Thursday (4/9) Scores

A full day of interdivisional play that saw the Crest division best the Crown 4 wins to 2...

• Skyline 3, Woodinville 2 - For the second time in as many games, the first place Spartans downed a Crown division opponent by the score of 3-2, this time prevailing at home over Woodinville. Adrian Sampson continued his mastery of the KingCo 4A conference, allowing two earned runs and striking out 9 in a complete game victory. Brett DeRooy did his best to keep the Falcons in the game, giving up just 3 earned in a complete game himself, picking up 3 strikeouts against no walks. Shawn Ellis was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and scored two of the three Spartan runs, as Skyline improved to 6-1 and sits alone atop the Crest division.
• Bothell 8, Newport 6 - The Cougars kept pace with Skyline in the battle for KingCo 4A supremacy, scoring in six of their seven offensive innings en route to an 8-6 win over Newport. Jordan Kynaston picked up the win, working the final four innings in relief of starter Evan Hudson. The game was tied at 5 heading into the fifth, with Bothell scoring single runs in each of the final three frames to pull out the victory. Michael Marriott homered and Alex Reynolds drove in two runs for Bothell, while Colin Hering was 1-for-4 with 2 RBI for the Knights. Bothell joins Skyline as the lone teams in the conference with one loss, one game ahead of Lake Washington in the Crown division.
• Issaquah 3, Ballard 2 - Shane Yarnell bested Nick Palewicz in a matchup of two of the league's best pitchers as the Eagles won their second straight game, 3-2 over the Beavers. Both pitchers went the distance, with the difference being two unearned runs scored by Issaquah. Yarnell allowed six hits, striking out eight, while Palewicz allowed just the one earned run, striking out four. Ballard's right hander also contributed at the plate, finishing the day 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Junior outfielder Spencer Rogers single-handedly carried the Eagles' offense, picking up 3 of their four hits and scoring two of their three runs.
• Redmond 7, Roosevelt 4 - The Mustangs put up 6 runs in the first three frames and held on late for a 7-4 win over Roosevelt. Sophomore Dylan Davis improved to 3-0, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) and striking out 9 over six innings of work before handing the ball over to Mac Acker for the save. Acker also contributed at the plate, doubling and driving in two. Matt Kimmel added three hits and a double of his own for Redmond, who kept pace with Skyline, one game back in the Crest division. Tom Nielson was 2-for-4 for Roosevelt, who saw their record drop to 0-7.
• Lake Washington 16, Eastlake 5 - The Kangs pounded out 16 hits including home runs by Chris Viltz and Eric Folkers in a 16-5 win over the Wolves. The game was closer than the final score indicates, as LW opened things up with a 6-run top of the seventh, highlighted by Folkers' grand slam. Six different Kangs had two or more hits, including Dan Reynar, who finished the day 3-for-5 with a double and 3 RBI. Right hander Christian Kaiser improved to 2-0 in league play with the win, punching out 9 Wolves in his 5 innings of work. Kelly Rockey was 2-for-3 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI and Nick Smith was 2-for-4 with a double in the loss for Eastlake.
• Garfield 9, Inglemoor 1 - It was the Sean Gilman show at Bobby Morris Field in Seattle, as the senior left-hander used his arm and his bat to propel the Bulldogs to their first league win, 9-1 over Inglemoor. Gilman went the distance on the mound, surrendering just six hits and one earned run while striking out seven Vikings. At the plate, he finished the day 2-for-3 with a double and 4 RBI. Garfield scored 3 in the first, 1 in the second and 5 in the fourth to put the game away early. Michael Harvey, James Morris-Lent and Peter Summerville had two hits a piece for the 'Dogs, who snapped a six-game losing streak. A.J. Babuata drove in the lone run for Inglemoor, who dropped to 3-4, a game ahead of Ballard for fourth place in the Crown division.

