls to 7-7 with the loss and will slot in at #3 or #4 depending on a coin flip against Bellevue on Friday.

Liberty 5, Juanita 4 - Continuing their strong play in the second half, the Patriots knocked off Juanita in walk-off fashion Wednesday, 5-4. Liberty improves to 4-2 in the second half following a 1-6 start to the season. Juanita led 4-1 through 4 1/2 innings behind a strong performance on the mound from sophomore Ty Eng. They could not hold off Liberty however, giving up four runs over the final three innings. Liberty will take on Sammamish on Thursday in a battle for the #5 seed in the KingCo playoffs. Juanita, who was led offensively by seniors Sean Barlow (2-for-4, triple, 2 RBI) and Mitch Gebe (solo HR), was eliminated from the playoffs with the loss, finishing with a 3-11 league record.

Mount Si 3, Interlake 2 - In a classic pitcher's duel, the Wildcats came out on top in the end, scoring a run in the bottom of the 8th inning to down Interlake, 3-2. The Saints led 2-0 through 5 behind solid pitching from Carl Snaring and Austin Strother. Junior Trevor Taylor kept Mount Si in the game, allowing 2 earned over 6 innings of work. The Wildcats pushed across two runs in the sixth to tie the game, and send the home fans home happy with the walk-off win. Senior shortstop Tim Proudfoot homered and scored two runs for the Wildcats, who finish the regular season on Thursday night at Lake Washington having already secured the league's top seed. Interlake's regular season ends at 8-6 and they will head off to 2A for their district playoffs.

4A Results
Newport 9, Eastlake 4 - The Knights secured the #1 seed in KingCo's Crest Division by knocking off Eastlake Wednesday, 9-4. Newport scored six times in the first inning and twice more in the second, jumping out early and never looking back. Junior Billy Sahlinger was the winning pitcher, surrendering 7 hits and 2 earned while striking out 8 in 6 innings of work. He also helped himself at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Seniors Nick Clifford (1-3, HR, 3 RBI) and Keith Van Court (3-for-4, run scored) also chipped in offensively. Newport finishes the regular season in a tie with Redmond at 11-3, but wins the tiebreaker over the 'Stangs thanks to a better divisional record. They will open the KingCo tournament Saturday at Woodinville HS - 7:00 PM against Ballard. Eastlake's season ends with a 1-13 KingCo 4A record.

KingCo Playoff Scenarios (Through Tue 5/3)

2011-05-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

Playoff Brackets: [ 4A Tournament ] [ 3A Tournament ]

KingCo 4A - Crest Division
1 & 2) Newport (10-3) / Redmond (11-3)
- IF Newport wins over Eastlake Wednesday: #1 - Newport / #2 - Redmond
- IF Newport loses to Eastlake Wednesday: #1 - Redmond / #2 - Newport
3) Skyline (8-6)
4) Issaquah (6-8)
Eliminated: Eastlake (1-12)

KingCo 4A - Crown Division
1) Bothell (13-2)
2) Woodinville (9-5) ** season sweep over Inglemoor
3) Inglemoor (9-6)
4) Ballard (6-8)
Eliminated: Garfield (3-12), Roosevelt (2-13)

KingCo 3A
1) Mount Si (11-1)
2/3/4) LW (7-5) / Bellevue (7-6) / Mercer Island (7-6)
- remaining games: Bellevue @ LW (Wed); Sammamish @ MI (Wed); Mt Si @ LW (Thu)
- season series: Bellevue beat LW (2nd game today); LW-MI split; MI-Bellevue split
- pending results, each team could finish 2, 3 or 4
5/6) Liberty (4-8) / Sammamish (3-9) / Juanita (3-10)
- remaining games: Juanita @ Liberty (Wed); Sammamish @ MI (Wed); Sammamish @ Liberty (Thu)
- season series: Sammamish-Juanita split; Juanita beat Liberty (2nd game today); Sammamish beat Liberty (2nd game tomorrow)
- pending results, each team could finish 5, 6 or 7.
- 5 & 6 make KingCo 3A playoffs

KingCo 3A/2A Awards: Week 4

2011-05-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

KingCo 3A/2A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 4: April 25 - 30, 2011

Players of the Week: Bob Cruikshank, Sr., Lake Washington / Ryan Hashimoto, Jr., Sammamish
The KingCo 3A/2A Player of the Week award for week 4 was split between two worthy student-athletes. Lake Washington senior Bob Cruikshank and Sammamish junior Ryan Hashimoto share this week's award based on strong performances. Cruikshank, who will play baseball next season at the University of San Francisco, finished his three games 6-for-11 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 3 RBI. His home run on Friday against Interlake tied LW's school record for single-season home runs (5). For the season, Cruikshank is hitting .429 in league play, with 6 doubles and four home runs. Hashimoto's week consisted of him hitting .556 (5-for-9) with a double, 2 RBI and 2 stolen bases. He additionally picked up the save in a big Totems' win over Bellevue, tossing two shutout innings.

Also nominated: Steve Semler, LW; Alex Himstead, MI; Matt Orehek, MI

Pitcher of the Week: Zach Johnson, Jr., Lake Washington
Junior Zach Johnson is the KingCo 3A/2A Pitcher of the Week based on a shutout on Saturday night over Juanita. The southpaw scattered just six hits, walking none and striking out a career high 11 Rebel batters in the Kangs 6-0 win. Johnson went to a 3-ball count just three times on the night and dropped his KingCo ERA to 2.29.

Also nominated: Reece Karalus, Mount Si

Final Days of KingCo Regular Season

2011-05-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

The final week of KingCo play started on a wet Monday, with just one game getting in. Tuesday brought a bunch of rescheduled games, many of which will have a significant impact on seeding for the upcoming 3A and 4A KingCo playoffs.

4A Links: [ Current Standings ] [ Playoff Bracket ]
3A Links: [ Current Standings ] [ Playoff Bracket ]

Monday/Tuesday 4A Results
Newport 3, Redmond 2 - In a showdown between the Crest division's top two teams, Newport avenged an early season loss with a 3-2 win over the Mustangs. Senior Cole Wiper and junior Aaron Sandefur combined to strikeout 14 Redmond batters, while seniors Nick Clifford and Jared Fisher each hit home runs. Fisher's was a two-run shot in the fourth inning off Redmond senior Zach Abbruzza and put the Knights ahead for good. Newport's win brings them within a half-game of Redmond and they will try to close that gap on Wednesday when they travel to Eastlake. A Knights win will be their sixth straight in league, and will secure a Crest Division championship, as they own the tiebreaker over the Mustangs thanks to a better divisional record.

Skyline 9, Issaquah 6 - The Spartans rallied, scoring 6 times in the top of the seventh inning to stun the Eagles, 9-6. Senior Travis Snider picked up the win, working the final two innings and keeping Issaquah off the board. Senior Nate Litka was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI, with junior Clayton Huber chipping in with 3 RBI. Skyline finishes the regular season at 8-6 in KingCo play, and will enter the playoffs as the Crest Division's #3 seed. Junior Ethan Kalin hit a grand slam in the first inning for Issaquah, who finishes at 6-8 and will take on Bothell in the first round of the playoffs.

Bothell 1, Garfield 0 - The Cougars finished off a tremendous KingCo regular season, topping the Bulldogs 1-0 on Monday night. Senior Brian McAfee worked 5 shutout innings to extend his scoreless streak to 39 innings. He also doubled home the only Bothell run on the night. Fellow seniors Eric Gregory and Henry Baillargeon each tossed scoreless innings to preserve the 1-0 win. Bothell finishes KingCo play at 13-2 and enters the playoffs as the Crown Division #1 seed. Zach Ward had two of the three hits for Garfield, whose season ends with a 3-12 league record.

Inglemoor 5, Roosevelt 4 - Inglemoor capped off its regular season in style, winning in walk-off fashion on senior night, 5-4. The Vikings carried a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning, only to see the Roughriders tie the game with a 3-run sixth inning. Senior Dustin Doucette picked up the win in relief, and was helped by Connor Savage's 2-for-4 night. Inglemoor's KingCo record is 9-6, and they are the Crown Division's #3 seed. They will take on either Newport or Redmond at 10:00 AM on Saturday morning in the first round of the KingCo 4A tourney. Roosevelt's sees their season end with a 2-13 record.

Tuesday 3A Results
Mercer Island 5, Bellevue 3 - Mercer Island kept its hopes alive for a first round bye with a 5-3 win over Bellevue on Tuesday. Details on this game not available. Bellevue finishes up its regular season Wednesday night when they travel to Lee Johnson Field to take on Lake Washington. A win on Wednesday will keep their hopes for a #2 seed and a first round bye alive. MI takes on Sammamish Wednesday in its finale, needing a win to stay in the mix for the #2 seed.

Liberty 3, Mount Si 2 - The Patriots got a much needed win in their playoff chase, knocking off previously unbeaten Mount Si, 3-2. Junior Izak Styskal was the winning pitcher, which puts Liberty at 4-8. A win over Juanita on Wednesday will clinch a playoff spot for the Pats. Junior Trevor Lane took the loss for Mount Si, who is locked in as the KingCo 3A #1 seed at 11-1. Max Brown was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI in a losing effort.

Interlake 3, Juanita 1 - Griffin Sutich scattered 7 hits and a run in a complete game victory, as Interlake improved to 8-5 with a 3-1 win over Juanita. Sophomore Carl Snaring doubled and drove in two for the Saints, who will head to 2A districts for their postseason playoffs. Juanita drops to 3-10 with an important game against Liberty on tap for Wednesday.

Playoffs Around the Corner

2011-05-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

The final week of KingCo league play is here and the playoff picture for both leagues is coming into focus. In the 4A league, all eight playoff teams have been decided, with a few seeding questions to be decided. In the 3A, Mount Si is the regular season champions, currently perfect with an 11-0 league record. Three other teams have clinched a playoff berth, while the three other 3A teams are in a dog fight for the final two spots.

Here's a quick breakdown:

KingCo 4A Conference

Links: Current Standings | Playoff Bracket

Crest: In the Crest Division, Redmond's magic number is 1 to clinch the crown. They currently hold a 1 1/2 game lead with one games remaining for them and two games left for second place Newport. If the Knights win on Monday, Tuesday's game between the two clubs would factor into seeding. Neither team will fall below second place, as Skyline (the current #3) cannot catch Newport. The Spartans and Issaquah play Monday - a Skyline win clinches the #3 seed, while an Issaquah win will force a coin flip for seeding.

Crown: Congratulations to the Bothell Cougars, who at 12-2 are the Crown Division champions. They will go into the KingCo 4A tournament as the #1 seed. The other seeds are set as well. Woodinville will be the Crown #2 seed, as they hold a one-game lead on third-place Inglemoor and swept the season series. The Vikings will be Crown #3, with the Ballard Beavers securing the fourth and final Crown division playoff spot.

KingCo 3A Conference

Links: Current Standings | Playoff Bracket

Congratulations to the Mount Si Wildcats, who are the KingCo 3A regular season champions and will enter the playoffs as the league's top seed. Bellevue and Lake Washington are currently tied at 7-5, with Mercer Island just one game back at 6-6. Those three teams have clinched playoff berths and are currently fighting for the #2 seed and a first round bye in the tourney. MI & Bellevue are scheduled to play Monday, with Bellevue traveling to LW on Wednesday. The final two playoff spots are up for grabs, with three teams in hot pursuit. Liberty currently holds the #5 seed due to playing one less game than Sammamish & Juanita. All three teams have 3 league wins, with Liberty playing Sammamish Monday and Juanita on Wednesday. Weather permitting, these next three days will determine a lot prior to the league playoffs.

McAfee Runs Scoreless Streak to 34 Innings

2011-04-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

The season is hitting the home stretch, with just two weeks of games left before the playoffs start in both the 3A and 4A divisions. I will have a post up later this week with the playoff formats. In the meantime, check out the standings in both the 3A and 4A divisons.

Tuesday 4A Results
Bothell 2, Woodinville 0 - An incredible pitchers duel took place at Woodinville HS on Tuesday night, with the Bothell Cougars victorious in a 2-0 win over the Falcons. Senior Brian McAfee pitched his third consecutive 1-hitter (and fourth on the season), allowing just a Shea Donlin hit in the seventh inning in yet another complete game shutout. Junior Spencer Greer was every bit as good for Woodinville, allowing just one hit himself, also coming in the seventh inning. The Cougars plated unearned runs in the 2nd and 6th inning, which was plenty for McAfee. The right hander has not allowed a run in his last five starts spanning 34 innings. Over that stretch, he has allowed 9 hits and 8 walks, striking out 45 in one of the most amazing pitching displays I can remember in my 10 years involved in HS baseball.

Skyline 4, Redmond 3 - Senior Travis Snider went the distance, scattering 4 hits and striking out 4 as the Spartans knocked off top-ranked Redmond, 4-3. The Spartans won in walk-off fashion, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brandon Fisher homered for Skyline, who also got help offensively from Snider (2-for-3, double) and Jimmy Sinatro (2-for-2, double, RBI). Peyton Lutz doubled in the loss for Redmond, who is now just 1 1/2 games over second place Newport in the Crest Division.

Eastlake 2, Issaquah 1 - Sophomore Josh Barokas struck out 8 in a complete game, leading Eastlake to their first KingCo win of 2011, 2-1 over Issaquah. The sophomore outdueled Eagles starter Brandon Mahovlich, who also pitched a complete game. Juniors Robert Nolan and John Armour, along with senior Derek Papke each had two hits to lead the Wolves attack.

Inglemoor 17, Ballard 6 - The Vikings used an 11 run second inning in cruising to a 17-6, 5-inning win over Ballard. No other details available.

Garfield 5, Roosevelt 1 - The Bulldogs kept their playoff hopes alive behind junior John Trupin's six strong innings, as they topped Roosevelt 5-1. Trupin allowed 6 hits and a run over his six innings of work to pick up the win. Zach Ward doubled and drove in three for Garfield, who improved to 3-9 on the season - two games behind fourth place Ballard for the final KingCo Crown Division playoff spot.

Tuesday 3A Results
Mercer Island 14, Lake Washington 12 - The second meeting between these two clubs was much like the first, with MI coming out victorious this time over LW, 14-12. The first meeting was also a slugfest, with the Kangs prevailing in 11 innings. This time, the teams combined for 26 runs on 27 hits with sophomores leading the way for the Islanders. Matt Orehek and Alex Himstead combined to go 7-for-8 and drive in 8 of the Mercer Island 14 runs. Orehek's three-run double and Himstead's two-run home run aided MI's 9-run second inning, which was enough to hold off a late Kangs rally. For LW, sophomore Stevie Semler was 3-for-4 with two doubles and 3 RBI, while senior Bob Cruikshank and junior Theo Alexander each homered. MI improves to 5-5 and trails Bellevue and LW by just one game for second place in the KingCo 3A.

Interlake 6, Sammamish 4 - Junior Jake Wilson drove in four runs as the Saints won their third straight, 6-4 over Sammamish. Senior Griffin Sutich was the winning pitcher for Interlake, who is 6-4 in league despite competing as a 2A team. Sammamish fell into a tie with Liberty at 2-8 for the final KingCo 3A playoff spot.

Liberty 10, Bellevue 0 - The Patriots snapped a 6-game KingCo losing streak in a big way, upsetting Bellevue 10-0. No other details available.

KingCo 3A/2A Awards - Week 3

2011-04-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

KingCo 3A/2A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 3: April 18 - 23, 2011

Player of the Week: Jordan Richartz, Sr., Mercer Island
Senior outfielder Jordan Richartz wins the award for week 3, putting on an incredible offensive display. Being moved into the leadoff spot by MI coach Cory Smith, Richartz went off, finishing the week 7-for-10 with 5 doubles and an amazing 9 runs scored. He also drove in four runs of his own, and was the winning pitcher in MI's win over Juanita.

Also nominated: Max Brown, Mount Si; Dustin Breshears, Mount Si

Pitcher of the Week: Michael Raine, Bellevue
Junior Michael Raine wins the Pitcher of the Week for his shutout over Lake Washington on Monday. The right-hander, who was nominated for the award the previous week, scattered seven hits and struck out 5 in Bellevue's 3-0 win over the Kangs. He worked out of a couple jams, including getting an inning-ending double play ball with the bases loaded in the LW sixth.

Also nominated: Hunter Goldberg, Mercer Island; Trevor Taylor, Mount Si

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 5

2011-04-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 5: April 18 - 23, 2011

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Dylan Davis, Sr., Redmond
The friendly confines of Hartman Park treated another Mustang well this week as senior Dylan Davis captures player of the week honors due in large part to a three run homerun against the Eastlake Wolves. On the week, Davis was 4-8 with 5 RBI, 3 runs scored, and 3 stolen bases. The week bumped his KingCo batting average to .471, good enough for 4th in the conference. Davis is the third Redmond player to capture the honor this year.

Also nominated: None

Co-Pitchers of the Week: Jared Fisher, Sr., Newport; Zach Abbruzza, Sr., Redmond
Two dominant performances on the mound earned Newport’s Jared Fisher and Redmond’s Zach Abbruzza as co-pitchers of the week for the Crest Division. Fisher shut down rival Issaquah with a six inning, two hit, no run performance. He struck out 11 Eagles on the day. Abbruzza tossed five no hit innings for the Mustangs against the Eastlake Wolves. He walked two and struck out six.

Also nominated: None

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Dain Gilbert, Sr., Bothell
Bothell 3B Dain Gilbert edges out three others to capture Player of the Week for the Crown Division. The senior had three big RBI in helping the Cougars to wins over Skyline and Roosevelt. On the week, he was 3-6.

Also nominated: Nelson Cooper, Ballard; John Trupin, Garfield; Spencer Scott, Garfield

Pitcher of the Week: Dustin Doucette, Sr., Inglemoor
After allowing the first hitter he faced to score, Inglemoor’s ace Dustin Doucette settled in nicely in dominating the Redmond Mustangs. The hard throwing righthander threw a complete game propelling his team to a 7-1 win over the league’s only remaining unbeaten. He struck out thirteen Mustangs on the night and only allowed two free passes. The win moves Doucette to 3-1 in KingCo play and lowers his ERA to 2.89.

Also nominated: Brian McAfee, Bothell; Caleb Jaeger, Ballard; John Trupin, Garfield

Mount Si Strengthens Hold on 3A

2011-04-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Wednesday kicked off the second half of KingCo 3A play. The schedule will mirror the first half, with the home teams being different the second time around.

Wednesday 3A Results
Mount Si 13, Bellevue 3 - The league's two hottest teams squared off at Bellevue HS on Wednesday, with Mount Si creating separation between itself and the rest of the league with a dominant 13-3 win over Bellevue. The Wolverines had come in winners of six straight since their season opening loss to the Wildcats, but were no match on this day. Outfielder Nate Sinner was 3-for-3 with a double, while Shane Dixon and Reece Karalus each doubled and drove in two. Mount Si also took advantage of five Bellevue errors on the afternoon. Junior Trevor Taylor was the winning pitcher, allowing 2 hits and 3 runs over 5 innings of work. Mount Si improves to 8-0 and holds a two-game lead in the conference standings.

Lake Washington 5, Sammamish 2 - Junior Zach Johnson and senior Duke Fanning combined on a 2-hitter, keeping the Totems at bay in LW's 5-2 win. Johnson struck out 8 over 5 1/3 innings of work before handing the ball over to Fanning, who recorded the final five outs. The Kangs used small ball to put their runs on the board, pushing across three runs via sacrifice fly and another on a wild pitch. Senior Spencer Jackson was 1-for-2 with 2 RBI and fellow senior Nori Shimizu doubled and scored two runs for the Kangs, who improved to 5-3. Senior Bob Cruikshank extended his hit streak to 14 games with a single in the 5th inning.

Mercer Island 10, Juanita 7 - The Islanders rallied late, using a 4-run top of the seventh to comeback and beat Juanita, 10-7. MI trailed 7-6 headed into the final frame, but was able to tie the game on a clutch single by Alex Himstead. A Rebel error allowed the go ahead run to score, and sophomore Matt Orehek added insurance with a 2-run single. The Islanders held off Juanita in the seventh to even their record at 4-4.

Liberty @ Interlake - no score reported

Vikings Hand Mustangs First Loss of Season

2011-04-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Tuesday marked the last day of crossover games between the Crown and Crest divisions, with divisional play on tap to close out the KingCo 4A schedule.

Tuesday 4A Results
Inglemoor 7, Redmond 1 - Senior Dustin Doucette was dominant in knocking off the lone KingCo 4A unbeaten, striking out 13 in a complete game win over the Mustangs. Doucette outdueled Redmond's Dylan Davis, allowing just a single run in the top of the first inning. Gonzaga bound Mitchell Gonsolus was 2-for-3 with a double and drove in 3, while Adam Mosebar tripled and had 2 RBI for Inglemoor. Senior Zach Abbruzza, who will join Gonsolus as a Zag in the fall, drove in the lone Redmond run. Inglemoor pulls into a second place tie with Woodinville, with the rivalry renewing on Thursday night at Inglemoor HS.

Bothell 8, Skyline 0 - Senior Brian McAfee's dominant season continued Tuesday in the Cougars 8-0 shutout win over Eastlake. McAfee threw his second straight one hitter and third of the season, striking out 6 Spartans in the complete game victory. Since allowing two runs to Roosevelt in the KingCo opener, the senior right hander has tossed 27 consecutive scoreless innings. He has allowed just 8 hits and struck out 39 opposing batters over that stretch, lowering his league ERA to a miniscule 0.44. Samuel Lee was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and Jon Mercer homered and scored twice in the Coug win, upping their record to 8-2 on the season.

Newport 10, Roosevelt 0 - Junior right hander Billy Sahlinger struck out 6 in five shutout innings and seniors Jared Fisher and Cole Wiper combined for 7 hits as the Knights shutout Roosevelt, 10-0. Fisher finished the day 4-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI, while Wiper was 3-for-4 with a double and 2 runs scored. Newport is now 7-3 and will take on Issaquah Thursday in a battle for second place in the Crest Division. Zach Naon was 2-for-3 for the Roughriders.

Issaquah 4, Woodinville 3 - The Eagles continued their hot play, scoring two runs in the top of the eighth inning to down the Falcons, 4-3. Issaquah's Brandon Mahovlich and Woodinville's Spencer Greer both turned in strong performances on the mound before turning things over to the bullpens. Junior Ethan Kalin drove in one of the two Eagle extra inning runs, while Ben Roselini finished the night 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Clarke Bader homered for Woodinville, who is now 6-4 with 5 games left in the KingCo slate.