Monday brings with it a full slate of games and the halfway point (already!) of the KingCo 4A regular season. Check back this weekend for a look back at week 3, a look ahead towards week 4 (which includes a Friday night showdown between Skyline and Bothell), as well as the week 3 players of the week.

A Closer Look at Tuesday's Results...

A belated closer look at Tuesday's games:

• Skyline 3, Lake Washington 2 - A highly anticipated game between first place teams in the Crest and Crown division lived up to the hype, as Skyline held off a late LW rally for a 3-2 win on Tuesday night. The Kangs trailed by a run heading into the seventh and after two quick outs made things interesting, loading the bases on a single and two walks. An epic 8-pitch showdown ensued, with Skyline closer Peyton Herrod winning the battle over LW third baseman Eric Folkers, getting the senior to ground out to shortstop to end the game. Blake Fulghum was the winner for Skyline, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits over 5 innings of work, punching out 9. Sean Penberthy added a solo home run for the Spartans, who seized sole possession of first place in the Crest division with the win. Alex Potts was 3-for-3 with a walk for Lake Washington, who fell into a tie for second place in the Crown division at 4-2.
• Woodinville 7, Redmond 6 - For the third time this season on their home field, the Falcons staged a seventh inning comeback, this time scoring two runs in the final frame to walk off on Redmond, 7-6. The Mustangs staged a late rally of their own as they trailed 5-3 heading into the seventh inning before scoring 3 runs to take a 6-5 lead. However, the "cardiac" Falcons would not be denied, improving to 4-2 on the season with three of those wins coming in their final at-bat. Devin Jones picked up the win, working a scoreless inning of relief for Woodinville. Luke Taylor chipped in offensively, going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. T.J. Whidby, Brian Grina and Chad Hui-Peterson each had doubles for the Mustangs, who dropped to 4-2 in league play.
• Inglemoor 4, Eastlake 1 - Sophomore Obadiah Taylor allowed three hits and a run over five innings of work and was helped by the tremendous defense of junior center fielder Marc Dickerson in the Vikings 4-1 win over the Wolves. Austin Heuter picked up the save and also had a key 2-run single in the bottom of the sixth to give Inglemoor some breathing room. Nick Smith went 3-for-4 for Eastlake in a losing effort.
• Newport 8, Ballard 0 - Senior outfielder Colin Hering was 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI and Brandon Andreini tossed six shutout innings in the Knights 8-0 win over Ballard. The shutout was the second in as many games, as they were fresh off a 5-0 shutout of Eastlake on Friday. Nick Palewicz was 2-for-3 and Grady Williams added a double for the Beavers, who dropped their third straight game.
• Issaquah 7, Roosevelt 3 - Miles Perkins was 4-for-4 with an RBI and Austin O'Neill and Spencer Rogers combined on a four-hitter as the Eagles downed Roosevelt, 7-3. In addition to picking up the save, Rogers also contributed offensively with a double. Issaquah evens its record at 3-3 with the win, while the Roughriders dropped their sixth game in as many contests.
• Bothell 10, Garfield 0 - Sophomore pitcher Brian McAfee pitched four shutout innings and five different Cougars had 2 hits in a 10-0 whitewash of the Bulldogs. McAfee picked up his second win of the season, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out four. Tyler Atkinson, Bryan Mourer, Alex Reynolds, Zach Schwindt and Kurt Stottlemyer were the Bothell players with 2 knocks, with Mourer, Reynolds and Schwindt each driving in two runs. Jack Jajewski had a double for Garfield, which lost its sixth straight game.

Thursday brings a number of afternoon games, highlighted by Woodinville (4-2) traveling to Skyline (5-1) and Bothell (5-1) taking on Newport (4-2) at Bellevue Community College.