Garfield 3, Eastlake 1 - Spencer Scott was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and 2 RBI helping the Bulldogs pick up their second league win, 3-1 over Eastlake. Junior southpaw John Trupin went the distance, scattering 5 hits and a walk while striking out 8. Chandler Honican and Ruben Palmer were each 1-for-3 with a run scored for Garfield.

KingCo 3A/2A Awards - Week 2

2011-04-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

KingCo 3A/2A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 2: April 11 - 16, 2011

Player of the Week: Tim Proudfoot, Sr., Mount Si
For the second straight week, a Mount Si Wildcat is the KingCo 3A/2A player of the week, this time with the award going to shortstop Tim Proudfoot. The senior had a week to remember, homering five times in the Wildcats perfect 3-0 week. He hit 3 jacks in Monday's win over Interlake and had one each against Sammamish and Lake Washington. Proudfoot finished the week 6-for-11, scoring eight runs and driving in 6 more, and has yet to commit an error at shortstop for the 7-0 Wildcats.

Also nominated: Bob Cruikshank, LW

Pitcher of the Week: Reece Karalus, Jr., Mount Si
Right-hander Reece Karalus made it a clean sweep of the awards for Mount Si in week 2, collecting KingCo 3A/2A Pitcher of the Week. Karalus was dominant in a six-inning outing against Lake Washington, allowing just 5 hits and a run. He walked just one batter while striking out 12 on the afternoon, keeping his team in the tight game throughout.

Also nominated: Michael Raine, Bellevue; Bob Cruikshank, LW; Spencer Jackson, LW

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 4

2011-04-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 4: April 11-16, 2011

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Michael Conforto, Sr., Redmond
Oregon State bound Michael Conforto’s bat is starting to heat up. The senior SS had a big three game week against Bothell, Roosevelt and Woodinville. On the week he was 5-9 with 3 HR’s and one 2B, driving in four. He also drew 5 free passes, scoring 9 runs in the three games. It is Conforto’s first player of the week award and the fourth straight for a Mustang offensive player.

Also nominated: Peter Hendron, Redmond

Pitcher of the Week: Brandon Mahovlich, Jr., Issaquah
In a complete game effort against the Ballard Beavers, the Eagles’ junior righthander pitched his team to an 8-3 win. He fanned eight Ballard hitters in the process, only walking three. The performance capped a four game Kingco 4A win streak for Issaquah.

Also nominated: Adam Cline, Redmond

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Reid Martinez, Sr., Roosevelt
Roosevelt’s senior outfielder did it all this past week for the Roughriders, earning Kingco 4A Player of the Week honors. At the plate, he was 6-9, scoring four runs. He also drove in four as he hit two doubles and a homerun. On the base paths, Martinez was equally dangerous as he swiped five bases. Currently Martinez leads Kingco 4A with ten stolen bases.

Also nominated: Nelson Cooper, Ballard

Pitcher of the Week: Brian McAfee, Sr., Bothell
The senior pitcher continues to dazzle on the year, amassing some staggering pitching numbers. This week against Issaquah, McAfee threw 6 1/3 no-hit innings. At the end of the day, he captured Crown Pitcher of the Week honors as he threw a one hit complete game shutout, striking out ten while only walking one. The performance allowed the Cougars to escape with a 1-0 win (McAfee also hit the solo homerun that decided the game). This is McAfee’s second time receiving Pitcher of the Week recognition this year. This is his third consecutive shutout in Kingco play and he has only allowed two runs in four Kingco games on the year.

Also nominated: Joe Jacobson, Ballard

Mount Si / Bellevue Set for 3A Showdown

2011-04-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Wins by Bellevue and Mount Si on Monday set up a clash for first place Wednesday. Game time is at 4:30 PM at Bellevue HS. The Wolverines have won six straight since their opening day loss to the Wildcats, 8-5. Meanwhile, Mount Si swept the first half of the KingCo season, going a perfect 7-0.

Monday 3A Recaps
Bellevue 3, LW 0 - Junior Michael Raine had another impressive outing for the Wolverines, keeping the Kangs off balance in a 3-0 Bellevue win. Raine went the distance, scattering seven hits and a walk while striking out 5. He needed to throw just 92 pitches in the shutout. Jeff Van Orman doubled twice and drove in a run for Bellevue, who improved to 6-1 with the win. Junior Zach Johnson was 2-for-3 for the Kangs, who lost their second straight to drop to 4-3.

Mount Si 13, Interlake 1 - The Wildcats continued to roll, busting things open with an 8-run seventh inning as they cruised to a 13-1 win over Interlake. Junior Trevor Lane was impressive once again on the mound, earning the victory. Mount Si once again had a balanced offensive attack, combining for 16 hits on the afternoon. Senior Dustin Breshears tripled and drove in four, while fellow senior Max Brown (3-for-4, double, 3 runs) and junior Reece Karalus (2-for-3, double, 3 RBI) also chipped in. Interlake's Joey Button hit a solo home run in the 3rd inning for the Saints only run.

Mercer Island 19, Sammamish 2 - The Islanders busted out in a big way Monday, scoring multiple runs in every inning but the first en route to a 19-2 win over Sammamish. Max Dammeier, David Oppenheim and Jordan Richartz had two doubles a piece for MI, who had 15 hits in the five-inning contest. Hunter Goldberg was the winning pitcher, allowing just 2 runs while striking out 6 in his 5-inning complete game. Evan Thompson also had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 while scoring four runs and driving in three more. Navdeep Gill had two hits including a double for the Totems.

Juanita 9, Liberty 8 - Senior Sean Barlow homered and drove in 2 as the Rebels won a high-scoring affair, 9-8 over the Patriots. Jyran McNairy doubled and had 3 RBI, while Mitch Gebe was 2-for-2 with two doubles and three runs scored for Juanita. The Rebels win was their second straight and improved their record to 3-4 on the KingCo season.

Catching Up...

2011-04-18T07:13:00.001-07:00

Busy weekend for the blog - I'll get caught up here on some notable performances from Wednesday & Friday games.

Redmond Remains Perfect in 4A- The Mustangs and Wildcats continued their domination of KingCo play, each posting 3-0 weeks last week. Redmond won their showdown with Bothell on Monday, 11-9 before dispatching of Crown division foes Roosevelt (16-0) and Woodinville (7-1). They are now 9-0 and three full games ahead of Newport for the Crest Division lead.
Mount Si Lone Other KingCo Unbeaten- The Wildcats put together their second straight 3-0 week to improve to 6-0 on the KingCo season. They cruised on Monday and Wednesday, winning their two games by a combined 23-3. Friday brought their first close game of the KingCo season and they prevailed there as well, topping Lake Washington 2-1. Junior Reece Karalus allowed just a run and struck out 12 over 6 innings of work. The game was tied 1-1 into the bottom of the seventh when Nate Sinner became an instant hero. He singled to left field with one out, plating Trevor Lane with the winning run and keeping Mount Si undefeated. The Wildcats will look to complete the sweep of the first round of league play when they take on Interlake Monday.
Wolverines Keep Pace with 3-0 Week- Bellevue remained just a game behind Mount Si in the KingCo 3A/2A standings, posting a perfect week with wins over Sammamish, Juanita and Mercer Island. The Wolverines only loss was an 8-5 defeat to Mount Si, but pitching and defense have helped them win every other league contest. They will take on Lake Washington Monday in a battle for second place in the conference.
Mound Domination on Wednesday- On Wednesday, eight of the nine winning teams allowed three runs or less, including 5 shutouts. Scoreless performances were tossed by Adam Kline (Redmond), Matt Lunde (Skyline), Brian McAfee (Bothell), Marty Luckenbach (Woodinville) and Bob Cruikshank (Lake Washington).
Proudfoot Smacks 5 Home Runs on Week - Mount Si senior shortstop Tim Proudfoot had a week for the ages, homering in each of the Wildcats' games on the week. He homered an amazing three times against Liberty, and hit one each against Sammamish and Lake Washington, leading his team to an undefeated start.
The Brian McAfee Show - Bothell senior Brian McAfee's incredible season continued last week, with him single-handedly beating Issaquah on Wednesday. In the Cougars 1-0 win over Issaquah, McAfee was 2-for-3 with his solo home run providing the only run of the game. On the mound, he had another dominant pitching performance, going the distance allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out 10.
Freshman Gets Totems their First Conference Win - Sammamish picked up its first league win of the season on Friday behind the arm of freshman Joe Giachetti. He went the distance, scattering 7 hits and allowing 3 runs (1 earned) in Sammamish's 4-3 win over Liberty.
Rebels Prevail in 11-inning Game - Juanita and Interlake played one of the season's best games Friday, with Juanita scoring a single run in the top of the 11th for a 2-1 win.

Here's a quick rundown of Wednesday & Friday scores, with notable performances:

Wednesday 4A Results

Redmond 16, Roosevelt 0

- Peter Hendron (Redmond) - 4-for-5, HR, 6 RBI

- Adam Kline (Redmond) - 5 inning, 2-hit shutout

Ballard 4, Newport 3

- Nelson Cooper (Ballard) - 2-for-2, 2 doubles, RBI

Skyline 7, Garfield 0

- Matt Lunde (Skyline) - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 Ks

- Nate Litka (Skyline) - 2-for-4, double, triple, 2 RBI

Bothell 1, Issaquah 0

- Brian McAfee (Bothell) - 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 Ks; 2-for-3, solo HR

- Andrew Kemmerer (Issaquah) - 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks

Woodinville 4, Eastlake 0

- Marty Luckenbach (W'Ville) - 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 Ks

Wednesday 3A Results

Mount Si 12, Sammamish 3

- Max Brown (MtSi) - 4-for-4, triple, 3 RBI

- Tim Proudfoot (MtSi) - 2-for-4, triple, HR

LW 10, Interlake 0

- Bob Cruikshank (LW) - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 Ks; 2-for-4, 2 doubles, 4 RBI

- Zach Johnson (LW) - 2-for-3, 2 doubles

Mercer Island 15, Liberty 9

- Evan Thompson (MI) - 3-for-5, HR, 4 RBI

- George Jiranek (MI) - HR, 4 RBI

Bellevue 5, Juanita 1

- Drew Quinlan (Bellevue) - Allowed 1 run in the complete game victory

Friday 4A Results

Issaquah 6, Roosevelt 4

- Mitchell Morimoto (Issy) - 2-for-3, double, 3 RBI

- Reid Martinez (Roosevelt) - 2-for-3, triple, 2 runs

Skyline 6, Ballard 1

- Travis Snider (Skyline) - 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 Ks

- Clayton Huber (Skyline) - 3-for-3, RBI

Inglemoor 9, Eastlake 7

- Connor Savage (Inglemoor) - 4-for-4, double, RBI

- Obi Taylor (Inglemoor) - double, 2 RBI; Recorded final 8 outs of the game for the save, 5 via strikeout

Newport 8, Bothell 0

- Cole Wiper (Newport) - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 9 Ks - Nate Anderson & Aaron Sandefur (Newport) - each with a HR, 2 RBI

Redmond 7, Woodinville 1

- Zach Abbruzza & Michael Conforto (Redmond) - each with a HR, 2 RBI

Friday 3A Scores

Mount Si 2, Lake Washington 1

- Reece Karalus (MtSi) - 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 12 Ks

- Nate Sinner (MtSi) - walk-off single in bottom of the seventh

- Tim Proudfoot (MtSi) - solo HR (5th of the week)

- Spencer Jackson (LW) - 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER

- Bob Cruikshank (LW) - 2-for-3, solo HR

Bellevue 8, Mercer Island 7

- Jeff Van Orman (Bellevue) - 2-for-3, RBI

- Jack Carlson (Bellevue) - 3 HBP(!), 3 runs scored

- Jordan Richartz (MI) - 3-for-3, run

- Max Dammeier (MI) - 2-for-3, 2 doubles

Sammamish 4, Liberty 3

- Joe Giachetti (Samm) - CG, 7 H, 3 R (1 ER)

Juanita 2, Interlake 1

- 11 inning game

- Mitch Gebe (Juanita) - 3-for-5

- J.J. Caldwell (Juanita) - 2-for-4, RBI

- Austin Strothers (Interlake) - 8 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 5 Ks

Mercer Island Wins Lone Tuesday Contest

2011-04-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

Mercer Island 9, Juanita 6 - Juniors David Oppenheim and Cameron Ogard each drove in three runs, leading the Islanders to their first KingCo win 9-6 over Juanita. The Rebels jumped ahead early, with senior Sean Barlow launching a 3-run home run. Mercer Island responded immediately, putting a six spot on the board in the bottom half of the frame. They would not trail the rest of the way, extending the lead with single runs in the 2nd, 4th and 6th innings. Sophomore Isak Morris was the winning pitcher, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) in six innings of work. Evan Thomspon, Brian Higgins and Alberto Gonzales each had two hits and each Islander in the order had at least one knock on the day. Juanita collected twelve hits, three coming off the bat of senior J.J. Caldwell, with two each from sophomore Ty Eng and junior Conner Jackson.

Redmond, Mount Si Remain Lone Unbeatens

2011-04-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

With both leagues on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule this week, each day is packed with nine scheduled games. Monday amazingly brought nice enough weather for all nine games to be played - has to be a first this year! Here's a quick look at the results...

Monday 4A Results
Redmond 11, Bothell 9 - In a battle of previously unbeaten KingCo teams, the Mustangs pounded out 12 hits to down Crown division leading Bothell, 11-9. The bulk of the runs were scored early in the game, with Redmond leading 9-8 after just three innings of play. 'Stang shortstop and Oregon State bound Michael Conforto was 3-for-3 with a double and two home runs, driving in 2 and scoring three more on the night. Fellow future Beaver Dylan Davis homered and drove in three, and also earned the win on the mound despite a shaky start to the game. For the Cougars, Ryan Morgan had a big night, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, home run and 2 RBI. Redmond also got contributions from junior Peter Hendron (2-for-3, double, 2 RBI, 3 runs) and T.J. Whidby (2-for-4, double, 2 RBI) in improving to 7-0. The loss dropped Bothell to 6-1, a full game ahead of second place Woodinville in the Crown division.

Issaquah 8, Ballard 3 - Junior Brandon Mahlovich pitched a complete game and also homered to lead the Eagles to their third straight KingCo win, 8-3 over Ballard. The right hander allowed 7 hits and 3 earned, striking out 8 going the distance for the win. Issaquah improves to 4-3 in KingCo play, just a game behind Newport for second place in the Crest Division. Ballard, who had their mini-winning streak snapped, got strong performances from Ryan Kangas (2-for-3, RBI) and Nelson Cooper (2-for-3, double, HR, 2 RBI).

Inglemoor 7, Skyline 5 - The Vikings got back on track Monday, evening their league record at 4-4 with a 7-5 win over the Spartans of Skyline. Emmett Maki was 3-for-4 with 3 runs batted in for Inglemoor, which got a solid performance from senior Dustin Doucette on the mound. Skyline's Nate Litka was 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI in a losing effort.

Roosevelt 6, Eastlake 3 - Senior Reid Martinez drove in four of the Roughriders 6 runs as they picked up their second league win, 6-3 over the Eastlake Wolves. Martinez finished the day 3-for-4 with a double and a home run, also adding three stolen bases. David Holt worked the first 4 1/3 innings to pick up the win, with senior Tim Moore finishing the game in style, striking out 5 over the last 2 2/3. John Armour and Robert Nolan each had two hits for Eastlake, which remained winless dropping to 0-7.

Newport 6, Garfield 5 - The Knights climbed out of an early deficit thanks to the relief efforts of junior Aaron Sandefur, scoring 3 in the 5th and 2 more in the 6th to down the Bulldogs, 6-5. Sandefur came on relief in the third inning and tossed five shutout innings, allowing Newport to complete the comeback. He allowed just 3 hits without walking a batter, picking up 6 strikeouts along the way. Senior Jared Fisher, the reigning KingCo 4A pitcher of the week, continued to swing a hot bat as well, driving in 3 runs while going 2-for-4. Senior Daniel Altchech also drove in two for the Knights, who improved to 5-2 on the season. Garfield lost its seventh straight KingCo game despite strong efforts from sophomore Chandler Honican (3-for-4, 2 RBI), Zach Ward (2-for-4, 2 runs) and Spencer Scott (1-for-4, double, 2 RBI).

Monday 3A Results
Mount Si 11, Liberty 0 - Senior shortstop Tim Proudfoot went deep three times, as the Wildcats hit five home runs in an 11-0 whitewash of the Patriots. Mount Si has opened league play on fire, with their starting pitchers allowing just 2 runs in four starts. Offensively they've been on a tear as well, outscoring their opponents 39-6 in their 4 wins. Last week's KingCo 3A player of the week Max Brown homered as did junior Reece Karalus. Junior Trevor Lane struck out eight in four innings of work to pick up the win.

LW 7, Juanita 3 - Long-time Kirkland rivals Lake Washington and Juanita met for the first time since 2008, with the Kangs earning early bragging rights with a 7-3 win over the Rebels. Senior Wesley Russell tossed six strong innings in his first league start of the season, scattering 7 hits and not walking a batter. He struck out 5 Rebels en route to the win. The Kangs were led offensively by junior Victor Mayorquin, who was 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the fourth inning. Senior Kory Kohlwes and junior Zach Johnson each had 2 hits for LW, which moved to 3-1 in league play. Senior J.J. Caldwell was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Juanita, who takes on Mercer Island Tuesday in a game rained out from last week. Lake Washington shortstop Bob Cruikshank doubled and scored in the 7th and has at least one hit in each of the Kangs' 10 games this season.

Interlake 3, Mercer Island 2 - The Saints pitching staff continued to impress on Monday, this time keeping Mercer Island in check for a 3-2 win over the Islanders. Interlake has allowed just 12 runs over their first four KingCo contests helping them to a 3-1 start. Griffin Sutich, Gavin McNeils and Ari Kira combined on a 7-hitter, with Kira striking out the final M.I. batter of the game with the tying and go ahead runs on base. Austin Strother was 2-for-3 with a triple, driving in two runs in Interlake's decisive 3-run sixth inning. M.I. drops to 0-3 and will look to get in the win column when they play host to Juanita Tuesday night.

Bellevue 5, Sammamish 1 - A battle of two young pitchers went the way of the Wolverines, as they improved to 3-1 with a 5-1 win over Sammamish. Junior Michael Raine outdueled Totems freshman Joe Giachetti in this one, with Bellevue scoring all of its runs over the final three innings. Raine allowed just a run on four hits in the complete game victory. He collected 9 strikeouts against just one walk, throwing 51 of his 86 pitches for strikes. The Wolverines were led offensively by senior Reid Wagner, who was 3-for-3 with 3 RBI. Sophomore Jack Meggs (triple, 2 runs) and Jack Perkins (double) also made strong contributions to the win. Sammamish dropped to 0-4 with the loss despite a strong performance from their freshman right hander. Aaron Lawrenson and Chris Strain each doubled in defeat.

KingCo 3A/2A Awards - Week 1

2011-04-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

KingCo 3A/2A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 1: April 4 - 9, 2011

Player of the Week: Max Brown, Sr., Mount Si
Mount Si outfielder Max Brown picks up the first KingCo 3A/2A player of the week award for his outstanding performances in the Wildcats' 3-0 week. The senior had three multi-hit games last week, finishing 8-for-12 with 4 runs scored and 4 RBI. He had one double in each of the three games and also stole 3 bags. For the season, Brown is hitting .500 (13-for-26) in eight games, with 5 doubles, a home run and 10 RBI.

Also nominated: Sean Barlow, Juanita; Sam Finfer, Interlake

Pitcher of the Week: Carl Snaring, Jr., Interlake
Interlake junior Carl Snaring is the winner of the KingCo 3A/2A pitcher of the week award for week 1. The southpaw dominated Liberty in a 9-0 win on Thursday afternoon. He went the distance in tossing a shutout, allowing just a single hit and three walks while striking out 11 Patriots. Snaring tossed 109 pitches in the win, which was part of his team's 2-1 week.

Also nominated: Bob Cruikshank, LW; Reece Karalus, Mt. Si; Trevor Lane, Mt. Si; Izak Styskal, Liberty; Trevor Taylor, Mt. Si

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 3

2011-04-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 3: April 4 - 9, 2011

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Peter Hendron, Jr., Redmond
Redmond Mustang junior Peter Hendron earns player of the week honors for his ability to come up with the big hit. Twice in the week Hendron drove in key runs with two outs. The first was against Garfield in the form of a three run homerun to plate the decisive runs. The second was against Ballard via a bases clearing double which tied the game at 4. On the week, Hendron was 4-7 with 6 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Also nominated: Ben Rosellini, Issaquah

Pitcher of the Week: Jared Fisher, Sr., Newport
In a game against Inglemoor, the University of Washington signee was nearly perfect. Carrying a perfect game into the 7th, an infield hit ended Jared Fisher’s bid. Nonetheless, he was dominant from beginning to end as he only needed 81 pitches to carry his team to victory. All told, Fisher threw 7 shutout innings giving up the one hit, striking out 10 and walking none. This is back to back Pitcher of the Week awards for the Newport Knight staff as Fisher joins Cole Wiper in receiving the honor.

Also nominated: None

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Oliver Guarino, Sr., Ballard
In a tough three game week, senior outfielder Oliver Guarino of the Ballard Beavers continued his impressive offensive performance. On the week, he was 5-9 with two doubles and a triple allowing him to drive in six runs. His offensive output propelled the Beavers to a 2-1 week, evening up their Kingco record at 3-3. This is Guarino’s first player of the week award.

Also nominated: None

Pitcher of the Week: Marty Luckenbach, Jr., Woodinville
Woodinville junior Marty Luckenbach was flat out dealing against the Skyline Spartans on Thursday. The hard throwing right-hander pitched a complete game shutout. En-route to the victory, Luckenbach struck out ten without walking a single hitter. He only yielded four hits on the afternoon. Luckenbach is now 1-1 in the young KingCo season.

Also nominated: Kevin McShane, Bothell; Danny Thompson, Ballard

Weekend Update

2011-04-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

With all the rain during the week, the Saturday schedule was packed as well, with 3 games in the 3A league and two more in the 4A.

Saturday 3A Results
Liberty 4, Lake Washington 0 - Junior Izak Styskal shutout the Kangs, getting ground ball after ground ball in Liberty's 4-0 win over previously unbeaten (in KingCo) Lake Washington. The right-hander allowed six hits and walked one, recording 13 ground ball outs on the afternoon. The Patriots used little ball to put their four runs on the board, scoring once on an LW throwing error and twice on sacrifice flies. Junior Ben Wessel also doubled home a run in Liberty's 2-run sixth inning. Sophomore Nick Johnson was 2-for-3 with a double for LW, who finished the week 2-1.