Tuesday (4/7) Scores

Late night and running a little short on time today. Will try and update later with more details, but in the meantime, here are the scores from last night's KingCo baseball action:

Tuesday, 4/7 Results
Woodinville 7, Redmond 6
Skyline 3, Lake Washington 2
Bothell 10, Garfield 0
Issaquah 7, Roosevelt 3
Newport 8, Ballard 0
Inglemoor 4, Eastlake 1

Week 2 Recap, Week 3 Preview

Week 2 of the 2009 KingCo season saw the last unbeaten team fall, as Skyline defeated Redmond on Saturday behind week 2 Crest division pitcher of the week Adrian Sampson. The Mustangs had won their first four games, before losing to the Spartans 6-1 in a make-up game from Wednesday.

Three teams had perfect week 2's: Bothell (3-0), Skyline (3-0) and Inglemoor (2-0). In the Crown division, the Cougars outscored their week 2 opponents 21-8, beating Lake Washington, Roosevelt and Ballard. Inglemoor used a potent offensive attack to sweep Woodinville and Roosevelt, scoring 22 runs in the process. Meanwhile, the most impressive week may have belonged to Skyline, who allowed just 2 runs in 21 innings of play. They topped Issaquah 8-1 on Monday, shutout Garfield 6-0 on Friday and completed the trifecta, beating Redmond on Saturday.

Through five games, both divisions look to be stocked with tough teams. The Crest division is led by Redmond and Skyline at 4-1, followed by Newport one game back at 3-2. Eastlake and Issaquah find themselves at 2-3, with Garfield rounding things out. In the Crown division, Bothell and LW are knotted at 4-1, with Woodinville lurking at 3-2. Ballard and Inglemoor are each 2-3, with Roosevelt occupying the final spot.

Week 3 starts interdivision play, with the next six scheduled game days featuring crossover games between the Crest and Crown division. Two first place teams face off at Lee Johnson Field tonight at 7:00 pm as Lake Washington (4-1) plays host to Skyline (4-1). Woodinville looks to have the toughest road this week, playing both Crest division first place teams starting with Redmond tonight at Woodinville HS. They finish up the week at Skyline on Thursday.

Stay tuned to the blog for the latest news around the KingCo 4A conference.

Week 2 KingCo 4A Players of the Week

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 2: March 29 - April 4, 2009

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Dylan Davis, Soph., Redmond
One week after being named the Crest Division pitcher of the week, Dylan Davis is the Crest Division player of the week for week 2. The Mustang sophomore beat up KingCo pitching last week to the tune of a .700 batting average (7-for-10) with 4 RBI. He had a monster day against Issaquah, going 4-for-4 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI and followed that up by going 2-for-3 with a double and a triple against Skyline ace Adrian Sampson. For the season (including non-league games), Davis is hitting a robust .462 and slugging .923, with 3 home runs and 8 RBI.

Also nominated: None

Pitcher of the Week: Adrian Sampson, Jr., Skyline
The week 2 pitcher of the week in the Crest Division is Adrian Sampson of Skyline. The junior right hander notched wins against division rivals Issaquah and Redmond, helping the Spartans climb into a first place tie in the division. Against Issaquah on Monday, Sampson allowed just five hits and a walk in six innings of work, striking out 11 Eagles. He followed that up with another stellar performance on Saturday, allowing just a solo home run in 6 1/3 innings against the Mustangs. On the season, Sampson is 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA, recording 23 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings pitched.

Also nominated: None


Crown Division
Player of the Week: Sam Johnston, Sr., Inglemoor
Senior shorstop Sam Johnston is the winner of the week 2 Crown Division player of the week. Johnston was a key cog in the Vikings bounce back 2-0 week, reaching base safely in 7 of his 10 plate appearances. He finished the two games 3-for-5 with a home run, 2 RBI, 2 walks, 2 HBP and 5 runs scored. For the season, Johnston is hitting .320 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs and 5 RBI.

Also nominated: Gene Watson, Bothell

Pitcher of the Week: Evan Hudson, Bothell
Riding the wave of two key divisional wins, the Cougars' Evan Hudson is the week 2 pitcher of the week in the Crown Division. The junior right hander started his week with a win over Lake Washington, holding the Kangs hitless through 4 2/3 innings. He ended up allowing 5 earned runs based on 5 walks, while striking out 4. Hudson returned to the hill on Saturday against Ballard and dominated the Beavers, allowing a single hit while striking out 12 in a complete game victory. For the season, Hudson is 2-0 with a 2.68 ERA and has allowed just 3 hits in 52 opponent at bats.

Also nominated: None

Kangs Top Viks in Lone Monday Game

Monday featured just one game, as Inglemoor and Lake Washington made up their rained out game from Friday night.

• Lake Washington 13, Inglemoor 4 - The Kangs used a 15-hit offensive attack to take down the Vikings, 13-4 on Monday evening. The 3-4-5 hitters for LW (Alex Potts, Chris Viltz, Eric Folkers) combined to go 7-for-8 with a double, 7 RBI and 8 runs scored. Senior left hander Tyler Staudacher struck out seven Vikings in his five innings of work to improve to 2-0 on the season. Junior center fielder Marc Dickerson hit a solo home run for Inglemoor, and senior shortstop Sam Johnston chipped in with a triple and a run scored.

With the win, Lake Washington joins Bothell atop the Crown Division at 4-1. In the Crest Division, Skyline and Redmond lead the way, also sporting 4-1 records. Tuesday brings a clash between two first place teams when the Spartans travel to Lee Johnson Field to take on the Kangs at 7:00 pm.

Saturday Details

As promised, a closer look at the results of Saturday's make-up games...

• Skyline 6, Redmond 1: In an early season showdown for Crest Division supremacy, the Spartans rode the right arm of Adrian Sampson to a 6-1 win over the Mustangs. Sampson, who won two games this week, allowed just a Michael Conforto solo home run in the 7th inning, scattering 5 hits over his 6 1/3 innings of work. Sean Penberthy and Anthony Beattie were each 2-for-3 with 2 RBI for Skyline, who moved into a first place tie with Redmond at 4-1. Dylan Davis stayed hot for the 'Stangs, finishing the day 2-for-3 with a double and a triple.
• Bothell 4, Ballard 0: In what was perhaps the pitching performance of the early season, Evan Hudson dominated the Beavers in the Cougars 4-0 win on Saturday. The junior right hander went the distance, allowing just a single hit while striking out 12 to improve to 3-0. Alex Reynolds, Kurt Stottlemyer and Gene Watson each had two hits for Bothell, who sit atop the Crown division at 4-1, one half-game ahead of Lake Washington.
• Inglemoor 10, Roosevelt 4: The Vikings scored 3 runs in the first, 2 in the second and 2 more in the fourth, cruising to a 10-4 win over the Roughriders. Sophomore Obidiah Taylor picked up his first KingCo win, working the first four innings allowing just one earned run. Logan Moen homered for Inglemoor, who bounced back from a tough opening week with a perfect 2-0 record in week 2 to even their record at 2-2.
• Lake Washington 8, Woodinville 3: Senior right handers Christian Kaiser and Blake Lively combined to strike out 11 Falcons in the Kangs 8-3 win over Woodinville on Saturday night. Senior first baseman Eric Folkers had two hits, including a double and an RBI and senior catcher Alex Ross had a key 2-run single in the 5th inning to give LW some breathing room in what was a tight game throughout. For Woodinville, second baseman Joey Allison finished the day 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. LW improves to 3-1 with a meeting with Inglemoor on Monday, while the Falcons drop to 3-2.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look back at the happenings of week 2, as well as look ahead to week 3 which features cross-division matchups between the Crown and Crest divisions.

Saturday (4/4) Make-Ups

Saturday, 4/4 Results
Skyline 6, Redmond 1
LW 8, Woodinville 3
Bothell 4, Ballard 0
Inglemoor 10, Roosevelt 4

Wrap-ups to come on these games...late night!