Mt Si 11, Mercer Island 1 - The Wildcats made an early statement as potential favorites in the 3A league, topping MI 11-1 in six innings. Mount Si pounded out 11 hits, with Max Brown, Trevor Lane and Nate Sinner each collecting multi-hit games. Junior right hander Reece Karalus gave up just two hits and struck out 11 in the complete game victory. One night after playing a dramatic 11 inning game, neither the Islanders or Kangs had much in the tank, combining to score just 1 run in their Saturday contests.

Juanita 8, Sammamish 7 - The Totems scored three times in the top of the seventh to tie the game, only to watch senior Mitch Gebe single home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, as Juanita picked up an 8-7 win. Senior Sean Barlow was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs batted in for Juanita. Gebe, Chris Foss, Derek Kaufman and Conner Jackson had two hits a piece for the Rebels, who will play host to long-time rival Lake Washington on Monday night. Chris Strain drove in two runs for the Totems, who dropped to 0-3 in league play.

Saturday 4A Results
Woodinville 7, Newport 2 - Falcons senior outfielder Carl Svanevik homered and drove in five of Woodinville's seven runs to help his team bounce back from a Friday loss to top Newport, 7-2. Svanevik's home run came in the top of the first inning, getting the Falcons off to a quick start. Three Woodinville pitchers combined on a four hitter, while junior Max Carter was 3-for-4 with a home run. Senior Jared Fisher was 2-for-2 and drove in the lone Knight runs on the day.

Ballard 7, Eastlake 0 - Senior Danny Thompson allowed just a hit and a walk in five shutout innings as the Beavers won their second game in as many days, 7-0 over Eastlake. The right hander lowered his ERA to 0.74 on the season, as he has allowed just 7 hits and 2 earned runs in his 19 innings of work. Thompson also added a double and a triple on the afternoon, while Brendan Foor (2-for-4, 3 RBI) and Oliver Guarino (2-for-4, triple, 2 RBI) chipped in to pace the Ballard offensive attack. The win moves Ballard into a tie with Inglemoor for third place in the Crown Division, while the Wolves dropped to 0-6 on the KingCo 4A season.

Friday Night Lights

2011-04-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Full slate of 3A & 4A games on Friday, as sunshine finally arrived (for a day at least) allowing the 4A teams to get caught up on past rainouts:

Friday 3A Results
Lake Washington 12, Mercer Island 11 (11 innings) - In what was likely the game of the year so far in the KingCo conference, the Kangs scored three times in the bottom of the 11th inning to walk-off with a 12-11 win over the defending 3A league champion Islanders. Mercer Island jumped out early with 2 runs in the first and tacked on three more on junior David Oppenheim's three-run home run in the second inning. The teams traded four run innings, MI carrying a 9-6 lead into the seventh. LW would push across three runs to tie the game and send it to extra frames. Both bullpens tossed scoreless innings in the 8th, 9th and 10th before MI broke through with 2 in the top of the 11th. However, the Kangs fought back once again, tying the game on a two-run double by junior Victor Mayorquin and winning it on senior Chris Moore's RBI single. Moore drove in four on the night for LW, with Mayorquin finishing the evening 4-for-7 with a double and 2 RBI. Senior Evan Thompson was 3-for-6 and Oppenheim finished 2-for-4 with the home run and 4 runs batted in for the Islanders.

Mt. Si 9, Juanita 0 - Junior Trevor Taylor struck out 10 Rebels in five shutout innings, propeling the Wildcats to a 9-0 win over Juanita. Taylor's strong start was on the heels of an impressive outing by teammate Trevor Lane in the Mt. Si opener. Senior Max Brown was 3-for-4 with a double and fellow senior Dustin Breshears tripled and stole two bases for the 'Cats. Senior Derek Welsh homered to help the team to a 2-0 KingCo start.

Interlake 9, Sammamish 6 - The Saints scored three times in both the fourth and fifth innings and held off a late Sammamish run for their second straight league win. Junior Carl Snaring doubled twice fresh off an impressive performance on the mound where he struck out 11 in a complete game win over Liberty on Thursday. Sophomore Austin Strothers was the winning pitcher, with the Totems scoring just two runs over the first six innings. Senior infielder Aaron Lawrenson had a big day in defeat, missing the cycle by just a home run going 4-for-4 on the afternoon.

Bellevue 6, Liberty 5 - The Wolverines picked up their second league win in three tries, sending Liberty to 0-2 with the one-run victory.

Friday 4A Results
Ballard 5, Woodinville 4 - The Beavers scored 4 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and held the Falcons scoreless for the final three innings to prevail, 5-4. Brendan Foor and Eric Frank each drove in two runs for Ballard, while Caleb Jaeger worked the final 3 2/3 innings allowing just one hit to earn the win. Junior Spencer Greer took the loss for Woodinville, who fell to 4-2 on the year, two full games behind Bothell in the Crown Division. Every player in the Falcon lineup had one hit, but they failed to string many hits together.

Issaquah 10, Inglemoor 3 - Junior left-hander Ethan Kalin allowed two runs and struck out six over five innings of work and senior Ben Roselini had 2 hits and 3 RBI as the Eagles downed Inglemoor, 10-3. Junior Andrew Kemmerer homered and drove in two runs and fellow junior Brandon Mahlovich had two hits and two runs scored to help pace Issy's 10-hit attack. Obi Taylor took the loss for the defending Crown Division champions, who made four errors in dropping their KingCo record to 3-4.

Skyline 4, Roosevelt 1 - The Roughriders broke a scoreless tie with a run in the top of the sixth, only to see Skyline score four times in the bottom of the frame as the Spartans beat Roosevelt, 4-1. Senior Travis Snider pitched 4 2/3 innings in relief of Connor Gilchrist, striking out 4 to earn the victory. Snider along with juniors Clayton Huber and Brandon Fischer drove in the Spartan runs. Graylin Derke was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk for Roosevelt, and also threw five scoreless innings before tiring in the 4-run Spartan sixth.

Newport 2, Eastlake 1 (9 innings) - Senior Nick Clifford hit a walk-off solo homerun in the bottom of the 9th, sending the Knights home with a 2-1 win over the Wolves of Eastlake. The game was a pitcher's duel between Eastlake's Andrew Stull and Newport's Cole Wiper. Stull went the distance, allowing just a run in the second inning before Clifford's late heroics. Meanwhile, Wiper was just as impressive, allowing just 3 hits and a walk while striking out 11 before handing the ball to senior Erik Jensen, who pitched a shutout top of the ninth for the win.

Fisher Near Perfect in Knights Win

2011-04-08T11:38:00.001-07:00

One late result coming in from Thursday night:

Newport 5, Inglemoor 0 - UW signee Jared Fisher was an infield single in the seventh away from perfection, leading the Knights to their third straight win, 5-0 over Inglemoor. Fisher needed just 81 pitches to cruise the distance, allowing just the one hit and no walks while racking up 10 punchouts. Senior Cole Wiper paced the offense, going 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Junior Billy Sahlinger added a home run to help Newport improve to 3-1 in KingCo play. Emmett Maki took the loss for the Vikings, whose record dropped to an even 3-3.

Thursday Results

2011-04-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Most of the scheduled games were played on Thursday, with the KingCo 4A unbeatens remaining unscathed with a showdown on the horizon for Monday...

KingCo 4A
Issaquah 10, Garfield 8 - The Eagles scored four times in the top of the seventh to take the lead and held on for a 10-8 win over Garfield. Issaquah had trailed 7-6 going into the final frame, but was able to push across the tying and go ahead runs. Junior right hander Scott Boydston worked three innings in relief to pick up the win. Senior Ben Roselini was 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI, while juniors Jake Bakamus (2-for-3, double, triple, 3 runs scored) and Brandon Mahovlich (2-for-4, 2 RBI) also contributed in Issy's 15-hit attack. Spencer Scott was 3-for-3 with a double and 3 RBI and Sam Kennard was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored for Garfield, who dropped to 1-6 with the loss.

Bothell 10, Eastlake 0 - Week 2 KingCo 4A pitcher of the week Brian McAfee led the unbeaten Cougars past Eastlake with his arm AND his bat. The senior had half of Bothell's hits, going 3-for-3 with a double, home run and 3 RBI. He also shutout Eastlake over 5 innings, scattering 5 hits and a walk while striking out 9 in a 10-0 win. Senior shortstop John Mercer doubled and drove in three for the Cougars, who improved to 6-0 with a date with unbeaten Redmond set for Monday night.

Woodinville 6, Skyline 0 - Oregon State bound Marty Luckenbach struck out 10 in a 4-hit shutout as the Falcons downed Skyline, 6-0. Woodinville jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings, and their 6'5" junior right hander took care of the rest. The Falcon offense scratched across six runs despite collecting just four hits, as three Spartan errors made a tough luck loser out of Matt Lunde. Clarke Bader (1-for-2, double) and Carl Svanevik (1-for-2, triple) were the offensive stars for 4-1 Woodinville.

Redmond 5, Ballard 4 - Junior Peter Hendron doubled and drove in three runs and senior Michael Conforto homered, as the Mustangs stormed back from an early deficit to stay unbeaten with a 5-4 win over Ballard. Things were looking good for the Beavers early, as they took a 4-0 lead into the fifth. However, they could not hold off the potent Redmond attack, as the 'Stangs tied the game with a four-run fifth and took the lead in the 6th. T.J. Whidby earned the win with two shutout innings in relief, with Conforto picking up another save, punching out two Ballard hitters in a hitless seventh inning. Oliver Guarino drove in two of the Beavers four runs in defeat.

KingCo 3A
Mount Si 8, Bellevue 5 - Junior Reece Karalus homered and drove in four runs and Trevor Lane struck out 7 in six shutout innings as the Wildcats won their KingCo 3A opener 8-5 over the Wolverines. Mount Si scored four in the first and another single run in the second to jump out early on Bellevue starter Drew Quinlan. They extended the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, with Max Brown and Karalus driving in the Wildcat runs. The Wolverines made things interesting scoring four times in the top of the seventh, but Shane Dixon struck out Jeff VanOrman to end the game. Lane needed just 74 pitches in his six innings of work, while Brown helped the offense with a 3-for-4 day, doubling and driving in 2. Mount Si will play host to Juanita on Friday, with Bellevue welcoming Liberty to their house.

Interlake 9, Liberty 0 - Junior Carl Snaring was dominant on the mound, going the distance in a one-hit shutout as the Saints bounced back from Wednesday's loss with a 9-0 win over Liberty. Snaring struck out 11 Patriot batters, allowing just the one hit and three walks along the way. Sophomores Kamana Adriano and Austin Strothers led the Interlake offensive attack with Adriano homering with 4 RBI and Strothers collecting 2 hits and driving in 2.

Technology Aiding Fans in Following Teams

2011-04-07T13:47:00.001-07:00

Many sports teams are using the new era of technology and social media to enhance the experience for players, families and fans alike. The KingCo baseball conference is no different, with a number of teams using Twitter, live stat sites or both to allow more people to follow the action. I have been using these sites to follow along with games and thought I'd put together a compilation of all that I know about in case there are others interested in following the action (when there is actual baseball being played!!). If there are any other social media or "GameCast" type sites for KingCo teams, please pass them along in an e-mail.

(FYI, in case you hadn't noticed, there is a link to all KingCo baseball web sites on the right hand side of the page - you can find a ton of information on many of these sites as well...)

Live Stats/Twitter Sites by Team:

3A
Bellevue
Twitter: @BHSBaseball

Lake Washington
Live play-by-play: http://www.gamechanger.io/t/spring-2011/lake-washington-2752173/home
Twitter: @KangsBaseball

Mercer Island
Live play-by-play: http://data.iscorecentral.com/iscorecast/player.html?c=68ed0b49c3
Twitter: @MIHSBaseball

Mount Si
Live play-by-play: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/team_home.html?seasonid=573&teamid=14738

4A
Redmond
Live play-by-play: http://data.iscorecentral.com/iscorecast/player.html?c=C014616BD6
Twitter: @RHSMustangBaseb

Roosevelt
Live play-by-play: http://www.gamechanger.io/team-126441?src=team_scoreboard

Skyline
Twitter: @spartabaseball

Weather Continues to Affect Schedule

2011-04-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

Another day, another set of rainouts - including a couple suspended games where rain, hail and even snow forced the postponement of games. Here's a look at what went down on a cold, wet Wednesday:

KingCo 3A
Bellevue 4, Interlake 1 - The Wolverines scored in each of the last three innings to make a winner out of sophomore Michael Raine, as they topped Interlake in their 3A opener, 4-1. Junior Jack Carlson was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and senior Bijan Dekhordi added two hits as well. Saints senior Griffin Sutich was the tough louck loser, victimized by a defense which made six errors. Junior Jake Wilson drove in the lone run on the night for Interlake. Both teams play make-up games on Thursday, with Bellevue taking on Mount Si and Interlake hosting Liberty.

Mercer Island 3, Mount Si 0 - game was suspended in the top of the 2nd inning...will be continued at a later date.

Rainouts: Lake Washington @ Liberty; Sammamish @ Juanita

KingCo 4A
Skyline 10, Issaquah 0 - Clayton Huber tossed five shutout innings and was 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI leading the Spartans to a six-inning 10-0 victory over Issaquah. Huber was joined by the "brothers Sinatro" in leading the Skyline attach, with both Jimmy and Matt Sinatro collecting two hits and two RBI. The Spartans scored in every inning but the second, pushing four runs across to end the game in the bottom of the sixth. Issaquah, which made 7 errors on the afternoon, drops to 1-3 in league play, while the boys in green even their record at 2-2.

Inglemoor 3, Roosevelt 0 - Senior right hander Dustin Doucette struck out seven in 5 2/3 shutout innings to lead the Vikings to a shutout win over Roosevelt in a game originally scheduled for last Friday. Doucette outdueled Roughrider ace David Holt, who allowed just 3 hits and 3 runs (2 earned), striking out 3 in five innings on the bump. Junior Blake Wilson drove in a run for Inglemoor, who had just three hits to Roosevelt's 2 on the afternoon. Reid Martinez had two hits and a stolen base in a losing effort for the 'Riders.

Woodinville 6, Ballard 1 - game suspended...will be continued at a later date.

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 2

2011-04-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 2: March 28 - April 2, 2011

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Zach Abbruzza, Sr., Redmond
For the second week running, Redmond senior Zach Abbruzza captures 4A player of the week honors. Though slowed a bit from his earlier torrid pace, Abbruzza is still setting the league ablaze. Against Crest Division foes Newport and Issaquah, Zach was 3-6 with two homeruns, 5 rbi, and 5 runs scored.

Also nominated: NONE

Pitcher of the Week: Cole Wiper, Sr, Newport
Senior right-hander Cole Wiper led the Newport Knights past the Skyline Spartans in a scintillating performance. The University of Oregon signee befuddled the Spartan hitters in a complete game shutout, only needing 83 pitches on the day. When all was said and done, Wiper struck out ten while only allowing two hits. In two KingCo starts, Wiper has yet to give up a run.

Also nominated: None

Crown Division
Player of the Week: No Nominations

Pitcher of the Week: Brian McAfee, Sr., Bothell
In one of the more dominating performances in recent memory, Bothell’s senior Brian McAfee stymied the Inglemoor Viking offense. Stretching the game to an extra frame as the two teams exchanged zeros, McAfee pitched all eight innings to earn the win. In those eight innings, he surrendered only two baserunners while striking out 14. It was his first KingCo win on the season.

Also nominated: None

Catching Up

2011-04-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

As mentioned previously, it has been near impossible to keep up with which games are being played and which ones are being postponed due to weather. I think I speak for all high school baseball fans in the area when I hope for a break in this weather soon!

Here are the games I know have been played over the past few days:

Monday Results

KingCo 4A
Bothell 3, Garfield 0 - Senior southpaw Kevin McShane tossed six shutout innings and junior Eric Woods drove in two runs as the Cougars completed their sweep of the Crown Division with a 3-0 win over Garfield on Monday. McShane allowed just three hits and two walks, collecting 8 strikeouts along the way. Eric Gregory pitched a scoreless seventh for the save. Garfield junior John Trupin was outstanding once again in defeat, allowing just 2 hits and 3 unearned runs while striking out 10 in a complete game. Bothell improves to 5-0 and will enjoy a bye on Tuesday before hosting Eastlake on Thursday night.

KingCo 3A
Lake Washingon 9, Sammamish 2 - Senior Bob Cruikshank allowed just two first inning runs in six strong innings and also homered to help his cause as the Kangs won their KingCo 3A debut, 9-2 over Sammamish. Cruikshank scattered 4 hits and 4 walks, striking out 3 in his 97 pitch effort. He finished the day 3-for-4, and got help from junior Zach Johnson (solo HR), sophomore Nick Johnson (double, 2 RBI) and junior Theo Alexander (2 RBI). Tyler Hormel was a perfect 2-for-2 with a walk for the Totems, who will look to bounce back when they travel to Juanita Wednesday night.

Tuesday Results

KingCo 4A
Redmond 11, Garfield 10 - The Mustangs jumped out huge early and hung on for dear life, as Garfield scored the final ten runs of the game to fall just a single run short, 11-10. Senior Zach Abbruzza continued his assault on the KingCo 4A conference, homering once again for Redmond. Junior Peter Hendron also homered and drove in three, while Michael Conforto (2-for-3, double, 3 RBI) and Peyton Lutz (3-for-3, double, 2 runs) contributed to the 'Stangs 11-hit attack. Zach Ward drove in two runs for the Bulldogs, and Ricky Nakamura chipped in with 2 hits and 2 runs scored. Redmond improves to 5-0 and will travel to Ballard Thursday before Monday's showdown at Hartman Park with Crown division leading Bothell.

Over the Weekend

KingCo 4A
Woodinville 8, Roosevelt 4 - Junior Marty Luckenbach punched out 6 and allowed just an earned run over four innings as Woodinville took down Roosevelt, 8-4. Falcon closer Kalei Kover shut out Roosevelt over the last 3 frames to earn the save. The Woodinville offense was led by TC Florentine (3-for-3, double) and Clarke Bader (3-for-3, 2 rbi). Carl Svanevik, Nate Wilham had 2 hits and Max Carter added 2 hits a piece to help lead the team to victory.

Inglemoor 6, Garfield 4 - The Vikings overcame four errors to even their record at 2-2 with a 6-4 win over Garfield. Obi Taylor, Emmett Maki and Alex Morrow combined on the victory, with Taylor and Blake Wilson adding 2 RBI. Chandler Honican and John Trupin each had 2 hits for the Bulldogs in defeat.

KingCo 3A - Season Preview

2011-04-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

KingCo 3A- Pre-Season Coaches Poll

1) Mount Si (3 first place votes) – 36.5 points

2) Lake Washington (2) – 36.5 points

3) Mercer Island – 32.5 points

4) Bellevue – 31 points

5) Liberty – 23.5 points

6) Sammamish – 22.5 points

7) Juanita – 17 points

8) Interlake – 14 points

Coaches were asked to rank their division in order of projected finish, excluding their own teams. 7 points were awarded for 1st, 6 for second and so on down to 1 point for 7th. Three teams did not vote.

________________________________________

Team Capsules (listed alphabetically)

Bellevue Wolverines

Head Coach: Jordan Nilsen (2nd year)

2010 Summary: 7-11 KingCo (5th), 9-15 overall, eliminated in KingCo playoffs

No information submitted from Bellevue.

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Interlake Saints

Head Coach: Marc Linn (1st year)

2010 Summary: 2-16 KingCo, 2-18 overall

No information submitted from Interlake.

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Juanita Rebels

Head Coach: Sherman Leach (1st year)

2010 Summary: 9-9 KingCo, 9-12 overall, eliminated in KingCo playoffs

No information submitted from Bellevue.

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Lake Washington Kangs

Head Coach: Derek Bingham (8th year, 93-46 career record)

2010 Summary: 7-9 KingCo 4A (T-4th Crown Division), 11-13 overall, eliminated in final round of KingCo 4A tourney

Returning starters: Theo Alexander (Jr – OF), Bob Cruikshank (Sr – SS/P), Spencer Jackson (Sr – P/IF), Zach Johnson (Jr – 1B/P), Kory Kohlwes (Sr – OF), Chris Moore (Sr – OF/P), Wesley Russell (Sr – IF/P)

Other returners: Victor Mayorquin (Jr – OF), Nori Shimizu (Sr – P/OF)

Top newcomers: Duke Fanning (Sr – P/IF), Nick Johnson (Soph – IF/P), Neil O’Connor (Sr – 1B/P), R.J. Rusch (Jr – C), Stevie Semler (Soph – C)

Season Outlook from Coach Bingham: LW is bringing back the majority of last year’s young team which peaked with a deep run in the KingCo 4A playoffs. The strengths of our team this year will be depth and senior leadership. With solid seasons from the returners, contributions from the newcomers and a little luck, the Kangs could be in the mix for a potential KingCo title run.

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Liberty Patriots

Head Coach: Steve Darnell (3rd year, 34-11 career record)

2010 Summary: 14-4 KingCo (T-1st), 14-6 overall, eliminated in KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Ryan Maio (Sr – P/3B/OF)

Other returners: Jacob Hofferber (Sr – P/1B), Jason Hubbard (Sr – SS), Ben Wessel (Jr – P/1B), Scott Zerda (Sr – OF)

Top newcomers: Mitch Askins (Sr – OF), Jack Brady (Jr – OF), Harrison Diemert (Sr – C), Blake Reeve (Jr – P/3B), Izak Styskal (Jr – OF/P), Chris Weik (Sr – 2B)

Season Outlook from Coach Darnell: Liberty graduated 13 seniors from the 2010 team, so 2011 presents opportunities for our returning varsity and last year’s junior varsity players. Ryan Maio, Jacob Hofferber, Blake Reeve and Harrison Diemert will be called upon to provide critical leadership. Competitiveness and sacrifice are hallmarks of any successful team and this year’s Patriots have a unique competitive spirit that enables them to make sacrifices for the good of the team. These attributes will serve them well in the KingCo 3A/2A League where many teams will be battling it out to make the playoffs and earn one of the state playoff berths.

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Mercer Island Islanders

Head Coach: Cory Smith (2nd year, 18-7 career record)

2010 Summary: 14-4 KingCo (T-1st), 18-7 overall, KingCo tournament champions, eliminated in State quarterfinals

Returning starters: Max Dammeier (Jr – P/1B), Ben Emanuels (Sr – UTIL), George Jiranek (Sr – P/OF), Cameron Ogard (Jr – C/DH), David Oppenheim (Jr – OF), Jordan Richartz (Sr – OF), Evan Thompson (Sr – IF)

Other returners: Connor Perryman (Sr – OF/P), Derek Eng (Sr – 1B/P)

Top newcomers: Hunter Goldberg (Jr – P/IF), Brian Higgins (Soph – C/OF), Nick Holstead (Jr – IF), Isak Morris (Soph – P/OF), Phil Pugel (Jr – P/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Smith: With 7 returning starters, including two proven starting pitchers, the Islanders should challenge for the KingCo titie and advance to the State Playoffs for the second straight year.

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Mount Si Wildcats

Head Coach: Elliott Cribby (1st year)

2010 Summary: 14-4 KingCo (T-1st), 17-6 overall, eliminated in KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Max Brown (Sr – OF), Dustin Breshears (Sr – 2B), Shane Dixon (Sr – 3B), Reece Karalus (Jr – P/UTIL), Robb Lane (Sr – C), Trevor Lane (Jr – P/UTIL), Tim Proudfoot (Sr – SS)

Other returners: Ryan Atkinson (Jr – IF), Travis Hilleary (Sr – P), Trevor Taylor (Jr – P/UTIL)

Top newcomers: Daniel Besmer (Jr – OF), Justin Blenheim (Sr – OF/P), Andrew Dunklee (Sr – P), Justin Henak (Jr – IF/P), Hudson Luxich (Sr – P), Griffin McClain (Soph – P), Nate Sinner (Sr – OF), Zach Stevens (Sr – UTIL), Derek Welsh (Sr – P)

Season Outlook from Coach Cribby: Team returns 12 seniors. It builds off a KingCo 3A League title from 2010. With a new coaching change the team looks to continue its winning ways.

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Sammamish Totems

Head Coach: Tim Ahern (3rd year, 15-35 career record)

2010 Summary: 3-15 KingCo (6th), 6-19 overall, KingCo tournament runner-up, eliminated in district play-in game by 3A State champion O’Dea.

Returning starters: Navdeep Gill (Sr – UTIL), Ryan Hashimoto (Jr – P/OF), Paul Heywood (Jr – P/IF), Aaron Lawrenson (Sr – IF), Chris Strain (Sr – 1B), Craig Sweet (Sr – C)

Top newcomers: Michael Colombi (Jr – SS), Joe Giacchetti (Fr – P/IF), Tyler Hormel (Jr – OF), Eric Nhan (Jr – OF), Jacob West (Jr – P)

Season Outlook from Coach Ahern: SHS baseball looking to build off last years strong finish. Returning majority of the lineup from a season ago, most complete program top to bottom seen in Ahern’s 3 years at SHS.

Opening Day for KingCo 3A

2011-04-04T11:50:00.001-07:00

Been hard to keep track of which games have been played and which are still outstanding from last week's rainouts. Please shoot me an e-mail with any updates I am missing, as I'm still trying to get caught up.

Today brings the league openers for all 8 teams in the KingCo 3A/2A divisions. It also brings with it more rain (surprise). Already rain has moved the Sammamish - Lake Washington tilt to Sammamish HS at 4:30 PM. Other changes are likely as well. Here's the opening day schedule:

KingCo 3A/2A - Monday, April 4
Bellevue @ Mount Si, 4:30 PM (Mt. Si HS)
Interlake @ Liberty, 4:30 PM (Liberty HS)
Lake Washington @ Sammamish, 4:30 PM (Sammamish HS)
Juanita @ Mercer Island, 6:00 PM (Island Crest Park)

Playing Between the Raindrops

2011-04-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Three 4A league games were played yesterday amidst the rainy weather that has plagued the Seattle area this week.

Crest Division

Redmond 12, Issaquah 1 - Five different Mustangs homered, including 2 from Week 1 Player of the Week Zach Abbruzza, as Redmond remained unbeaten in league play with a 12-1 win over Issaquah. Junior Peter Hendron was the winner, striking out six in three shutout innings. Dylan Davis, Jake Levin and Patrick McGrath were the other Mustangs to hit home runs, helping the team jump out to an 9-0 lead after 2 innings of play. Abbruzza's tear continued, as he drove in 5 more runs to bring his season total to 15 in four league games. Gavin Schumacher drove in the lone Eagles run.

Newport 5, Skyline 0 - Cole Wiper shutout the Spartans, striking out 10 in a complete game 5-0 Newport victory. The University of Oregon signee allowed just 2 hits and 3 walks in keeping Skyline off the board and needing just 83 pitches to do it. The senior also added two hits and an RBI, while junior Nate Anderson chipped in with a triple and two runs scored. Daniel Altchech and Jared Fisher each had two hits for Newport, who improved to 2-1 on the season. Clayton Huber was 2-for-3 in defeat for the Spartans.

Crown Division

Bothell 6, Ballard 5 - The Cougars scored four runs in a decisive sixth inning to come back from a 5-2 deficit to stay unbeaten with a 6-5 win over Ballard. Senior shortstop John Mercer was 2-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBI to help make a winner out of Eric Gregory. Ben Welch (2-for-3, double, 3 runs) and Frank Airey (2-for-3, RBI) led a 10-hit Beaver attack. Bothell will look to complete the sweep of the Crown Division on Friday when they travel to Garfield HS to take on the Bulldogs.

Cougars, 'Stangs Remain Unbeaten

2011-03-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Apologies for getting Monday's recaps up late - been distracted by the sun and 80 degree temps in Tucson :)

Two teams remain unbeaten in KingCo play after three games, with Bothell and Redmond leading their respective divisions early on...

Crest Division
Redmond 4, Newport 3 - In a matchup of two highly-touted arms, it was the bullpens that made the difference in Redmond's 4-3 win over Newport. Nick Rothermel and Michael Conforto shut out the Knights over the final four frames, with Conforto striking out the side in the seventh to preserve the win. Redmond touched up UW-bound starter Jared Fisher for 4 runs on 4 hits and six walks over five innings, tagging him with the loss. Oregon State signee Dylan Davis left with the lead, allowing 3 earned on a hit in three innings, but did not factor in the decision as he didn't complete four innings. Rothermel was the winning pitcher, scattering a hit and two walks in three scoreless innings of work.

Skyline 9, Eastlake 1 - Connor Gilchrist and Travis Snider combined on a four-hitter as the Spartans beat cross-town rival Eastlake, 9-1. Skyline collected 11 hits on the day and were led by the trio of Snider (2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI), Clayton Huber (2-3, 2 doubles, 3 RBI) and Jimmy Sinatro (3-for-4, double, RBI). Snider earned the save, pitching three scoreless innings while striking out four to close out the Wolves, who were led offensively by the two hits of John Armour. Week 1 KingCo 4A Crest Division pitcher of the week Andrew Stull was touched up in defeat.

Crown Division
Bothell 3, Inglemoor 0 (8 inn.) - Senior right hander Brian McAfee pitched a game for the ages, going all eight innings allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out 14, as Bothell continued their hot start with a 3-0 win over rival Inglemoor. The game was scoreless through 7 innings, with Inglemoor seniors Dustin Doucette and Alex Morrow matching McAfee's zeroes. Dain Gilbert drove in a run in the Cougars three-run top of the eighth.

Ballard 5, Roosevelt 4 - Brendan Foor was 4-for-4 with a double and Steven Weber was 2-for-4 with an RBI as the Beavers scored twice in the 6th and twice in the 7th for a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Roosevelt. The Roughriders were cruising behind starter David Holt, leading 4-1 headed into the bottom of the sixth inning. However, Ballard kept pressing, walking off with a victory in the bottom of the seventh.

Woodinville 9, Garfield 4 - Sophomore Doug Sullivan was 3-for-3 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI as the Falcons scored 4 runs in the third and another 4 in the sixth en route to a 9-4 win over Garfield. Spencer Greer picked up his second win in as many starts, allowing 5 hits and 2 earned runs over four innings of work. The junior right hander also drove in two runs to help his cause, while Nate Wilham finished the night 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored. Four Bulldogs had two hits - Chandler Honican, John Trupin, Hank Droege and Hayes Gorecki - in the loss.

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 1

2011-03-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 1: March 21 - 26, 2011

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Zach Abbruzza, Sr., Redmond
Gonzaga signee Zach Abbruzza has been on a tear all season. The first week of Kingco play was no different as he was 6-7 in a two game week with four of his six hits going for extra bases. He finished the week with two triples, two homeruns, and 10 RBI. Through seven total games, Zach is hitting .714 with 4 HR’s and 24 RBI.

Also nominated: NONE

Pitcher of the Week: Andrew Stull, Jr., Eastlake
Eastlake junior Andrew Stull threw five excellent innings against the Issaquah Eagles. On the day, the right-hander only walked one while striking out three. All three runs scored against Stull were unearned, resulting in a tough luck loss for the junior.

Also nominated: Dylan Davis, Redmond

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Zach Naon, Jr., Roosevelt
Zach Naon receives player of the week honors for the Crown division after a brilliant two game offensive display against Bothell and Garfield. In this first week of KIngCo play, the Roosevelt junior hit .571 going 4-for-7 with a grand slam, 2 doubles, and 6 RBI's. He also stole a base and scored three runs. In total, Naon is slugging .611 with a .333 batting average on the year.

Also nominated: Brian McAfee, Bothell

Pitcher of the Week: Spencer Greer, Jr., Woodinville
Against a highly potent Inglemoor offense, the Woodinville junior pitched himself into Crown Division Pitcher of the Week honors. Greer threw six outstanding innings only allowing one unearned run while striking out eight. The performance led the falcons to a 5-1 win over the rival Vikings.

Also nominated: John Trupin, Garfield

KingCo Blog & the Seattle Times

2011-03-25T20:33:00.001-07:00

Mason Kelley from the Seattle Times and I sat down this afternoon to chat about KingCo Baseball, teams from around the state, playoff baseball and the origin of the blog. The video can be viewed below:

I'd like to thank Mason for his time this afternoon and his year-round coverage of high school sports in the area. He does a tremendous job helping get these student-athletes the credit and exposure they deserve. You can check out all of Mason's work on the Seattle Times High School Sports blog and follow him on Twitter @MasonKelley.

First Week of 4A League Play in the Books

2011-03-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Early leaders emerged on Thursday, with Bothell and Redmond both winning key divisional games to stay unbeaten.

4A Crest Division
Redmond 5, Skyline 3 - Senior Zach Abbruzza continued his tear through the first week of KingCo play, homering twice and driving in three runs as Redmond improved to 2-0 in KingCo with a hard-fought 5-3 win over Skyline. Abbruzza, who was 4-for-4 with 7 RBI in Tuesday's win, picked up right where he left off. A two-run blast in the first inning matched the Spartans total in the top of the frame and junior Patrick McGrath tripled home two runs in the third to put the Mustangs ahead for good. Abbruzza added his second home run of the night, providing an insurance run in the fifth inning and all but locking up KingCo 4A Player of the Week honors. Skyline was led once again by the duo of senior Nate Litka (2-for-4, double, 2 RBI) and junior Matt Sinatro (1-for-3, double). 'Stang starter T.J. Whidby recovered from a rough first inning to pick up the win, allowing just the two runs in four innings of work. Senior Michael Conforto struck out the side in the seventh to earn the save, and also had 2 of the Mustang 6 hits on the night. Redmond will take on Newport in a huge divisional clash on Monday.

Issaquah 3, Eastlake 2 - Junior right hander Andrew Kemmerer chipped in on the mound and at the plate for the Eagles, as they notched their first win of the season 3-2 over Eastlake. Kemmerer scattered three hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings before handing the ball to junior Cole Westover, who slammed the door on the Wolves. Kemmerer also doubled and drove in one of the Eagle runs. Andrew Stull was the tough luck loser, allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. John Armour doubled and drove in both Eastlake runs, keeping his team in the game until the end.

4A Crown Division
Roosevelt 9, Garfield 8 - Junior Zach Naon's grand slam sparked a 6-run fourth inning as the Roughriders evened their KingCo record at 1-1 with a 9-8 win over Garfield. Roosevelt trailed 5-2 headed into the decisive frame where they took a lead they would not relinquish. The Bulldogs fought back to within a run with 2 runs in the top of the seventh, but Spencer Maniccia got the final two outs to save the 'Riders win. Eli Mathieu was 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI to help lead Roosevelt to victory. Zach Ward starred in defeat, finishing the day 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI.

Inglemoor 9, Ballard 2 - Senior Connor Savage and junior Perry Pipkin each had three hits in Inglemoor's 16-hit attack as they responded from an opening day conference loss to top the Beavers, 9-2. Senior Emmett Maki was the winning pitcher, tossing 5 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits before handing the ball to junior Lucas Wimmer for the final two frames. Seniors Peter Meuisi and Adam Mosebar each homered, with Mosebar driving in four runs on the afternoon. Ballard's Oliver Guarino provided half of his team's offense with a solo home run in the sixth.

Bothell 5, Woodinville 2 - Sam Lee and Brian McAfee each drove in two runs in a 5-run fifth inning as the Cougars took an early lead in the Crown Division with a 5-2 victory over the rival Falcons. Lee's 2 RBI came on a home run, helping the Cougars in the only inning they would score. Senior southpaw Kevin McShane was the winning pitcher, with Henry Baillargeon surviving a late Woodinville rally for the save. The Falcons loaded the bases with just one out in the final frame, but could not overcome the three-run deficit. Junior T.C. Florentine's two-run home run provided the only Woodinville offense on the day, as they dropped to 1-1 in KingCo play.

Non-League Scores
Mercer Island 10, Franklin 0

KingCo 4A Opening Day

2011-03-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

League play started on Tuesday for the 4A clubs, with 10 of the league's 11 teams opening with a conference opponent. Pitching was the theme of the day, as most clubs sent their aces to the hill to try and start the season off with a win. Four of the five league contests saw the winning team allow just one run or less, and we saw a couple dramatic finishes.

4A Crest Division
Redmond 12, Eastlake 1 - Gonzaga-bound Zach Abbruzza went off for the Mustangs, driving in 7 runs while going a perfect 4-for-4 with two triples as Redmond opened league play with a 12-1 win over the Wolves of Eastlake. Jake Levin was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and 3 runs scored and Connor Bozman was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored, helping pace the 12-hit attack. The Stangs scored in every inning but the fourth, with 6 different players driving in runs. Dylan Davis picked up the win, allowing just a hit and an earned run over four innings. Peyton Lutz and Thomas Crosley pitched shutout innings to close things out.

Newport 1, Issaquah 0 - Senior catcher Daniel Altchech drove in the winning run on an infield ground ball with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to squeak the Knights past their rival Eagles, 1-0. The opening KingCo game for both clubs was a classic pitcher's duel, with Cole Wiper and Jared Fisher combining to keep Issaquah off the scoreboard all day. Wiper got a no-decision, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks over 5, striking out 8. He also wiggled out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the fifth inning. Fisher allowed just a hit over the final two frames and earned the win thanks to the seventh inning heroics. Ethan Kalin and Scott Boydston matched every zero of Newport's division 1 combo on the mound until the final inning. Nate Anderson was 2-for-4 for Newport, while senior second baseman Gavin Schumaker had two of Issaquah's 3 hits on the day.

4A Crown Division
Garfield 3, Ballard 1 - Junior John Trupin went the distance for the Bulldogs, scattering seven hits and allowing just one earned run as Garfield won their opener, 3-1 over Ballard. Spencer Scott's two-run single in a three-run sixth inning gave the Bulldogs the lead for good, as Trupin held off the Beavers in the seventh inning. Sophomore infielder Chandler Honican was 2-for-2 with a run scored and Trupin added a hit and an RBI for Garfield. Sophomore Ryan Kangas was 2-for-3 with a double and drove in the lone Ballard run. However, Kangas took the loss in relief, allowing all three runs in the sixth inning after starter Danny Thompson had held the 'Dogs at bay over the first four innings.

Bothell 7, Roosevelt 6 - The Cougars scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh to walkoff on the Roughriders Tuesday, 7-6. Bothell used a four-run fifth inning to take a 5-2 lead into the seventh. However, Roosevelt would not quit, scoring 4 runs of their own in the top of the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. The Cougars answered the call, plating the tying and go ahead runs in the bottom half of the frame to escape with a victory. Brian McAfee, Mitchell Viydo and Brad Monson each drove in two runs for Bothell with Viydo collecting three hits on the day. The Roughriders were led by Zach Naon (3-for-4, 2 RBI), Jack Brennan (2-for-4) and Eli Mathieu (2-for-3, 2 runs). Brady Mickelson was the winning pitcher, pitching the final two-thirds of the top of the seventh with a strikeout.

Woodinville 5, Inglemoor 1 - Junior right hander Spencer Greer struck out 8 over 6 one-hit innings and senior Carl Svanevik was 2-for-2 as the Falcons got an opening day KingCo victory, 5-1 over the defending Crown division champion Vikings. Greer took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, with his only run allowed being an unearned run in the sixth. Junior Cody Bauman struck out the side in the seventh to secure the win. Senior Sean Sellers had two walks and an RBI, while sophomore Caleb Hamilton doubled and drove in a run. Junior Blake Wilson drove in the lone score for Inglemoor. Woodinville will travel to Bothell for a matchup of 1-0 teams on Thursday night.

From here on out on the blog, the focus will be on league games. With KingCo 4A play starting up yesterday and 3A soon to follow, we have plenty to keep up with. As time allows, I will list scores from non-league contests (as seen below)...

Non-League Scores
Mount Si 11, Skyline 5
Mountlake Terrace 5, Mercer Island 2

First State Baseball Rankings

2011-03-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

The first Seattle Times high school baseball rankings have been released and the KingCo conference is well represented. Two teams crack the top 10 in each of the polls, with another eight "on the bubble."

At the 4A level, preseason Crest Division favorite Redmond comes in at #3, with Newport just one spot behind the Mustangs at #4. Bothell, Inglemoor, Issaquah, Skyline and Woodinville find themselves on the watch list.

For 3A, defending KingCo tournament champion Mercer Island opens the season at #5, with 2010 co-champion Mount Si three spots further down at #8. Bellevue, Lake Washington & Liberty are the next group of teams looking to crack the polls.

References: Seattle Times HS Baseball Rankings

Monday Non-Leagues

2011-03-22T06:55:00.001-07:00

Just two KingCo teams were in action on Monday on the eve of KingCo 4A opening day...

Monday Results
Ballard 4, Seattle Lutheran 2 - In their final tuneup prior to league play, the Beavers used a four-run fourth inning to top Seattle Lutheran, 4-2. Sophomore Frank Airey was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while fellow soph Ryan Kangas drove in two of Ballard's four runs. Senior Parker Hanson was the winner on the bump, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs in his 4 innings of work. Ballard opens KingCo 4A play on Tuesday at Garfield HS.

Mount Si 15, Auburn Mountainview 2 - The Wildcats scored early and often, smashing 15 hits en route to a 15-2 five-inning rout of Auburn Mountainview. Seniors Max Brown, Tim Proudfoot and Nate Sinner each drove in three, with Brown and Proudfoot homering on the afternoon. Reese Karalus picked up the win to even his season record at 1-1.

KingCo 4A league play opens today with five matchups, including Newport and Issaquah renewing their long-time rivalry:

KingCo 4A Tuesday Openers
Ballard @ Garfield, 3:45 PM
Redmond @ Eastlake, 4:00 PM
Newport @ Issaquah, 4:00 PM
Roosevelt @ Bothell, 6:00 PM
Inglemoor @ Woodinville, 6:30 PM

KingCo 4A - Crest Division Preview

2011-03-21T23:01:00.001-07:00

Crest Division - Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1) Redmond (3 first place votes) - 15 points
2) Newport (2) - 14 points
3) Skyline - 9 points
4) Issaquah - 8 points
5) Eastlake - 4 points

Coaches were asked to rank their division in order of projected finish, excluding their own teams. 4 points were awarded for 1st, 3 for second and so on down to 1 point for 4th. One team did not vote.

Team Capsules (listed alphabetically)
Eastlake Wolves
Head Coach: Kevin Agnew (1st year)
2010 Summary: 1-15 KingCo (5th in Crest division), 1-18 overall

Returning starters: Casey Fithian (Jr - C), Connor Hanson (Sr - IF)

Other returners: Andrew Carey (Sr - OF), Alex Chen (Jr - OF), Alex Dean (Sr - P), Robert Nolan (Jr), Ethan Potter (Sr - P/OF), Andrew Stull (Jr - P)

Top newcomers: John Armour (Jr - OF/C), Nick Kassuba (Jr - IF/P), David Stariha (Sr - IF), Michael Staudinger (Soph - OF), Ryan Tucker (Sr - P)

Season Outlook from Coach Agnew: Our kids are working very hard and are excited to compete against their Kingco competition. We have an experienced group of pitchers and a nice mix of young position players. Casey Fithian will return as our starting catcher. He provides quality leadership for our team and we look to him for production as a middle order guy. Andrew Carey will lead our outfielders. He returns after a strong junior year and he is another guy that provides leadership and will be a middle order hitter. All together our team is working hard to prepare for the upcoming season. This year our league and our division are going to be extremely tough. Our kids are looking forward to the challenge and are ready to get going.

Issaquah Eagles
Head Coach: Rob Reese (18th year, 298-123 career record)
2010 Summary: 12-4 KingCo (T-1st in Crest division), 17-6 overall; Eliminated in KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Jake Bakamus (Jr - SS), Ben Rosellini (Sr - LF)

Other returners: Ethan Kalin (Jr - P/1B), Brandon Mahovlich (Jr- P/3B), Blake Miller (Jr - CF), Gavin Schumaker (Sr - 2B)

Top newcomers: Scott Boydston (Jr - P), Jack Gellatly (Fr - IF), Matt Gonn (Jr - P/OF), Ryan Guiberson (Soph - 1B/P), Andrew Kemmerer (Jr - P/C), David McIlvaine (Jr - IF), Trenton Nagasawa (Jr - IF), Danny Rawlings (Jr - OF/P), Justin Reynolds (Sr - 2B), Zach Walker (Soph - C), Cole Westover (Jr - P/3B)

Season Outlook from Coach Reese: Lost 13 seniors from 2010 team. Have only 3 seniors this year. Rebuilding year. Strong junior class but lack experience. Pitching depth could be a problem early.