Friday (4/3) Wrap

Friday's games featured a couple great pitching performances, another rainout and an improbable finish...

Crest Division

• Redmond 9, Issaquah 4 - Sophomore Dylan Davis, the KingCo pitcher of the week in week 1, carried the Mustangs, going 4-for-4 with two solo home runs and 4 RBI while pitching 5 2/3 solid innings as Redmond improved to 4-0 with a 9-4 win over the Eagles. Redmond, who trailed 2-1 through four innings, broke through with 5 runs in the fifth to seize a lead they would never relinquish. Drew Fosnes and Matt Kimmel each had two hits and 2 RBI for the 'Stangs, who take their unbeaten record into Saturday's showdown with Skyline. Junior outfielder Spencer Rogers hit his KingCo leading third home run in the loss for Issaquah.
• Skyline 6, Garfield 0 - Jared Lemke tossed six shutout innings and Sean Penberthy was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI as the Spartans moved to 3-1 with a 6-0 win over Garfield. Lemke scattered five hits and three walks over his six innings of work, picking up his first KingCo win of the season. Peter Summerville was 2-for-3 for the Bulldogs, who dropped their fifth straight game.
• Newport 5, Eastlake 0 - Sophomore right hander Jared Fisher pitched a gem for the Knights, going the distance in a 2-hit shutout as Newport improved to 3-2 with a 5-0 win over Eastlake. Fisher evened his KingCo record at 1-1, allowing three walks while striking out 5 in the complete game victory. Zach Nasu and Cole Wiper paced the Newport offense, driving in two runs a piece. Eastlake drops to 2-3 in KingCo play with the loss.

Crown Division

• Woodinville 10, Ballard 9 - Woodinville staged an improbable comeback, scoring seven times in the bottom of the seventh inning for an amazing come-from-behind 10-9 victory over Ballard. The Beavers took command of this game in the middle innings, scoring 2 in the fifth and 5 more in the sixth for a 9-2 lead. However, the Falcons showed their resolve battling back in the seventh, eventually winning the game on a wild pitch. Eric Ninomiya was 4-for-4 with 2 runs scored for Woodinville, while Nick Palewicz pitched five solid innings and finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBI for Ballard.
• Bothell 9, Roosevelt 3 - The Cougs jumped out early on the Roughriders, scoring twice in the first and three more times in the third to cruise to a 9-3 win over Roosevelt on Friday. Jordan Kynaston worked five innings, allowing 1 earned run while striking out five to earn the win. Bothell's middle infield combo of Matt Marriott and Kurt Stottlemyer combined to go 4-for-6, with Marriott chipping in a double and a triple and Stottlemyer stealing three bases. Tom Nielson was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases in the loss for Roosevelt.
• Inglemoor @ Lake Washington, ppd. - The game between the Vikings and Kangs was rained out due to poor field conditions at Lee Johnson Field. The game will be made up on Monday at 5:00 pm.

Saturday features four make-up games that were originally scheduled for Wednesday. The headliner is the battle for first place in the Crest Division when 4-0 Redmond plays host to 3-1 Skyline. In the Crown Division, Roosevelt travels to Inglemoor, Bothell hosts Ballard and Woodinville takes on Lake Washington.

Update: Dylan Davis was originally reported to have two solo home runs...however, one of the home runs was a three-run shot.

Rain? What Rain?