Newport Knights
Head Coach: Hal DeBerry (2nd year)
2010 Summary: 11-5 KingCo (3rd in Crest division); Eliminated in KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Daniel Altchech (Sr - Util), Nate Anderson (Jr - CF), Nick Clifford (Sr - 1B/OF), Jared Fisher (Sr - RHP/1B), Billy Sahlinger (Jr - SS/RHP), Cole Wiper (Sr - RHP/IF)

Other returners: Brandon Richards (Sr - C), Eric Jensen (Sr - RHP), Lee Stoops (Sr - C)

Top newcomers: Ioannis Kritsonis (Jr - IF), Curtis Kojima (Jr - OF), Matt Murray (Sr - RHP/3B), Zak Holcomb (Sr - RHP/1B), Aaron Sandefur (Jr - 3B/RHP), Mason Paul (Jr - IF), Keith Van Court (Sr - OF/1B), Joseph Victor (Sr - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach DeBerry: The Knights return a solid nucleus of players from the 2010 campaign, with six returning position players who saw significant time last season. The pitching staff will be deep and experienced, with four returners who pitched last season. Pitching and defense are the strengths of the ball club; our offensive progression will be a key in where we finish in a very tough Crest Division.

Redmond Mustangs
Head Coach: Dan Pudwill (7th year, 104-37 career record)
2010 Summary: 12-4 KingCo (T-1st in Crest division), 19-6 overall; KingCo tournament champions, eliminated in State quarterfinals

Returning starters: Zach Abbruzza (Sr - P/IF), Michael Conforto (Sr - IF), Dylan Davis (Sr - P/OF), Peter Hendron (Jr - P/OF), Patrick McGrath (Jr - IF), T.J. Whidby (Sr - P/IF)

Other returners: Jake Levin (Sr - P/IF), Colin McBride (Sr - C/OF)

Top newcomers: Conner Bozman (Jr - OF), Peter Irvin (Sr - P)

Season Outlook from Coach Pudwill: We should be able to score runs this year. The key is to maintain consistency on the mound and solidify our defense. Hopefully, if we do those things, we can find a way out of Kingco and into the state tourney.

Skyline Spartans
Head Coach: Chris Tamminen (8th year)
2010 Summary: 7-9 KingCo (4th in Crest division), 12-12 overall; KingCo tournament runner-up, eliminated in first round of State

Returning starters: Weston Blackburn (Sr - IF), Zach Liddle (Sr - IF), Nate Litka (Sr - IF), Jimmy Sinatro (Jr - C)

Top newcomers: Connor Gilchrist (Jr - P/OF), Clayton Huber (Jr - P/1B), Matt Lunde (Jr - P), Brandon Lundenberg (Sr - P), Tyler Neudorfer (Sr - IF), Connor Reinerstein (Jr - OF), Travis Snider (Sr - P/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Tamminen: Have a good group of kids. Hope they learn quickly how they need to play at this level. A group that will get better as we go.

KingCo 4A - Crown Division Preview

2011-03-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

Crown Division - Pre-Season Coaches Poll

1) Inglemoor (4 first place votes) - 24 points

2) Woodinville (1) - 20 points

3) Bothell (1) - 19 points

T-4) Ballard - 11 points

T-4) Roosevelt - 11 points
6) Garfield - 6 points

Coaches were asked to rank their division in order of projected finish, excluding their own teams. 5 points were awarded for 1st, 4 for second and so on down to 1 point for 5th.

Team Capsules (listed alphabetically)

Ballard Beavers

Head Coach: John Lamm (3rd year, 10-29 career record)

2010 Summary: 6-10 KingCo (5th in Crown division)

Returning starters: Frank Airey (Soph - C), Brendan Foor (Sr - 3B/SS), Rory Graf-Brennen (Soph - 2B), Oliver Guarino (Sr - OF), Danny Thompson (Sr - P), Steven Weber (Jr - 1B)

Other returners: Eric Frank (Sr - P), Joe Jacobson (Soph - P), Ben Welch (Soph - SS)

Top newcomers: Stuart McGeorge (Soph - OF), Alex Stamey (Soph - 2B)

Season Outlook from Coach Lamm: We are still very young; if we can find a #2 pitcher we will be all right.

Bothell Cougars

Head Coach: Paul Moody (13th year at Bothell, 28th year in KingCo, 327-271 career record)

2010 Summary: 10-6 KingCo (2nd in Crown division), 17-8 overall; Lost to Kelso in winner-to-state district game

Returning starters: Henry Baillargeon (Sr - P), Dain Gilbert (Sr - 3B), Jordan Kynaston (Sr - P), Brian McAfee (Sr - P/3B/DH), Kevin McShane (Sr - P/1B), Jon Mercer (Sr - SS), Ryan Morgan (Sr - OF), Mitchell Viydo (Sr - 2B)

Other returners: Brad Monson (Sr - OF/P)

Top newcomers: Zach Anderson (Jr - 1B), Rex Carlin (Jr - P/OF), Zach Farmer (Sr - OF), Nik Gray (Jr - OF), Eric Gregory (Sr - OF), Jordan Johnson (Sr - C), Samuel Lee (Soph - C), Brady Mickelson (Jr - 2B/P), Mark Woods (Jr - SS)

Season Outlook from Coach Moody: Bothell returns a solid group of infielders and a couple of starting pitchers from last year. We hope to compete good enough to make the Kingco playoffs and with any luck move on to the state tournament.

Garfield Bulldogs

Head Coach: Chris Moedritzer (1st year head coach after 3 years as assistant)

2010 Summary: 5-11 KingCo (5th in Crest Division), 8-11 overall

Returning starters: Hayes Gorecki (Soph - P/UTIL), Chandler Honican (Soph - IF), Ruben Palmer (Sr - CF), Spencer Scott (Sr - P/C/3B), John Trupin (Jr - P/1B), Zach Ward (Jr - P/1B/LF)

Other returners: Hank Droege (Jr - P/1B), Liam McFeely (Jr - P/IF), Ian Zapolsky (Sr - P)

Top newcomers: Grant Bronsdon (Jr - OF), Cody Browne (Jr - OF), Valentino Coleman (Sr - P/3B), Collin Evenson (Jr - P/OF), Jordan Gipson (Sr - OF), Sam Kennard (Jr - C/IF), Joe Markman (Sr - C), Ricky Nakamura (Jr - OF/P), Joe Renner (Jr - P/3B), Charlie Tarnoff (Jr - P/IF)

Season Outlook from Coach Moedritzer: The Bulldogs hope to pick up where they left off after a strong finish to the 2010 season. A strong junior class leads the way with 11 Varsity players. Garfield has more pitching depth this year than it has traditionally had in the past, as well as a solid catcher and middle infield anchoring the defense. The offense lost a few big bats to graduation, but the returners have significantly improved their hitting in the offseason. The schedule figures to be different with Garfield switching from the Crest to the Crown division, but the goal of making the Kingco 4Apostseason tournament remains the same.

Inglemoor Vikings

Head Coach: Bryan McNaghten (4th year, 47-27 career record)

2010 Summary: 14-2 KingCo (Crown division champions), 18-5 overall; eliminated in KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Dustin Doucette (Sr - P), Mitchell Gonsolus (Sr - SS), Emmett Maki (Sr - P/1B), Peter Meuisi (Sr - 3B/OF), Conor Savage (Sr - OF), Obi Taylor (Sr - P/1B), Garrett Vandiver (Sr - OF/2B), Blake Wilson (Jr - C/OF)

Other returners: Alex Morrow (Sr - P/3B), Adam Mosebar (Sr - C)

Top newcomers: Ken Holen (Soph - OF), Sean Howard (Sr - P), Eric Rodgers (Sr - P), Lucas Wimmer (Jr - P/3B)

Season Outlook from Coach McNaghten: Senior led team untested in a couple key spots – success will be determined by ability to fill those spots. Pitching & senior leadership appears to be strengths of the Vikings.

Roosevelt Roughriders

Head Coach: Jason Bowie (4th year)

2010 Summary: 3-13 KingCo (6th in Crown division), 4-16 overall

Returning starters: Blair Davidson (Sr - C), Graylin Derke (Jr - P/3B), David Holt (Sr - P/IF), Tate Maider (Soph - C), Reid Martinez (Sr - P/IF/OF), Tim Moore (Sr - P/IF/OF), Zach Naon (Jr - OF), Cody Shaul (Jr - 1B)

Other returners: Jack Brennan (Sr - OF), Eli Mathieu (Sr - P/2B)

Top newcomers: Spencer Maniccia (Soph - P/1B), Anthony Laguardia (Soph - 2B)

Season Outlook from Coach Bowie: The Riders are welcoming back all three of their starting pitchers from last season. Those pitchers are part of the 8 of 9 overall position players returning from last year as well. Defense and pitching will be the key as the Riders try for their first playoff berth since joining the KingCo in 1997. With some senior leadership and good pitching, Roosevelt has their best chance ever to secure a playoff berth this season.

Woodinville Falcons

Head Coach: Terry Agnew (20th year)

2010 Summary: 8-8 KingCo (3rd place in Crown division), 12-8 overall

Returning Varsity players: Clarke Bader (Jr - C), Shea Donlin (Jr - SS), T.C. Florentine (Jr - OF), Spencer Greer (Jr - P), Ryland Longoni (Sr - OF), Sean Sellers (Sr - 3B), Doug Sullivan (Sr - C/1B), Carl Svanevik (Sr - OF), Beau Vintertun (Jr - 2B)

Top newcomers: Cody Bauman (Jr - P), Max Carter (Jr - OF), Caleb Hamilton (Soph - P/IF), Kalei Kover (Sr - P), Matt Laitala (Jr - IF), Marty Luckenbach (Jr - P), Stephan White (Soph - P), Nate Wilham (Jr - IF/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Agnew: Woodinville has a good group of players returning to the team this year.

Catching Up...

2011-03-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

Busy weekend for the blog...apologies for missing the late week action. A quick look at games played on Thursday - Saturday is below:

Thursday Results

Kentridge 8, Issaquah 0

- no highlights available

Mt. Rainier 3, Skyline 1

- Nate Litka (Skyline - Senior) - 1-for-2, double

- Brandon Lunderbert (Skyline - Senior) - 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 Ks

Garfield 21, Franklin 4

- Spencer Scott (Garfield - Senior) - 4-for-5, 3 runs scored

- Ruben Palmer (Garfield - Senior) - 3-for-5, double, 4 RBI, 4 runs scored

- Chandler Honican (Garfield - Soph) - 2-for-4, 4 RBI

- Colin Evenson (Garfield - Junior) - Win, 4 IP, 4 Ks

Ballard 6, Interlake 1

- Danny Thompson (Ballard - Senior) - Win, 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 Ks

- Alex Stamey (Ballard - Soph) - 2-for-3

Friday Results

Inglemoor 16, Juanita 1

- Inglemoor - nine-run first inning

- Blake Wilson (Inglemoor - Junior) - 4-for-4, 2 doubles, 3 RBI

- Adam Mosebar (Inglemoor - Senior) - 3-run HR

- Garrett Vandiver (Inglemoor - Senior) - 3 runs scored

Skyline 11, Kentwood 3

- Nate Litka (Skyline - Senior) - 2-for-3, double, 2 RBI

- Matt Sinatro (Skyline - Junior) - 2-for-4, RBI

- Matt Lunde - (Skyline - Junior) - Win, 5 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks

Mercer Island 16, Garfield 2

- Brian Higgins (MI - Soph) - 3-for-3, 4 RBI

- David Oppenheim (MI - Junior) - 2-for-2, double, 3 runs, 2 RBI

- Jordan Richartz (MI - Senior) - 2-for-3, triple, 2 runs

- Evan Thompson (MI - Senior) - 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs

- Spencer Scott (Garfield - Senior) - 2-for-3

Liberty 8, Issaquah 4

- Jacob Hofferber (Liberty - Senior) - Win, 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R

- Ryan Maio (Liberty - Senior) - 2-for-2, RBI, run

- Ben Wessel (Liberty - Junior) - 1-for-3, double, RBI

- Justin Reynolds (Issaquah - Senior) - 2-for-2, solo HR

Sammamish 4, Ballard 1

- Paul Heywood (Sammamish - Junior) - Win, 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER)

- Joe Giacchetti (Sammamish - Freshman) - Save, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 Ks

Saturday Results

Moses Lake 5, Roosevelt 2

- Graylin Derke (Roosevelt - Junior) - 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI

Roosevelt 12, Graham-Kapowsin 11

- Graylin Derke (Roosevelt - Junior) - Winning Pitcher; triple, RBI

- Tim Moore (Roosevelt - Senior) - triple, 2 RBI

Kelso 10, Issaquah 4

- no highlights available

Bothell 5, O'Dea 1

- Henry Baillargeon (Bothell) - Win, 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 Ks

- Brian McAfee (Bothell) - 3-for-3, RBI, 2 runs

- Mitchell Viydo (Bothell) - 2-for-3, 2 RBI

Newport 8, Kelso 0

- Billy Sahlinger (Newport - Junior) - Win, 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 Ks

- Jared Fisher (Newport - Senior) - 1-for-4, double, 2 RBI

- Curtis Kojima (Newport - Junior) - 1-for-2, 2 RBI

Shorewood 3, Inglemoor 0

- Kevin Moriarty (Shorewood) - 4 IP, 1 H, 4 BB, 7 Ks

- Conner McKeever (Shorewood) - 1-for-3, RBI; Save, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R

Southridge 20, Redmond 2

- Mike McAdie (Southridge) - 3-for-4, 4 RBI

- Matt Mendenhall (Southridge) - 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI

- Bryce Jackson (Southridge) - 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI

Southridge 15, Redmond 5

- Matt Mendenhall (Southridge) - Hit for the cycle, 4 RBI, 3 runs

- A.J. Henderson (Southridge) - 2-for-3, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 3 runs

Wednesday Wrap

2011-03-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday saw a bit of a bounce back by the KingCo 3A teams, as they picked up a couple wins against formidable 4A opponents:

Wednesday Results
Mercer Island 2, Newport 0 - In a game between presumed title contenders from both leagues, junior Max Dammeier outdueled senior and University of Oregon bound Cole Wiper to lead Mercer Island to a 2-0 win. Dammeier allowed just a hit and two walks, striking out six in five innings of work to pick up the win. Fellow junior Hunter Goldberg worked the final two innings for the save, striking out two in the process. Junior Nick Holstead and senior George Jiranek each were 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Islanders, who scored single runs in the 2nd and 7th inning. Junior Billy Sahlinger doubled for Newport in the loss.

Mount Si 8, Bothell 2 - Trevor Lane helped his Wildcats respond to an opening day loss, leading Mount Si to an 8-2 win over Bothell. The junior started and pitched the first five innings, allowing just an unearned run on three hits while striking out four. Lane along with senior second baseman Dustin Breshears homered for the Wildcats, who bounced back nicely from an 11-1 loss at the hands of Redmond on Monday. Tim Proudfoot and Reece Karalus each had two hits, while Max Brown doubled and drove in two to pace the Mount Si offensive attack. Bothell, which opened their season with an extra-inning win over Bellevue on Monday, was led by John Mercer and Sam Lee, who each had doubles. Kevin McShane took the loss for the Cougars.

Redmond 5, Juanita 2 - Juniors Adam Cline and Peyton Lutz combined on a 5-hitter as the Mustangs beat the Rebels 5-2 at Hartman Park on Wednesday night. Coming off an 11 run performance in the opener, the bats were a little quieter for Redmond thanks to Juanita senior starter Brick Kawabata who kept the Stangs off balance. Senior Zach Abbruzza was 2-for-2 with an RBI, with T.J. Whidby, Connor Bozman, Nick Rothermel and Jake Levin each driving in a run as well. Cline was the winning pitcher, allowing 4 hits and 2 earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. Lutz worked the final 2 2/3, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out three in earning the save. Brian Nolan had two of Juanita's five hits on the evening, finishing the night 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Woodinville 7, Monroe 6 - Junior Beau Vintertun's walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning sent the Falcons home victorious, winning a non-league game 7-6 over Monroe. Woodinville jumped out early with 2 runs in the first and 3 more in the third. Senior and Oregon State bound Marty Luckenbach started and allowed just an unearned run over three innings of work. Monroe would score a run in the third and explode for five in the fourth to grab a 6-5 lead. The Falcons tied the game in the bottom of the fourth and won it with Vintertun's heroics in the seventh. Senior Carl Svanevik was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and C.J. Florentine finished with 2 hits for Woodinville, who is off to a 2-0 start.

Eastlake 7, Glacier Peak 1 - A six-run fifth inning broke open a tight game, as Eastlake doubled their win total from a season ago with a 7-1 win over Glacier Peak. Junior Andrew Stull was the winning pitcher for the Wolves, working four shutout innings allowing just one hit. Seniors Evan Young and Alex Dean finished things off, allowing a single run over the final three frames. Nick Kassuba, Connor Hanson and Andrew Corey each had two hits as part of the Wolves' 13-hit attack. Scott Ford and Tim Peruchini doubled in a losing effort for GP.

Liberty 2, Auburn Mountainview 1 - The Patriots scored single runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings and held on for a 2-1 win over the Lions of Auburn Mountainview.

Totems Win 3A/4A Clash with Garfield

2011-03-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

There was just one lone game played on Tuesday involving KingCo 3A/4A teams:

Sammamish 7, Garfield 6 - The Totems survived a 6-run fourth inning by the Bulldogs, picking up their second win in as many days, 7-6 over Garfield. Sammamish jumped out to an early 5-0 lead keyed by a two-run single by Craig Sweet. However, Zach Ward sparked Garfield's 6-run outburst in the fourth with a three-run double, putting his Bulldogs ahead 6-5. Sammamish jumped back ahead with a couple unearned runs in the fifth and relief pitcher Jacob West did the rest, holding Garfield scoreless over the final three frames to preserve the win. Sweet finished the day 4-for-4 with the 2 RBI and amazingly has not been retired in his first two games. The Sammamish first baseman has started the season 7-for-7, driving in 4 runs in the process. Chris Strain chipped in with 2 hits, a double and an RBI for Sammamish. Joe Renner took the loss for Garfield despite not allowing an earned run in 1 2/3 innings of work.

One late result from Monday to report:

Sammamish 6, Hazen 4 - The Totems used a 3-run sixth inning to overcome a 4-3 deficit and top Hazen, 6-4. Craig Sweet led the way offensively, going 3-for-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Michael Colombi was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Aaron Lawrenson doubled for Sammamish, who starts the season out with a W. Joe Giacchetti tossed three shutout innings in relief of starter Paul Heywood to earn the victory.

Opening Monday

2011-03-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

In what was opening night for many of the KingCo 3A/4A teams, the upper division flexed their muscles, winning all of the non-league contests pitting 3A & 4A teams.

Monday Results
Redmond 11, Mt. Si 1 - Highly touted senior Dylan Davis lived up to the preseason hype in the opener, homering twice and driving in 5 in the Mustangs 11-1 win over Mt. Si on opening night. Davis hit 2-run home runs in both the first and third innings, and later added a bases loaded walk and a double, which was a couple feet away from home run #3 of the night. In addition to his work at the plate, Davis (who is signed to play at Oregon State University next season) also picked up the win on the mound, tossing 4 innings allowing just one unearned run while striking out three. Fellow senior and Gonzaga signee Zach Abbruzza broke the game open with a bases-clearing three run double in the bottom of the 5th. Senior T.J. Whidby worked two perfect innings in relief of Davis, striking out 3 of the six batters he faced.

Eastlake 6, Interlake 2 - In coach Kevin Agnew's Eastlake coaching debut, his Wolves used early runs and solid pitching to lead them past Interlake, 6-2. Alex Dean started on the mound for Eastlake and was impressive, striking out five in three shutout innings. David Stariha provided the offensive punch, picking up a double and a triple on the day. Sophomore Sam Finfer doubled and scored both runs for Interlake.

Bothell 4, Bellevue 3 (8 inn.) - In a hotly contested opening game, Bothell was able to prevail, pushing the winning run across in the bottom of the 8th inning for a 4-3 win over Bellevue. The two schools known for their football prowess, staged quite possibly the best game of Monday's slate. Bellevue took an early lead with a single run in the third. Bothell responded with 3 fourth inning runs, two coming on a double by senior Brian McAfee. The Wolverines tied the game with two runs in the top of the fifth, but could never get back on top. Brady Mickelson pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win, while Dain Gilbert added two hits for the Cougars.

Inglemoor 10, O'Dea 3 - The Vikings made a statement in their season opener, scoring in 5 of their 6 offensive innings en route to a 10-3 rout of defending 3A state champion O'Dea. Senior Dustin Doucette allowed just a single run in three innings of work in his opening night start. Senior infielder and Gonzaga-bound Mitchell Gonsolus tripled twice and drove in four, and also got help from Emmett Maki (2-run double) and junior Blake Wilson (2 hits, 2 RBI). The senior trio of Maki, Obi Taylor and Alex Morrow worked the final four innings in relief, holding the high-powered Irish in check.

Newport 7, Eastside Catholic 2 - Senior and University of Washington signee Jared Fisher stole the show in the Knights opener, striking out four in four hitless innings while going 2-3 with a triple and 4 RBI as Newport downed Eastside Catholic, 7-2. Junior Nate Anderson was 3-3 with an RBI and two runs scored for Newport, which was hosting their annual opener at Husky Ballpark.

Bishop Blanchet 11, Ballard 5 - The Beavers were the lone KingCo 4A team in action to lose on Monday, dropping an 11-5 decision to Bishop Blanchet. Oliver Guarino led the way for Ballard, going 2-3 with a double and an RBI. Caleb Jaeger was the losing pitcher, allowing two runs in just two-thirds of an inning.

Woodinville 7, Juanita 0 - Junior Spencer Greer and senior Kalei Kover combined on a 6-hit shutout, as the Falcons opened their season with a 7-0 win over the Rebels of Juanita. Greer started and picked up the win, striking out 6 in his 4 innings of work. Kover worked the final three frames, striking out four and picking up the save. Woodinville's offense was led by senior Carl Svanevik, who was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. The Falcons were also aggressive on the basepaths, swiping six bags in as many tries. Jyran McNairy doubled for Juanita in the loss.

Rainouts - Kentridge @ Issaquah, Mercer Island @ Garfield

Jamborees, Non-League Games on the Horizon

2011-03-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

We are now two weeks into the baseball season, which means it is jamboree time for many of the KingCo 3A and 4A teams. A couple 4A teams got a head start on things, opening their non-league slates on Friday. It would appear that pitching is definitely ahead of hitting at this point in the season, with both games involving KingCo teams turning out to be low scoring contests.

Friday's Scores

Roosevelt 1, Bishop Blanchet 0

Eastside Catholic 3, Skyline 2

Monday starts a heavy non-conference week chock-full of 3A/4A crossover games. 13 games will be played next week pitting 3A schools against 4A schools. Five of those games are on Monday, highlighted by a matchup between two 2010 KingCo champions, when 3A co-champ Mount Si travels to Hartman Park to take on defending 4A champion Redmond.

Here's a quick look at next week's interleague games:

Monday, 3/14

Bellevue @ Bothell, 3:45 PM

Eastlake @ Interlake, 4:00 PM

Mercer Island @ Garfield, 4:00 PM

Mount Si @ Redmond, 6:00 PM (Hartman Park)

Juanita @ Woodinville, 6:30 PM

Tuesday, 3/15

Sammamish @ Garfield, 4:00 PM

Wednesday, 3/16

Mount Si @ Bothell, 3:45 PM

Mercer Island @ Newport, 4:00 PM

Redmond @ Juanita, 7:00 PM (Lee Johnson Field)

Thursday, 3/17

Ballard @ Interlake, 3:30 PM

Friday, 3/18

Issaquah @ Liberty, 3:45 PM

Juanita @ Inglemoor, 3:45 PM

Ballard @ Sammamish, 4:30 PM

Check in with the KingCo Baseball Blog all next week for updates on these contests as well as conference previews for both the 3A and 4A leagues.

KingCo Baseball Blog Expands Coverage

2011-02-24T13:32:00.000-08:00

The snow on the ground and the freezing temperatures can mean only one thing - high school baseball is nearly back! The first day of practice is next Monday (February 28th), with most team's having their jamboree scheduled for the weekend of March 12th. Non-league games start the following week, with conference play beginning shortly thereafter.

This season, the KingCo baseball blog will be expanding its coverage. We will continue to follow the teams and results of the 4A schools, but will also be covering the 3A league. There should be some tremendous baseball played this spring in both leagues, and we are excited to bring our perspective to our readers once again!

Stay tuned to the blog over the next few weeks for more news, including team previews and updates from around the world of KingCo baseball.

Crest Wins Annual Feeder Game

2010-06-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

June 3, 2010
Crown 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 --- 7 9 1
Crest 1 0 0 2 4 3 0 3 0 --- 13 15 0

Crown Battery:
Luke Taylor, Spencer Trautman (3), Trevor Dunlap (6), Spencer Brueske (8) and Ethan Yeo, Matt Stefansson (6).

Crest Battery:
Shane Yarnell, Jeff Gonzales (3), Ryan Beliel (5), Connor Lawhead (7), Joey Gale (9) and Devin O'Donnell, Peter Summerville (4), Ryan Beliel (7).

Winning Pitcher: Jeff Gonzales (Newport)
Losing Pitcher: Spencer Trautman (Inglemoor)

Crown Offensive Highlights:
Marc Dickerson (Inglemoor) - 1-3, 2 RBI
Matt Stefannson (Woodinville) - 3-3, 2 RBI
Luke Taylor (Woodinville) - 2-4, 2B, RBI

Crown Pitching Highlights:
Luke Taylor (Woodinville) - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 Ks

Crest Offensive Highlights:
Josh Bircher (Redmond) -1-3, 2B, run
Jack Jajewski (Garfield) - 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI
Matt Kimmel (Redmond) - 2-3
Sam Nasci (Eastlake) - 2-3, 2B, 2 runs
Sean Penberthy (Skyline) - 2-2, 4 RBI, 3-run HR in 6th
Spencer Rogers (Issaquah) - Grand Slam in 5th
Peter Summerville (Garfield) - 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 2-run HR in 4th

Crest Pitching Highlights:
Jeff Gonzales (Newport) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 Ks
Ryan Beliel (Redmond) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 12 pitches

Redmond Wins 2010 KingCo Title

2010-05-14T14:27:00.001-07:00

One KingCo team clinched a spot in the 4A state tournament, with two more having a chance to qualify on Saturday...

KingCo Championship: Redmond 6, Skyline 2
The Mustangs got home runs from Michael Conforto, Dylan Davis and Peter Herndon, as well as five strong innings from Davis on the mound to win the KingCo Championship, 6-2 over Skyline. Davis sputtered in the first, allowing 2 runs, but settled in after that, holding the Spartans hitless over his last four innings of work. Davis handed the ball to senior Ryan Beliel, who secured the win with two shutout innings. Redmond advances to the State tournament as the District 2/4 #1 seed, and will play at 10:00 am next Saturday (5/22) at Kent Memorial Park. Skyline will play a winner-to-state game against Evergreen HS from Vancouver this Saturday (5/15) at 2:00 pm at Woodinville HS.

KingCo Third Place Game: Bothell 5, Lake Washington 1
Senior Evan Hudson allowed just a run in six innings of work and Kevin McShane doubled and drove in 2 as the Cougars ended the Kangs season with a 5-1 win on Thursday afternoon. Lake Washington had their chances, but was only able to score a single run despite having 14 baserunners on the day. Kevin Knapp added two hits and an RBI for Bothell, who will travel to Kelso HS on Saturday with a state berth on the line. The game was the final one for Lake Washington in the KingCo 4A, as they will drop down to the 4A division starting in 2011.

Saturday (5/15) Schedule (Both games are winner to state, loser out)
Bothell (KingCo #3) @ Kelso (GSHL #1), 2:00 pm @ Kelso HS
Evergreen (GSHL #2) @ Skyline (KingCo #2), 2:00 pm - Woodinville HS

KingCo Final Four is Set

2010-05-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's loser-out games saw the end of the season for two teams, with four surviving to play on the final day of the KingCo tournament:

Bothell 12, Inglemoor 6 - A seven-run first inning sparked the Cougars, as they eliminated Inglemoor with a 12-6 win on Tuesday afternoon. Bothell blasted three home runs, with Kevin Knapp, Michael Marriott and Brian McAfee providing the fireworks. Knapp also doubled and drove in four, while Marriott and McAfee each had 3 RBI. The Vikings had battled back to close to within 2 after 5 innings, but Bothell added a single run in the 6th before Marriott's three-run opposite field homer in the top of the seventh put the game out of reach. Seniors Scott Meyers and Ethan Yeo had two hits a piece, with Meyers and junior Peter Meuisi driving in a pair of runs for Inglemoor. The Vikings fabulous season comes to an end, finishing with an overall record of 18-5 and a Crown Division championship. Bothell moves on to the loser's bracket championship on Thursday, where they will play for the right to travel to Vancouver for a winner-to-state game Saturday.

Lake Washington 7, Issaquah 3 - Junior Wesley Russell allowed just two runs in five innings of work and sophomore Theo Alexander homered and drove in two as the Kangs knocked out Issaquah with a 7-3 win in Tuesday's night cap. The Kangs used a balanced attack, with eight different players combining for 12 hits and seven guys scoring one run a piece. Bob Cruikshank, Alex Donnelly, Chris Moore and Colin Tremblay each had multi-hit games for Lake Washington, who will take on Bothell in Thursday's third-place game. For Issaquah, senior Spencer Rogers was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI and fellow senior Devin O'Donnell also had two hits and a double. The Eagles finish up their great season at 17-6.

The final day of KingCo 4A baseball for the 2010 season is set. Both the third place game and the KingCo championship will be played on Thursday at 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm respectively. The third place game pits Bothell and Lake Washington against one another for the third time this year. Bothell won the previous two meetings and will look to complete the sweep. The winner will travel to Vancouver on Saturday for a State play-in game against the winner of the GSHL championship game between the Evergreen Plainsmen (13-8) and the Kelso Hilanders (17-3).

The KingCo Championship game follows, with Skyline taking on Redmond. The Mustangs won both contests during the regular season, but will see a different Spartans team on Thursday night. Skyline has allowed just two runs in two games against the powerful offenses of Inglemoor and Issaquah. Meanwhile, Redmond defeated both participants in the third place game (Lake Washington & Bothell) to reach the tournament final. The winner will be the District 2/4 #1 seed to state, while the loser will host the GSHL runner-up on Saturday for a spot in the 4A State tournament.

Skyline, Redmond Advance to Title Game

2010-05-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

The KingCo tournament resumed Monday, with all eight playoff teams once again in action.

Winner's Bracket
Skyline 3, Issaquah 1 - The Spartans played giant killer once again on Monday, with senior Peyton Harrod one-hitting Issaquah in Skyline's 3-1 win. The victory moves the Spartans, who were 7-9 in the regular season, into Thursday night's KingCo championship game. Harrod, who missed the first half of the season with an arm injury, was masterful against the powerful Eagles lineup. He did not walk a single batter and struck out six, with the only blemish a solo home run by Issy senior Spencer Rogers. Senior Shane Yarnell was the tough luck loser, surrendering 3 unearned runs while striking out 8 in a complete game. Sean Penberthy was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored for Skyline, who is guaranteed at worse a play-in game with the Greater St. Helen's League runner up for a trip to the State tournament.

Redmond 4, Bothell 1 - Junior right hander Zach Abbruzza picked up where he left off in the regular season, dominating another potent lineup as Redmond moved into the KingCo Championship with a 4-1 win over Bothell. Abbruzza has been tough on the mound all year long and Monday night was no exception. He allowed just a run on 3 hits while striking out 8, going the distance in the Mustang victory. He was also 3-for-4 with a double, getting help from Dylan Davis and Patrick McGrath, who each chipped in with two hits of their own. Jon Mercer doubled and Ryan Morgan tripled for the Cougars, who face elimination in a loser-out game on Tuesday.

Loser's Bracket
Inglemoor 7, Woodinville 6 - In the first of two dramatic loser-out games on Monday, the Vikings prevailed with a 7-6 win over Woodinville. The game was a back-and-forth affair with Inglemoor's run in the bottom of the sixth proving to be the difference. Emmett Maki was 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and also picked up the win in relief for the Viks. Jake Dammrose finished his high school career going 3-for-4 with a triple. Woodinville's season comes to an end with the loss, while Inglemoor will take on Bothell Tuesday at 4:00 pm in another loser out game, this time at Woodinville HS.

Lake Washington 5, Newport 4 (8 inn.) - Junior Wesley Russell's controversial home run in the top of the eighth inning kept the Kangs' season alive, as they snuck past Newport, 5-4. The home run was hit high down the left-field line and the delayed call could have gone either way. However, the umpires ruled that the ball hooked around the foul pole, giving LW the lead which they held in the bottom of the eighth. Fellow junior Bob Cruikshank was the winning pitcher, going 7 innings and allowing 5 hits and 4 runs (2 earned), adding 5 strikeouts. Joey Gale took the loss for Newport, despite striking out four Kangs in just two innings of work. LW lives another day, and will take on Issaquah in the nightcap of a loser-out doubleheader at Woodinville HS on Tuesday.

Remaining Tournament Schedule (all games at Woodinville HS):

Tuesday, 5/11
Game #9: Bothell vs. Inglemoor, 4:00 pm (loser out)
Game #10: Lake Washington vs. Issaquah, 7:00 pm (loser out)

Thursday, 5/13
Game #11: Game #9 winner vs. Game #10 winner, 4:00 pm
(winner plays @ GSHL #1 on Saturday, 5/15; loser out)

KingCo Championship: Skyline vs. Redmond, 7:00 pm
(winner KingCo #1 to State, loser plays vs. GSHL #2 on Saturday, 5/15)

Semi-Finals Set in KingCo Tournament

2010-05-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful day for baseball (about time!), the four first round matchups were played Saturday at Woodinville HS:

Issaquah 5, Woodinville 0 - Senior Spencer Rogers struck out 9 in a 5-hit shutout as the Eagles topped the Falcons, 5-0. Mike Paulson and Ben Rosellini each had two hits for Issaquah, who broke open a 2-0 game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior Spencer Brueske took the loss for Woodinville, while Jake Dammrose was 2-for-3.
Skyline 5, Inglemoor 1 - Connor Lawhead went the distance for the Spartans in their 5-1 upset win over Crown Division champion Inglemoor. The Vikings took a KingCo best 14-2 record into the playoffs, but couldn't muster up enough offense off the Skyline right-hander to move on. Skyline, who finished the regular season at 7-9, moves on to the semifinals to take on rival Issaquah.
Bothell 9, Newport 7 - Bothell overcame a 7-2 deficit, scoring 6 times in the bottom of the sixth inning to stun Newport, 9-7. The Cougars outhit the Knights 13-2 in the contest, and were led by junior Brian McAfee, who continued his magical season going 3-for-4 with a double, HR and 2 RBI. Newport took the lead thanks to some Cougar mistakes, which included hit-by-pitches and six errors. However, their bullpen kept them in the game, allowing for the late rally.
Redmond 9, Lake Washington 2 - Junior Dylan Davis had the big blast in this one, a two-out grand slam in the third inning, propelling the Mustangs past the Kangs, 9-2. The game was scoreless until the bottom half of the third. An infield single by Zach Abbruzza scored the first Redmond run and Michael Conforto drew a bases loaded walk for the second run. Davis then hit a 1-0 breaking ball high into the trees over the left-center field fence, capping the 6-run inning. Ryan Beliel worked five solid innings for the win, leading Redmond to a showdown with Bothell in the semi-finals Monday night.

Four teams remain in contention for the KingCo title, and they will face off in Monday's semifinals at Woodinville HS. Skyline will take on Issaquah in the 4:00 pm game, with the league's two hottest teams facing off in the nightcap when Bothell takes on Redmond. The Mustangs have won four consecutive games, while the Cougars come in winners of seven straight.

The teams in the loser's bracket hold on to the hopes of the third and final KingCo berth to State. The third KingCo team will face off with the GSHL champion on Saturday, 5/15. The loser-out contests also take place on Monday at Inglemoor HS, with Woodinville and Inglemoor playing in the afternoon game, with Newport-LW to follow at 7:00 pm.

First Round Set - Playoffs Start Saturday

2010-05-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

The KingCo 4A's "second season" starts on Saturday when the KingCo playoffs get underway. A quick look at the last regular season game, which was played Thursday night...

Inglemoor 5, Lake Washington 0 - Six Inglemoor pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout, as the Vikings completed a 14-2 regular season with a 5-0 win over the Kangs. Seniors Scott Meyers and Ethan Yeo led the way offensively for Inglemoor, with Meyers going 2-for-3 with a homer and an RBI and Yeo driving in 2 runs. For Lake Washington, Bob Cruikshank had his fifth straight multi-hit game, picking up two singles on the night.

So, the playoff matchups are set, with the entire first round scheduled for Saturday, 5/8 at Woodinville HS. You can view the entire tournament bracket here. A first round preview will follow, but here's a rundown of the schedule:

KingCo 4A Tournament - First Round Schedule
10:00 am - Woodinville (8-8, Crown #3) vs. Issaquah (12-4, Crest #2)
1:00 pm - Skyline (7-9, Crest #4) vs. Inglemoor (14-2, Crown #1)
4:00 pm - Newport (11-5, Crest #3) vs. Bothell (10-6, Crown #2)
7:00 pm - Lake Washington (7-9, Crown #4) vs. Redmond (12-4, Crest #1)

Rain Delays Final Seeding

2010-05-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

With the KingCo Tournament set to start on Saturday, two playoff-bound teams are still trying to finish up their regular seasons. The Inglemoor - Lake Washington game originally scheduled for Tuesday has been rained out on consecutive nights. It is now scheduled to be played tonight (Thursday 5/6) at 8:00 pm at Lee Johnson Field. Inglemoor locked up the Crown Division over two weeks ago, and will head into the tourney as the division's #1 seed. Lake Washington clinched a berth in the playoffs on Friday, but their seeding is still to be determined. A Kangs win tonight would give them the #3 seed in the Crown Division (thanks to winning a coin toss with Woodinville), while a loss would drop them to #4.

Here's how the first round of the playoffs lay out:

Saturday, May 8th
10:00 am - Woodinville/LW (Crown #3) vs. Issaquah (Crest #2)
1:00 pm - Skyline (Crest #4) vs. Inglemoor (Crown #1)
4:00 pm - Newport (Crest #3) vs. Bothell (Crown #2)
7:00 pm - Woodinville/LW (Crown #4) vs. Redmond (Crest #1)

Redmond Wins Crest; Woodinville in Playoffs

2010-05-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Two of Tuesday's games had a direct impact on the KingCo playoffs, with the Crest Division title and the final playoff spot in the Crown Division on the line:

Games affecting KingCo Tourney

Redmond 3, Issaquah 1 - Junior Zach Abbruzza stymied the Issaquah bats for the second consecutive time, and Redmond scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie and clinch the Crest Division championship with a 3-1 win over Issaquah. Abbruzza outdueled Issaquah ace Shane Yarnell, allowing just three hits and an unearned run while striking out 8. The loss was the first of the season for Yarnell, who didn't allow an earned run in his seven innings of work. T.J. Whidby had two RBI for the Mustangs, who earned the top seed from the Crest Division and will play the #4 seed from the Crown at 7:00 pm on Saturday.
Woodinville 5, Ballard 3 - The Falcons got three hits each from seniors Jake Dammrose and Connor Jones, clinching a playoff spot with a 5-3 win over Ballard. Senior right hander Luke Taylor worked 5 1/3 strong innings for the win, which even Woodinville's league record at 8-8. Oliver Guarino was 2-for-4 and Brendan Foor drove in 2 runs for the Beavers, who saw their playoff dreams end. Woodinville will enter the KingCo tourney as the #3 or #4 seed, pending the result of the Inglemoor-Lake Washington game tonight, which is scheduled for 8:00 pm at Lee Johnson Field.

Other Tuesday Results

Newport 15, Eastlake 1 - Newport (11-5) enters the KingCo tourney as the #3 seed from the Crest Division; Eastlake's season ends at 1-15.
Bothell 8, Roosevelt 0 - Bothell's win gives them six straight, and they will head into the KingCo tournament as perhaps the hottest team in the league. They finish 10-6 and as the Crown's #2 seed, will take on Newport at 4:00 pm on Saturday in the first round on the playoffs. Roosevelt finishes their season at 3-13.
Garfield 5, Skyline 4 - Skyline's loss did nothing to change their standing, as they enter the KingCo tournament as the #4 seed from the Crest Division at 7-9. Garfield's season ends with a record of 5-11.

Week 6 KingCo Awards

2010-05-04T08:40:00.001-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 6: April 26 - May 1, 2010

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Shane Yarnell, Sr.,, Issaquah
Senior Shane Yarnell picks up his second Crest Division player of the week award this season for his 9-RBI performance in Issaquah's 3-0 week. Yarnell finished the week 6-for-10 (.600) with a double, home run and four runs scored to go along with his 9 RBI. He was key to the Eagles' big victory over rival Newport, hitting a three-run home run and driving in six. Yarnell has also collected two pitcher of the week awards, and is hitting .435 with 4 doubles, 2 home runs and a KingCo leading 24 RBI in league play this season.

Also nominated: Jack Jajewski, Garfield

Pitcher of the Week: Spencer Rogers, Sr., Issaquah
The Eagles continue their domination of the weekly KingCo awards, with senior Spencer Rogers winning the pitcher of the week award for week 6. Rogers tossed a no-hitter in Issaquah's 11-0 win over Redmond, facing the minimum number of batters in 6 innings of work. The right-hander walked three and struck out 7 to knock the Knights out of division championship contention. Rogers, who was the Crest Division player of the week in week 3, sports a 5-1 record on the season with an ERA of 2.29.

Also nominated: None

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Theo Alexander, Soph., Lake Washington
Kangs sophomore Theo Alexander is the winner of the Crown Division player of the week for week 6. Alexander broke out in a big way, going 6-for-10 (.600) with three doubles, a home run, 5 runs scored and 5 RBI for Lake Washington in their playoff-clinching week. He also walked twice and stole three bases. In KingCo play this season, Alexander is hitting .324 with 9 runs scored, 10 RBI and 7 stolen bases.

Also nominated: Bob Cruikshank, LW; Ethan Yeo, Inglemoor

Pitcher of the Week: Spencer Trautman, Sr., Inglemoor
For his 5-inning shutout against Ballard, senior left-hander Spencer Trautman wins the second Crown Division pitcher of the week award for the Vikings this year, joining junior Dustin Doucette. Trautman allowed just 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out four to help Inglemoor in their 11-0 win over Balard. Trautman improved to 2-0 with a 2.69 ERA in league play with his week 6 performance.

Also nominated: Obidiah Taylor, Inglemoor

Playoff Outlook

2010-05-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Just one day of regular season games remain before the KingCo 4A tournament, which starts on Saturday, May 8th. While seven of the eight playoff teams have been determined, much is still left to be determined in terms of seeding into the playoffs. Here's a quick look as to how each division lines up as of today:

Crest Division
In the playoffs:
Issaquah (12-3)
Redmond (11-4)
Newport (10-5)
Skyline (7-8)

Eliminated from playoffs:
Garfield (4-11)
Eastlake (1-14)

Scenarios:
The Redmond-Issaquah game on Tuesday will determine the Crest Division championship and the top seed from the Crest into the KingCo tournament - winner take all. If Redmond wins, Issaquah will be the #2 seed and Newport the #3. An Issaquah win combined with a Newport win over Eastlake would put the Knights at #2 and Redmond as the #3 (based on a regular season sweep for Newport over Redmond). Skyline is locked in as the #4 seed.

Crown Division
In the playoffs:
Inglemoor (13-2)
Bothell (9-6)
Lake Washington (7-8)

In contention:
Woodinville (7-8)
Ballard (6-9)

Eliminated from playoffs:
Roosevelt (3-12)

Scenarios:
Inglemoor is the Crown Division champion and will face off with Skyline in the first round of the playoffs. Bothell has secured the #2 seed and will take on the third seed from the Crest in round 1. Lake Washington has clinched a playoff berth, as they would win a three-way tie between themselves, Woodinville and Ballard based on head-to-head records between the teams. Based on Tuesday's results, they could get in as either the #3 or #4 seed. Woodinville and Ballard face each other on Tuesday with the final playoff spot on the line. A Falcon win would secure the final spot in the tournament, while a win by the Beavers would force a possible one-game playoff.

Here's a look at the round 1 tournament matchups:

10:00 am - Crown #3 vs. Crest #2
1:00 pm - Skyline (Crest #4) vs. Inglemoor (Crown #1)
4:00 pm - Crest #3 vs. Bothell (Crown #2)
7:00 pm - Crown #4 vs. Crest #1

Issy's Rogers Tosses No-Hitter

2010-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

On the second-to-last full day of KingCo action, many story lines emerged, including a no-hitter in the most hyped game of the day.

Crest Division

Issaquah 11, Newport 0 - In Friday's top ticket game, Issaquah senior Spencer Rogers tossed a six-inning no hitter, blanking Newport 11-0. The Eagles dominated the Knights late in a battle for Crest Division supremacy, scoring 4 times in the 5th and another 5 times in the sixth. Rogers allowed just 3 walks while striking out 7 in the KingCo's second no-hitter of the season (Newport's Cole Wiper had the first). He also helped his team's cause at the plate, continuing his torrid pace going 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and an RBI. Fellow senior Shane Yarnell drove in 6 runs, finishing the day 3-for-4 with a home run. Issaquah has a 1 1/2 game lead over Redmond, who can force a division championship game on Tuesday with a win over Eastlake Saturday.
Redmond 10, Skyline 8 (8 inn.) - The Mustangs kept their division title hopes alive in dramatic fashion, hitting a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to top Skyline, 10-8. Redmond forced extra innings with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Matt Kimmel picked up the win in relief, tossing two shutout innings. The 'Stangs got multi hit games from Dylan Davis (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI), Zach Abbruzza (2-for-3, 3 runs) and T.J. Whidby (2-for-3, 2 doubles, RBI). Kimmel and Michael Conforto also homered for Redmond. Jim Sinatro was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI for Skyline, who has secured the #4 seed in the Crest Division
Garfield 9, Eastlake 8 - In a game that featured 23 hits between the two teams combined, Garfield held off a late Eastlake charge to win, 9-8. The Bulldogs led 9-5 heading into the final frame, but the Wolves clawed back with 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh only to come up short. Senior Jack Jajewski was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two stolen bases, while fellow senior Peter Summerville finished with 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 RBI for Garfield. Eastlake was led by Sam Nasci, who finished the afternoon 3-for-4 with a double, triple and 3 runs scored. Alex Boyce (2-for-3, double, 3 RBI) and Kelby McCorkle (2-for-3, 2 RBI) also had productive days at the plate for the Wolves.

Crown Division

LW 6, Woodinville 4 - The Kangs fought back from a four-run deficit, helping their playoff hopes with a 6-4 win over Woodinville. LW's win combined with Ballard's loss to Bothell appears to have locked up a playoff berth for the Kangs (awaiting confirmation on the tiebreaker procedures). Junior Bob Cruikshank allowed 4 runs (1 earned) over 5 2/3 innings and also was 2-for-3 with a double for Lake Washington, who pulled into a third place tie with the Falcons. Senior first baseman Trevor Dunlap drove in 3 runs with a double and a single, while sophomore Theo Alexander completed an impressive week with 2 hits, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. Woodinville's Jeff Wyner drove in 2 runs with a first inning double, while senior Luke Taylor was 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Bothell 7, Ballard 6 - A hard fought battle went the way of the Cougars, as they stranded the tying run on third base in their 7-6 win over Ballard. The Beavers had just four hits, but made the most of them, getting the tying run within 90 feet before grounding out to end the game. Dain Gilbert and Gene Watson doubled for Bothell, who locked up the Crown Division #2 seed with the victory. Freshman Rory Graf-Brennan continued his impressive rookie season, going 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI for Ballard, who currently sits a game behind Woodinville and LW at 6-9.
Inglemoor 7, Roosevelt 2 - The Vikings continued their magical season, scoring a 7-2 win over Roosevelt on Friday night. Seniors Marc Dickerson (triple, 3 RBI) and Ethan Yeo (1-for-2, 2 RBI) paced the Inglemoor offense, while junior Dustin Doucette picked four strong innings for the win. A 5-run third inning was all she wrote for the Roughriders, who got hits from Reid Martinez and Colin Noteboom. Inglemoor improved to 13-2 with the win, a full four games ahead of second place Bothell.

Friday (4/30) Preview

2010-04-30T12:31:00.001-07:00

My apologies for falling behind a bit on the recaps. It's been a busy week! I'll be sure to get caught up over the weekend as we head into crunch time.

First off, here's a quick recap of the results over the past couple days:

Wednesday, 4/28
Bothell 5, LW 3
Inglemoor 10, Woodinvlle 2
Ballard 7, Roosevelt 3
Issaquah 6, Skyline 2

Thursday, 4/29
Newport 6, Garfield 1
LW 14, Roosevelt 8 (continuation of Monday's suspended game)

The current standings reflect that 6 of the 8 playoff spots have been decided, with Bothell the latest team to clinch a spot in the KingCo playoffs, which start Saturday, May 8th. The two playoff spots up for grabs are in the Crown Division, with three teams fighting for two spots. Two of those teams meet up this afternoon at 4:00 pm, when Lake Washington (6-8) hosts Woodinville (7-7) at Lee Johnson Field. The third team still in the running is Ballard (6-8), who travels to Bothell to take on the Cougars (8-6) at 6:00 pm. Ballard and Woodinville meet in the season finale next Tuesday, so meaningful baseball looks like it will be played through the end of the regular season.

In the Crest Division, a battle for supremacy between two long-time rivals takes place this afternoon at Newport as the Knights (10-4) host first place Issaquah (11-3) at 4:00 pm. The game has been designated "Coach Albo Day", a tribute to the long-time Newport head baseball coach Bob Albo. An Eagles win will put them one step closer to a division title, with Redmond (9-4) still alive. The Mustangs take on Issaquah in the season finale on Tuesday. Skyline (7-7) is firmly entrenched as the #4 seed.

Inglemoor Clinches Crown Division

2010-04-27T22:52:00.001-07:00

Two of Monday's rainouts were played on Tuesday, with the LW-Roosevelt continuation being postponed until Thursday afternoon.

Inglemoor 11, Ballard 0 - Senior lefthander Spencer Trautman shutout the Beavers, leading Inglemoor to the Crown Division title with an 11-0 win. Trautman allowed just 2 hits and didn't walk a batter in a five inning complete game. Ethan Yeo homered and drove in two for the Vikings, who will enter the KingCo tournament as the #1 seed out of the Crown. Mitchell Gonsolus and Marc Dickerson each had two hits and two RBI, contributing to Inglemoor's 4-run third and 7-run fourth inning. Freshman Rory Graf-Brennan doubled for Ballard, who fell a 1/2 game behind Lake Washington for the Crown's final playoff spot.
Bothell 2, Woodinville 0 - Seniors Evan Hudson and Luke Taylor locked up in a classic pitcher's duel, with the Cougars scoring single runs in the fourth and seventh innings to win 2-0. Hudson went the distance, allowing just 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7. Michael Marriott and Jason Smith drove in the Bothell runs, helping the Cougs pull into a second place tie with the Falcons at 7-6. Taylor was the tough luck loser, allowing just 2 earned runs over six strong innings. Sophomore T.C. Florentine had two hits, including a seventh inning double for Woodinville.

Crest Plays Monday, Crown Washed Out

2010-04-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

Weather played havoc with the Crown Division schedule, postponing two games and leaving a third suspended on Monday. The Crest Division was unaffected however, and saw a new leader emerge following Monday's play.

Crest Division

Issaquah 11, Eastlake 1 - The Eagles scored five runs in each of the first two innings en route to an 11-1 5-inning win over Eastlake. Shane Yarnell kept his record unblemished, improving to 6-0 in KingCo play and helping Issaquah claim sole possession of first place at 10-3. The senior right hander scattered five hits while striking out 5, allowing just a single run in the fourth inning. Yarnell continued to swing the bat well too, collecting 2 hits and 2 RBI. Spencer Rogers continued his amazing season, finishing the afternoon 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Connor Hanson drove in the lone run for the Wolves, who lost their ninth straight.
Skyline 3, Newport 1 - Senior Peyton Harrod made a triumphant return to the Spartan rotation, pitching a complete game in Skyline's 3-1 win over Newport. The start was the first of the season for Harrod, who missed much of the season with an arm injury. He was brilliant on this afternoon, allowing just a run on 3 hits while striking out 5. He was aided offensively by junior Nate Litka, who was 2-for-3 with a home run and 2 runs scored. Trase Tam Sing hit a solo home run for the Knights lone tally. With the loss, Newport fell one game behind Issaquah in the Crest Division.
Garfield 11, Redmond 8 - The Bulldogs jumped out to an 8-3 lead after four innings and held on, topping Redmond in a slugfest, 11-8. Senior shortstop Jack Jajewski had a huge game, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple and six RBI. Sophomore John Trupin picked up the win and also chipped in with 2 hits and 3 runs scored at the plate. Redmond's juniors Michael Conforto and Dylan Davis each homered in the loss, which left the 'Stangs a game behind Issaquah for the division lead.

Crown Division

Lake Washington 8, Roosevelt 8 (suspended, top 8th) - In a game played through steady rain and mud, the Roughriders scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings before the umpires stopped the contest. The game will resume on Thursday at 3:45, with the Kangs having runners on first and third with no outs in the top of the 8th inning.

Week 5 KingCo Awards

2010-04-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 5: April 19-24, 2010

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Dylan Davis, Jr., Redmond

Also nominated: Trase Tam Sing, Newport; Spencer Rogers, Issaquah

Pitcher of the Week: Shane Yarnell, Sr., Issaquah

Also nominated: None

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Brian McAfee, Jr., Bothell

Also nominated: None

Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Garrett, Sr., Ballard

Also nominated: Trevor Dunlap, LW

KingCo 4A Playoff Format

2010-04-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

The 2010 KingCo playoffs start in less than two weeks on Saturday, 5/8. Here's a quick look at the tournament layout...

Tournament Format / Notes

The top four teams in the Crown and Crest divisions qualify for the playoffs
The entire first round will be played on Saturday, 5/8
All games will be played at Woodinville HS, with the exception of two loser's bracket games on Monday, 5/11 which will be played at Inglemoor HS
The two teams that win each of their first two games will play in the KingCo championship game on Thursday, 5/13
The KingCo Champion will automatically qualify for the State tournament
The KingCo Runner-up will host the Greater St. Helen's League (GSHL) #2 seed on Saturday, 5/15 for a trip to State
The KingCo #3 seed (determined through the losers bracket) will travel to the GSHL #1 seed on Saturday, 5/15 for the final berth to State
View the entire tournament bracket here.

First Round Matchups - Saturday, 5/8

10:00 am - Crown #3 vs. Crest #2
1:00 pm - Crest #4 vs. Crown #1
4:00 pm - Crest #3 vs. Crown #2
7:00 pm - Crown #4 vs. Crest #1

Playoff Outlook
Four teams have already clinched spots in the KingCo playoffs. In the Crest Division, Redmond, Newport and Issaquah have all locked up berths and are currently tied for first place at 9-3. Skyline needs just one win or a Garfield loss over the next four games to secure the final playoff spot.

Things are a bit more muddled in the Crown Division. Inglemoor is a lock for the playoffs, and has a three-game lead on the top spot at 10-2. Woodinville currently sits in second place at 7-5, with Bothell one game back at 6-6. Ballard and Lake Washington are tied at 5-7 for the final playoff spot. LW currently holds the tiebreaker, having swept the Beavers in the season series. Roosevelt is two games back at 3-9, but has games with the Kangs and Beavers coming up this week and can make a push by winning those two games.

You can view the full KingCo 4A standings here.

Playoff Races Heating Up

2010-04-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

As we hit the home stretch of the KingCo 4A conference regular season, playoff races are heating up. In the Crest Division, there is a three-way tie for first place. Meanwhile, in the Crown Division, the final spots in the KingCo tournament are up for grabs.

Crest Division

Newport 4, Redmond 3 - With the Crest Division lead on the line and Redmond leading 3-1 with 2 outs in the 7th, it looked as if the Mustangs were going to even the season series and take a two-game lead over Newport. Knights senior Trase Tam Sing had other ideas however, smashing a three-run home run off Redmond closer Matt Kimmel to give his team and eventually the game, 4-3. Junior Jared Fisher was the winning pitcher, going the distance allowing 3 runs and 4 hits. The three runs all came off the bat of Redmond junior Dylan Davis, who hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first and added a solo shot in the 4th. Fellow junior Zach Abbruzza allowed just 1 run in six innings, but did not factor in the decision. Both teams ended the night at 9-3, in a three-way tie with Issaquah for the division lead.
Issaquah 8, Garfield 2 - UW-bound senior Spencer Rogers was 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI and allowed 2 runs in six innings on the mound as the Eagles cruised to an 8-2 win over Garfield. The win improved Issaquah to 9-3 in league play, including 6 wins in their last 7 KingCo contests. Connor Young was 2-for-3 with a double and 2 runs scored and Devin O'Donnell drove in 2 to help the Eagles in victory. Garfield falls to 2-10 with the loss and is a loss or a Skyline win away from being eliminated from playoff contention.
Skyline 3, Eastlake 0 - The Spartans reduced their magic number to 1 to clinch a playoff berth by topping Eastlake on Friday, 3-0. Connor Lawhead and Jayce Nelson combined on the shutout, allowing just 5 hits and striking out 8. Skyline scored single runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 6th innings, with Tyler Neudorfer and Jim Sinatro pacing the offense with 2 hits a piece. Joe Shaffer went the distance in the loss, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits. With the loss, Eastlake was eliminated from playoff contention.

Crown Division

Bothell 6, Inglemoor 5 - Junior Brian McAfee scattered 10 hits in a complete game, adding a home run and 2 RBI in Bothell's 6-5 win over Inglemoor. The Vikings jumped out to an early four run lead, but the Cougars responded with a 5-run third. Inglemoor tied the game in the top of the fifth before giving it back up for good in the bottom of the frame. Mitchell Gonsolus homered twice in defeat for the Viks, who lost for just the second time in 12 KingCo games. The win was Bothell's second straight following a 5 game losing streak, giving them a one-game lead over Ballard and Lake Washington for third place in the Crown Division at 6-6.
LW 7, Ballard 1 - The Kangs broke a 1-1 tie with a 4-run fifth inning en route to a critical 7-1 win over Ballard on Thursday. Senior Trevor Dunlap pitched his second complete game against Ballard this season, working out of jams in the first three innings before cruising to victory in the final four frames. He ended up allowing just 1 earned run on 8 hits while striking out 3. The win forced a tie for the final playoff spot in the Crown Division, with Lake Washington owning the tiebreaker thanks to a season sweep over the Beavers. LW stole 10 bases in the game, including 6 in the game-changing fifth. Nori Shimizu and Colin Tremblay each drove in 2 runs for the Kangs, while David Doerr and Danny Thompson had 2 hits a piece for Ballard.
Roosevelt 6, Woodinville 5 (8 inn.) - Senior Andrew Johnson had 3 hits and 2 RBI for Roosevelt, who topped the Falcons 6-5 in eight innings. The win was the third in four games for the Roughriders, who are making a late-season push towards a possible playoff spot. David Holt picked up the win in relief, allowing two earned runs over the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Sophomore Spencer Greer took the loss for Woodinville, who dropped to 7-5, one game ahead of Bothell for second place in the Crown division.

Newport-Redmond Highlights Thursday Action

2010-04-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday brings the return of divisional play, with the final five games of the season being played with each respective division. Amazingly enough, each of the six days of cross-division play were an even split, with 3 Crown teams and 3 Crest teams winning each day. Both divisions finished 18-18 in crossover play.

Today's feature game pits the Crest Division leading Redmond Mustangs (9-2) and the second place Newport Knights (8-3). Newport won the first contest, 4-1 with two-time KingCo 4A pitcher of the week Jeffery Gonzales outdueling Redmond ace Dylan Davis. A win for the Knights tonight would put them in a tie with the 'Stangs and give them the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm at Hartman Park.

Other games include:

Woodinville (7-4) @ Roosevelt (2-9), 3:45 pm
Skyline (5-6) @ Eastlake (1-10), 3:45 pm
Inglemoor (10-1) @ Bothell (5-6), 6:00 pm
Ballard (5-6) @ Lake Washington (4-7), 7:00 pm

The Garfield (2-9) @ Issaquah (8-3) game will be played tomorrow due to a scheduling conflict.

Half of League's Playoff Berths Secured

2010-04-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday saw four teams clinch spots in the KingCo 4A playoffs, including three teams in the highly competitive Crest Division. The other four spots will be up for grabs when divisional play returns on Thursday.

Redmond 8, LW 3 - Dylan Davis struck out 12 over 5 2/3 innings and also had a game-changing bases loaded double as the Mustangs remained atop the Crest Division with an 8-3 win over Lake Washington. Davis allowed 3 earned on 3 hits in his time on the mound, and hit his big double in the fifth when the game was tied 2-2. Senior Josh Bircher contributed 2 hits and 3 runs scored to help the Mustangs clinch a playoff berth. The loss was the fourth straight for LW, who was led by the 2 RBI of Trevor Dunlap.
Inglemoor 7, Skyline 6 (9 inn.) - Craig Jacobson's RBI single capped a three-run bottom of the ninth as Inglemoor fought back for a 7-6 win over the Spartans. The game was tied at 4-4 in the ninth when Skyline shortstop Nate Litka hit a two-run double off Viking reliever Dustin Doucette to give Skyline the 6-4 lead. Inglemoor would not be denied on this night however, with an RBI double by Marc Dickerson and a wild pitch tying the game and setting up Jacobson's heroics. Inglemoor became the first team in the Crown division to clinch a playoff berth, and improved to 10-1 in league play in the process. Skyline fell to 5-6, but maintained their three game lead over Garfielf for the final playoff spot in the Crest.
Issaquah 5, Woodinville 1 - Senior Shane Yarnell outdueled fellow ace Luke Taylor, as the Eagles used a 3-run sixth inning to break open a close game and top Woodinvlle, 5-1. Yarnell went the distance again, improving to 5-0 in KingCo play allowing just 3 hits and a walk while striking out 6. Senior catcher Devin O'Donnell was 1-for-3 with 2 RBI and Jake Bakamus had two hits for Issaquah, who secured a spot in the KingCo playoffs with the win. Sophomore Shea Donlin doubled and drove in the lone Falcon run. Woodinville now sits at 7-4, 3 games behind division leading Inglemoor.
Ballard 2, Garfield 0 - Junior Danny Thompson hit a 2-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh, as Ballard completed an impressive stretch against the Crest division with a 2-0 win over Garfield. Ballard won 4 of 6 crossover games, and senior Ryan Garrett was a big reason why. The southpaw, fresh off his win against Redmond, tossed a 3-hit shutout, striking out 7 against just 2 walks. Garfield sophomore John Trupin matched Garrett pitch for pitch until the dramatic seventh inning. The win puts the Beavers in a fourth place tie with Bothell, one game ahead of Lake Washington for the final playoff spot in the Crown division.
Bothell 11, Eastlake 2 - Senior Evan Hudson returned from a short hiatus to toss six solid innings as Bothell snapped a 5-game losing streak with an 11-2 win over Eastlake. Hudson allowed two earned runs while striking out eight Wolves. The game was tied at 2 in the fifth, when they erupted for six runs to take command. Ryan Morgan was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI and Kevin Knapp was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored for Bothell, who improved to 5-6. Eastlake dropped their seventh straight conference game and sits at 1-10.
Newport 7, Roosevelt 2 - Seniors Jeff Gonzales and Joey Gale combined on a 1-hitter and Reid Dilley had a double and an RBI as the Knights improved to 8-3 with a win over Roosevelt. Reigning Crown division pitcher of the week Tim Moore took the loss, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) and 4 hits in 5 innings of work. Newport, who are assured a spot in the KingCo playoffs, will take on Redmond Thursday in a battle for first place in the Crest Division.

Week 4 KingCo Awards

2010-04-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 4: April 12-17, 2010

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Grant Gellatly, Sr., Issaquah
In a week where he collected seven hits including three doubles, Issaquah senior Grant Gellatly picks up the KingCo 4A Crest Division player of the week award for week 4. Gellatly, the Eagles shortstop who missed all of 2009 due to injury, finished the week 7-for-11 (.636) and added 3 runs scored and 2 walks. Through 10 KingCo games, he is hitting .375 (15-for-40) with 12 runs scored and 7 doubles.

Also nominated: Dylan Davis, Redmond; Kelby McCorkle, Eastlake; Sam Nasci, Eastlake

Pitcher of the Week: Jeffery Gonzales, Sr., Newport
Newport senior righthander Jeff Gonzales wins the pitcher honors in the Crest Division for his dominant performance against Lake Washington. Gonzales went the distance in shutting out the Kangs, allowing just 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 11. The UW bound senior got stronger as the game went along, striking out the final five batters of the game. Gonzales improved to 3-0 in league play, sporting a 1.83 ERA in 23 innings of work.

Also nominated: Zach Abbruzza, Redmond; Shane Yarnell, Issaquah

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Connor Jones, Sr., Woodinville
Connor Jones, a senior first baseman/designated hitter for the Falcons, is the week 4 Crown division player of the week. Jones finished the week 7-for-11 (.636) with two doubles, a home run and 3 RBI. He played a major role in Woodinville's 11-inning win over Newport, going 5-for-6 including the game winning two-run home run in the top of the 11th. Jones is currently hitting .500 (8-for-16) in conference play while slugging .813.

Also nominated: David Doerr, Ballard; Mitchell Gonsolus, Inglemoor

Pitcher of the Week: Tim Moore, Jr., Roosevelt
Thanks to a complete game victory over Eastlake on Wednesday, Roosevelt junior pitcher Tim Moore has been awarded the Crown division pitcher of the week for week 4. Moore went the distance scattering six hits and a walk while striking out five. For the season, Moore is 1-1 with a 5.44 ERA in 18 innings pitched.

Also nominated: Graylin Derke, Roosevelt; Ryan Garrett, Ballard

Friday (4/16) Wrap

2010-04-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Friday saw the last unbeaten fall as well as a log jam form for the final two playoff spots in the Crown Division...

Redmond 4, Inglemoor 2 - A pitchers duel at Hartman Park went the way of the Mustangs as Redmond became the first KingCo team to knock off Inglemoor, 4-2. Junior right hander Zach Abbruzza kept the potent Viking offense in check, scattering 7 hits and 2 earned runs in the complete game victory. Fellow junior Dylan Davis homered and drove in 2 for Redmond, who claimed sole possession of first place in the Crest Division at 8-2 with the win. Craig Jacobson and Garrett Vandiver each had two hits and a double for Inglemoor, who fell to 9-1 with the loss.
Woodinville 9, Newport 7 (11 inn.) - Connor Jones' two run home run in the top of the eleventh broke a 7-7 tie and gave the Falcons their fourth straight win, 9-7 over Newport. Jones finished the day 5-for-6 and added a double and three runs scored. Spencer Brueske picked up the win in relief, as Woodinville took a strong hold on second place in the Crown Division, 3 games ahead of Ballard, Bothell and Lake Washington. Billy Sahlinger had four hits and a double in a losing effort, while Nick Clifford and Victor King added home runs for the Knights, who dropped a game behind Redmond.
Issaquah 12, Lake Washington 2 - Connor Young's three-run home run capped a seven-run first inning as the Eagles pounded Lake Washington, 12-2. Issaquah banged out 13 hits on the afternoon, with five different players having multi-hit days. Senior Spencer Rogers struck out 7 in a 5-inning complete game, and added 3 RBIs at the plate. Alex Donnelly and Colin Tremblay both doubled for the Kangs, who lost their third straight game to drop to 4-6 in league play.
Skyline 7, Bothell 2 - Senior righthander Conner Lawhead won for the second time in four days as Skyline used a 6-run fourth inning to top Bothell 7-2. Lawhead, who pitched four shutout innings on Monday to beat Roosevelt, allowed just 2 hits and 2 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Nate Litka and Aaron Caditz had two doubles each, while Anthony DeMatteo and Mikey Smith drove in two runs a piece. The loss was Bothell's fifth straight to drop them to 4-6, while Skyline completed a perfect week, evening their record at 5-5.
Ballard 18, Eastlake 10 - A slugfest on the plateau went the way of the Beavers, as they pounded out 16 hits en route to an 18-10 win over Eastlake. Ballard scored multiple runs in every inning but the second, with senior Charlie Beaudoin leading the way with 2 hits and 3 RBI. Ballard has won three of five games against Crest Division foes, and pulled into a 3-way tie for third place in the Crown at 4-6.
Roosevelt 7, Garfield 0 - Graylin Derke shutout the Bulldogs over 5 1/3 innings to lead Roosevelt to their second straight win, 7-0 over Garfield. Derke also chipped in offensively with 2 of the 11 Roughrider hits on the afternoon. Both teams finished the week with 2-8 league records.

With six league games left, there is clear separation in both divisions. Redmond, Newport, Issaquah and Skyline appear on their way to playoff berths in the Crest Division, with the Spartans holding a three game lead over Garfield for the fourth and final playoff spot. Meanwhile, Inglemoor and Woodinville have pulled away from the rest of the Crown Division, with Ballard, Bothell and Lake Washington in a dog fight for the #3 and #4 seeds.

Wednesday (4/14) Results

2010-04-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

A little behind...Monday's recaps are still forthcoming, as well as more details about the Week 3 POW's. Here's a closer look at last night's results.

Inglemoor 7, Issaquah 6 (8 inn.) - The Vikings extended their unbeaten streak in KingCo play in dramatic fashion, with Scott Meyers' walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth inning pushing Inglemoor past Issaquah 7-6. The win improved Inglemoor to 9-0 in league play, three full games ahead of second place Woodinville in the Crown Division. Senior center fielder Marc Dickerson hit a solo home run in the contest and also made an incredible run-saving catch in the top of the eighth. Emmett Maki worked an inning of shutout relief to pick up the win. Marcus Gaan was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI for the Eagles, who fell out of a first place tie with the loss.
Redmond 12, Bothell 8 - Junior Dylan Davis struck out 7 in 5 innings of work and also homered and drove in 3 to lead the Mustangs past Bothell, 12-8. Redmond scored early and often, jumping out to a 10-2 lead after five before Davis gave way to the Redmond bullpen. Bothell rallied with six runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning, but could get no closer than 2 runs. Zach Abbruzza, Matt Kimmel and T.J. Whidby each drove in 2 for the Mustangs, who improved to 7-2 in KingCo play. Michael Marriott drove in 3 runs for Bothell, who suffered their fourth consecutive defeat after starting league play 4-1.
Woodinville 8, Garfield 3 - Sophomore Shea Donlin and senior Luke Taylor were each 3-for-3, helping the Falcons win their third straight game, 8-3 over Garfield. Taylor also picked up the win on the mound allowing 3 runs over 5 innings of work while striking out 5. Knuckleballer Ian Zapolsky, who beat Bothell a week earlier, suffered the loss for the Bulldogs. Sophomore T.C. Florentine chipped in with a home run for Woodinville.
Newport 4, Lake Washington 0 - Senior right hander Jeffery Gonzales was the story, dominating the Kangs to the tune of a 1-hit shutout as Newport bounced back from Monday's loss to shutout LW, 4-0. Gonzales struck out 11, including the final five hitters of the game. Senior Trevor Dunlap was the tough luck loser for Lake Washington, allowing three earned runs over six innings. Trace Tam Sing returned to action for Newport after missing a few games with an ankle injury, and drove in one of the four Knights runs.
Skyline 8, Ballard 0 - Senior Jayce Nelson had his second straight impressive outing, shutting out the Beavers over six innings to lead the Spartans to an 8-0 win. Nelson, who was 5 days removed from allowing 1 run in 6 innings against Woodinville, surrendered just 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Nate Litka was 2-for-4 with a double, home run and 2 RBI and Anthony DeMatteo drove in three for Skyline, who improved to 4-5. Charlie Beaudoin took the loss for Ballard, who fell to 3-6, one game behind Bothell and Lake Washington for third place in the Crown Division.
Roosevelt 2, Eastlake 1 - Tim Moore went the distance for Roosevelt, allowing just six hits and an earned run with 5 punchouts as the Roughriders picked up their first KingCo win, 2-1 over Eastlake. Both teams finished the day with 1-8 records in league play.

Week 3 KingCo Awards

2010-04-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 3: April 5 - 10, 2010

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Spencer Rogers, Sr., Issaquah
Spencer Rogers, a senior committed to the University of Washington, wins player of the week honors in the Crest divsion for week 3. Rogers finished the two game week 3-for-7 with a walk, 3 runs scored and 3 RBI. He also was the winning pitcher in the Eagles 13-1 win over Ballard, allowing 3 hits and a run in a complete game victory.

Also nominated: None

Pitcher of the Week: Shane Yarnell, Sr., Issaquah
A clean sweep of the week 3 awards for the Eagles, as senior righthander Shane Yarnell is the pitcher of the week in the Crest division. Yarnell tossed a 1-hit, 76-pitch complete game shutout in Issaquah's 4-0 win over Roosevelt. The senior improved to 3-0 in KingCo play, striking out 5 while not walking a single batter. For the season, Yarnell has a 1.24 ERA with 3 walks and 16 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched.

Also nominated: Ryan Beliel, Redmond

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Scott Meyers, Sr., Inglemoor
Inglemoor senior outfielder Scott Meyers is the Crown division week 3 player of the week for his performance in the Vikings 2-0 week. Meyers was 3-for-6 with a triple, home run and 4 RBI, helping Inglemoor stay unbeaten at 7-0 in KingCo play. Meyers is the second straight Viking to win the award, following up junior Peter Meiusi, who took home the honors last week.

Also nominated: Ethan Yeo, Inglemoor; Bob Cruikshank, LW

Pitcher of the Week: Luke Taylor, Sr., Woodinville
Based on a one-hit shutout of Skyline, Woodinville senior Luke Taylor is the winner of the pitcher of the week award in the Crown division for week 3. Taylor, a University of Hawaii signee, outdueled Skyline's Jayce Nelson in a 1-0 win for the Falcons. He allowed just the one hit and two walks while striking out five.

Also nominated: Trevor Dunlap, LW

State Rankings and Week 4 Preview

2010-04-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

This week's high school rankings are out, and the KingCo 4A conference is well represented in both polls. In the Washington State Baseball Poll, Inglemoor checks in at #2, with Newport (#7) and Redmond (#8) also cracking the top 10. Four KingCo teams are ranked in the Seattle Times 4A state poll, with Newport the highest ranked team at #2. Inglemoor follows a #7, and Redmond (#9) and Issaquah (#10) round out the top 10.

Click the links below for the full state rankings from each site:

This week features many premier matchups, with unbeaten Inglemoor facing their toughest test yet. The Vikings, who enter the week on a nine-game win streak (7-0 in league play), will start the week against Crest Division co-leader Newport (6-1). Wednesday brings a home date with Issaquah (5-2), with Inglemoor traveling to Redmond (6-1) on Friday to face off against the other co-leader in the Crest Division.

Catching Up...

2010-04-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Two rainout make-ups were played last week and did not get recapped...

(Wednesday) Skyline 13, Garfield 3 - The Spartans broke a 3-3 tie with a 10-run sixth inning, topping Garfield 13-3. The outburst came immediately following the Bulldogs tying the game at three in the top half of the frame. Junior Nate Litka was 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI and senior Sean Penberthy drove in 4 runs for Skyline.
(Friday) Lake Washington 10, Eastlake 7 - LW rebounded from a slow start to top the Wolves, 10-7. Eastlake scored five runs in the top of the first inning, with RBI hits by Joseph Johnson and Quinn Hawksworth. The Kangs responded with three runs in the bottom of the first and put up 7 runs in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings to take a lead they would not relinquish. Senior Jamie Wallace picked up the win in relief, working 4 1/3 shutout innings, while junior Bob Cruikshank was 3-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI. LW stole eight bases in the game, and currently leads the KingCo conference with 31 stolen bases.

Thursday (4/8) Recaps

2010-04-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Five of the six scheduled games were played Thursday, with Eastlake @ Lake Washington the lone cancellation in what was a crazy weather day.

Redmond 10, Roosevelt 0 - Senior Ryan Beliel struck out seven over six scoreless innings as the Mustangs won their sixth straight, 10-0 over Roosevelt. The shutout was the fourth in five games for Redmond, who has not lost since their KingCo opener against Newport. Fellow senior Josh Bircher paced the offense with three hits and three runs scored.
Issaquah 13, Ballard 1 - Issaquah's bats came back to life in this one, as the Eagles scored 5 runs in the first and last frames en route to a 13-1 win over Ballard. Senior Spencer Rogers was the star, striking out 9 in a comlete game 3-hitter and also going 2-for-4 with a double, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored for Issy, who remained one game out of first place with the win. Other offensive contributors included Mike Paulson (2-for-3, double, 3 RBI, 3 runs), Conner Young (2-for-3, double, HR, 2 RBI) and Grant Gellatly (2-for-5, 2 runs scored). The Beavers, who were fresh off their upset of previously unbeaten Newport, got doubles from Steven Weber and Danny Thompson in defeat.
Newport 7, Bothell 3 - The Knights responded well to their first loss of the season, chasing Bothell starter Evan Hudson with a 6-run fifth inning and topping the Cougars, 7-3. Senior Jeff Gonzales was key to the victory, allowing 6 hits and 2 earned runs over 6 innings of work to improve to 3-0 on the season. The offense was balanced, with five different Knights driving in runs. Junior Brian McAfee remained on a roll for Bothell, picking up 2 more hits and an RBI. Newport remains tied with Redmond atop the Crest Division at 6-1, while Bothell falls into a second place tie with Woodinville at 4-3.
Inglemoor 8, Garfield 1 - The Vikings continued their cruise through the KingCo 4A conference, winning their seventh straight game, 8-1 over Garfield. The last four wins have been especially impressive, as Inglemoor has outscored their opponents 40-10. The key to the win streak has been hot starts, as Inglemoor has scored two or more runs in the first inning in 6 straight games. Mitchell Gonsolus and Scott Meyers each drove in two for the lone remaining unbeaten in the league (7-0).
Woodinville 1, Skyline 0 - A good ol' fashioned pitchers duel took place at Woodinville HS Thursday night, as senior Matt Stefansson's RBI single in the first inning was the only run in a 1-0 Falcon victory. Woodinville's Luke Taylor and Skyline's Jayce Nelson (both seniors) were dealing all night, with the teams combining for just 3 hits. Nelson, who was the tough luck loser, allowed 2 hits and an earned run while striking out seven. Meanwhile, Taylor, who is signed to play at the University of Hawaii, dominated the Spartans, allowing just one hit while striking out 5 in the complete game shutout.

The Eastlake - Lake Washington rainout has been rescheduled for Friday night at 5:00 pm at Lee Johnson Field.

Inglemoor Lone Unbeaten Remaining

2010-04-07T11:43:00.001-07:00

The KingCo 4A conference returned to action on Tuesday, with all six games able to avoid the raindrops and get completed. At the end of the day, Inglemoor stood alone as the only unbeaten team left in conference play...

Inglemoor 10, Eastlake 0 - Another fast start for Inglemoor, as they scored 5 in the first and 3 more in the second to cruise to a 10-0 five-inning win over Eastlake. Seniors Scott Meyers and Ethan Yeo each drove in 3 runs for the Viks, who are the lone unbeaten team left in the KingCo 4A conference. Obi Taylor pitched four shutout innings before handing the ball over to Brendan Cook to complete the shutout. Reigning Crest Division player of the Week Peter Meuisi continued to swing a hot stick, going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI on the day.
Ballard 8, Newport 6 - The Beavers carried an 8-3 lead into the seventh inning and held off a late charge to stun previously unbeaten Newport, 8-6. David Doerr was the hero offensively for Ballard, finishing the day 2-for-3 with 4 RBI. Senior left-hander Charlie Beaudoin picked up the win, striking out 8 and allowing 5 earned in 6 innings of work. Junior Jared Fisher took the loss for the Knights despite striking out nine Beaver hitters in 5 innings pitched. Sophomore Nate Anderson homered and drove in two for Newport, who falls into a first place tie in the Crest Division with Redmond at 5-1.
Lake Washington 9, Skyline 1 - Senior Trevor Dunlap tossed five shutout innings and fellow senior Colin Tremblay drove in 3 runs as the Kangs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-1 win over Skyline. Dunlap allowed just 4 hits and no walks, striking out 6 in the contest. Junior Nori Shimizu scored three times and sophomore Theo Alexander was 2-4 with 2 RBI for LW, who improved to 3-3 with the win. Skyline drops to 1-4, with Anthony DeMatteo and Nate Litka providing extra base hits in the loss.
Garfield 6, Bothell 2 - Senior Frank Pavia homered in a 5-run fifth, as the Bulldogs snapped Bothell's four-game win streak with a 6-2 win over the Cougars. Bothell had 10 hits on the day, including 3 by senior Gene Watson, but could only muster 2 first inning runs. Ian Zapolsky scattered nine hits in 5 innings to pick up the win for Garfield, their first in KingCo play this season.
Issaquah 4, Roosevelt 0 - Senior Shane Yarnell tossed a one-hit shutout and added two doubles at the plate to lead the Eagles past Roosevelt, 4-0. Yarnell struck out 5 Roughriders and didn't walk a batter, needing just 76 pitches to get through his seven innings to improve to 4-0 on the season. Ben Rosellini was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, as Issaquah snapped a mini two-game slide to improve to 4-2 in league play.
Redmond 4, Woodinville 3 - The Mustangs scored three times in the bottom of the sixth inning, fighting back from a 3-1 deficit to top Woodinville, 4-3. Redmond's trio of top-flight juniors carried the load offensively, as Michael Conforto (2-for-3, 2 doubles), Dylan Davis (2-for-2, HR, 2 RBI) and Zach Abbruzza (solo home run) drove in three of the four Redmond runs. Senior Matt Kimmel picked up the win in relief, working an inning and two-thirds of scoreless baseball, striking out each batter he retired (5). Sophomore Spencer Greer took the loss for the Falcons, who got a solo blast from senior Dan McMillan in defeat.

Week 2 KingCo Awards

2010-04-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 2: March 29 - April 3, 2010

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Michael Conforto, Jr., Redmond
Michael Conforto, a junior infielder for the Mustangs, is the winner of the Crest Division Player of the Week for week 2 of KingCo play. The second-team All-KingCo performer as a sophomore in 2009, Conforto homered twice and drove in 4 runs in Redmond's perfect week. He finished the three game set 4-for-8 with 4 runs scored.

Also nominated: None

Pitcher of the Week: Zach Abbruzza, Jr., Redmond
In a week with many impressive pitching performances, Redmond junior Zach Abbruzza takes home the pitching award for the Crest Division in week 2. Facing an Issaquah lineup that was averaging 11.8 runs per game in 4 KingCo contests, Abbruzza was in control from start to finish, allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks in five shutout innings. Not one Eagle runner made it past second base, and the junior right-hander struck out five in the process. The shutout completed a week where Redmond did not allow a single run, outscoring their three opponents, 20-0.

Also nominated: Dylan Davis, Redmond; Jared Fisher, Newport; Cole Wiper, Newport

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Peter Meuisi, Jr., Inglemoor
Continuing the trend of junior award winners is Peter Meuisi, Inglemoor's third baseman, who is the Crown Division player of the week for week 2. Meuisi had an incredible week for the Vikings, finishing the three games 6-for-8 with a double, triple, grand slam and 7 RBI. His grand slam came in a six-run first inning of Inglemoor's 10-7 win over Lake Washington, which completed their sweep of the Crown Division.

Also nominated: Marc Dickerson, Inglemoor; Brian McAfee, Bothell

Pitcher of the Week: Dustin Doucette, Jr., Inglemoor
Inglemoor junior right-hander Dustin Doucette is the fourth and final award winner, taking home Crown Pitcher of the Week honors in week 2. Doucette was dominant in two relief efforts, picking up a win and a save in 5 innings of work. The junior allowed just 3 hits and a run while striking out 9 batters, including eight consecutive punchouts in Inglemoor's 10-7 win over LW on Friday night. Doucette was also nominated last week, and is off to a great start out of the Viking bullpen.

Also nominated: Charlie Beaudoin, Roosevelt

Weekend Results (4/2 - 4/3)

2010-04-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

The rain and windy conditions on Friday carried into the weekend, with 4 of the 6 games getting played either Friday or Saturday...

Crest Division

Redmond 11, Issaquah 0 - Junior Zach Abbruzza was a one-man wrecking crew, 1-hitting the Eagles in 5 scoreless innings in addition to homering and driving in 5 as Redmond pounded Issaquah, 11-0. Fellow juniors Michael Conforto (2-for-2, HR) and Dylan Davis (3-for-3, double) helped pace the Mustangs' 13-hit attack. Abbruzza's performance on the mound was particularly impressive considering the Eagles' potent offense, which came into the game averaging nearly 12 runs per game in KingCo play. The shutout completed a scoreless week for Redmond's pitching staff, as the 'Stangs outscored their opponents 20-0 in a perfect 3-0 week.
Newport 12, Eastlake 0 - Junior Cole Wiper tossed a 5-inning no-hitter, walking 3 and striking out 4 in a 12-0 win over Eastlake. Wiper needed just 69 pitches in the complete game, helping the Knights complete a clean sweep of the Crest Division. Jared Fisher was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI as Newport put the game away with an 8-run third inning. The loss dropped the Wolves to 1-4.

Crown Division

Inglemoor 10, Lake Washington 7 - Junior third baseman Peter Meuisi hit a grand slam in a 6-run first inning as the Vikings improved to 5-0 in KingCo play with a 10-7 win over the Kangs on a cold, breezy night at Valhalla. Inglemoor jumped out to a 9-0 lead on LW, and held off a late rally for the victory. Dustin Doucette worked three innings in relief of Spencer Trautmann to pick up the win, at one point striking out 8 straight Lake Washington batters. Junior Spencer Jackson was 2-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBI and sophomore Theo Alexander added two hits for the Kangs, who lost their third straight to drop to 2-3 in league.
Bothell 9, Roosevelt 1 - Bothell once again used the long ball to their advantage, slugging three home runs in a 9-1 win over Roosevelt on Saturday. Brian McAfee, Ryan Morgan and Gene Watson all homered and drove in 2 runs, as the Cougars picked up their fourth straight win after a season-opening extra-inning loss to Inglemoor. McAfee also picked up the win on the mound, striking out 6 batters over 6 strong innings of work. Senior shortstop Andrew Johnson homered for the Roughriders lone run of the game.

Two games from last week remain unplayed, with Woodinville-Ballard and Skyline-Garfield scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Wednesday (3/31) Review

2010-04-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Wednesday featured a full slate of games free of weather concerns, with the exception of a late-night lightning storm in Woodinville. Two unbeatens remain with just one divisional game left before next week's crossover games...

Crest Division

Newport 12, Issaquah 4 - A 7-run seventh inning for the Knights broke open a tight game as Newport topped Issaquah 12-4 in a battle of Crest Division unbeatens. Sophomores Billy Sahlinger and Nate Anderson starred offensively, combining to go 5-for-8 with three doubles and 6 RBI. Senior Joey Gale picked up the win in relief of Jeff Gonzales, entering the game in the 5th and keeping the Eagles scoreless in the final two frames. Issaquah had their chances, pounding out 13 hits, with Spencer Rogers and Devin O'Donnell chipping in with 3 each.
Redmond 4, Skyline 0 - Colin O'Brochta, T.J. Whidby and Matt Kimmel combined on a three-hit shutout as the Mustangs extended their scoreless streak on the mound to 14 innings in a 4-0 win over the Spartans. Junior Zach Abbruzza drove in two runs and Ryan Beliel was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Redmond, who won their third straight game. Connor Lawhead pitched well in defeat, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) and 8 hits in 6 2/3 innings of work for Skyline.

Eastlake 9, Garfield 3 - Sam Nasci was 4-for-5 with a double, home run and 4 RBI to lead the Wolves to their first KingCo win of the season, 9-3 over Garfield. The game was tied 3-3 headed into the top of the sixth before Eastlake took command, scoring three times in both the sixth and seventh innings. Joe Shaffer was the winning pitcher, allowing 2 earned on 4 hits in six solid innings. John Trupin doubled in the Garfield loss, which left them as the only winless team in the Crest division.

Crown Division

Woodinville 8, LW 4 - In a game delayed nearly an hour by lightning, sophomore Spencer Greer provided a spark of his own, breaking up a tie game with a solo home run in the sixth inning to push the Falcons past Lake Washington, 8-4. Greer was also the winning pitcher, tossing the final three innings in relief of Falcons senior Luke Taylor. Junior Alex Donnelly carried the offensive load for the Kangs, going 2-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI. Jake Dammrose was 2-for-3 with two triples and three runs scored for Woodinville, who pulled into a 3rd place tie with LW at 2-2.
Bothell 17, Ballard 8 - In a game with a lot of fireworks, the Cougars used a 16-hit attack and overcame 5 errors to defeat Ballard, 17-8. Bothell scored in every inning but the sixth, and was led by junior Brian McAfee (5-for-5, double), junior Jon Mercer (3-for-5, 4 RBI) and senior Jason Smith (double, 2 RBI). The Beavers had 11 hits of their own, led by three a piece by Brenden Foor and Colin Johnson.
Inglemoor 12, Roosevelt 2 - Senior Marc Dickerson's grand slam capped a 7-run third inning as the Vikings stayed perfect with a 12-2 win over Roosevelt. Scott Meyers, Garrett Vandiver and Blake Wilson each had two hits for Inglemoor, who will look to sweep the Crown Division on Friday night when they play host to Lake Washington. Emmett Maki was strong over four innings to pick up his first KingCo win.