Despite Mother Nature's best efforts, two make-up games were played yesterday, both in the Crest Division:

• Eastlake 11, Garfield 10 - The Wolves scored three runs in the bottom half of the seventh to cap a dramatic comeback and walk-off on the Bulldogs, 11-10. Eastlake jumped out quickly, plating three runs in each of the first two innings, only to see Garfield storm back with nine runs of their own in the top of the third. The 'Dogs maintained the lead until the seventh, but couldn't hold off the Wolves late. Eastlake hit an amazing four triples in the game, including two by Nick Andrews, who finished the day 2-for-3 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBI. Jack Jajewski continued his strong play of late, going 2-for-3 with 3 RBI for Garfield.
• Issaquah 6, Newport 1 (6 inn.) - In a contest shortened by rain, Issaquah rode the right arm of junior Shane Yarnell and the bat of senior Dustin Talley to a 6-1 win over rival Newport. Yarnell improved to 2-0 in league play, allowing just 4 hits and a walk while striking out 7 Knights in a complete game victory. Meanwhile, Talley hit solo home runs in the third and fifth innings to pace the Eagles offense. Cole Wiper was 1-for-2 with Newport's lone RBI. Both teams evened their record at 2-2, joining Eastlake in a tie for third place in the Crest division behind Redmond (3-0) and Skyline (2-1).

The four other Wednesday games that were rained out are now scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Friday brings better weather and a full slate of KingCo 4A action.

April Showers...

As the calendar turns to April, the weather pattern remains the same. Rain (and snow!) is sure to be a factor in whether today's games are played or not...

Wednesday 4/1 - Scheduled Games
Roosevelt @ Inglemoor, 7:00 pm
Woodinville @ Lake Washington, 4:00 pm
Ballard @ Bothell, 3:45 pm
Issaquah @ Newport, 4:00 pm
Garfield @ Eastlake, 3:45 pm
Skyline @ Redmond, 6:00 pm

UPDATE - All Wednesday games were rained out. Thursday weather not looking too hot either...

Redmond Alone at 3-0

Two more unbeatens fall on Monday in yet another example of league parody. Through three games, last year's regular season champion Redmond Mustangs are the only remaining team yet to suffer a defeat.

A quick review of Monday's results...

Crest Division

• Redmond 5, Eastlake 2 - The Mustangs used a twelve-hit attack and solid pitching from Mac Acker, Zach Abbruzza and Dylan Davis to top the Wolves 5-2 and remain unbeaten atop the Crest division. Shortstop Brian Grina had a big night, going 4-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI and Josh Bircher chipped in with three hits of his own. Matt Dusche of Eastlake (1-2) had two of his team's three hits.


• Skyline 8, Issaquah 1 - Junior right-hander Adrian Sampson was the story, punching out 10 Eagles in his 6 innings of work to lead the Spartans to an 8-1 win over their rivals on the plateau. William Chandler led Skyline's offensive attack, finishing the day 2-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBI, while Jacob Shannon drove in two runs of his own. KingCo Crest Division player of the week Spencer Rogers had two hits and drove in the lone run for Issaquah, which dropped to 1-2 on the season.


• Newport 9, Garfield 2 - The Knights pulled away late, scoring 2 runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth en route to the 9-2 win over the Bulldogs at Bobby Morris Field. Brandon Andreini went the distance for Newport, scattering 7 hits allowing just two earned runs in the first. Cole Wiper was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and Zach Nasu finished a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored for Newport, who bounced back from Friday's defeat to improve to 2-1. Jack Jajewski had three hits including a double for Garfield, who fell to 0-3.

Crown Division

• Ballard 14, Roosevelt 1 - The Beavers improved to 2-1 on the season, putting the Roughriders away early with a 9-run second inning and a 4-run third. Jason Bergerson and Danny Thomson each homered and drove in three for Ballard, while Dylan Murphy chipped in with 3 hits and 3 RBI of his own. Jimmy Pugel had his second straight strong outing, striking out 8 over his four innings of work. Jeff Chaney and Colin Gipner had two of Roosevelt's three hits on the day, as the 'Riders dropped their third straight.


• Bothell 8, Lake Washington 5 - Bothell took advantage of 4 Kang errors in a 7-run fourth inning and held on late for the 8-5 win. Junior Evan Hudson cruised early before tiring in the fifth, not allowing a hit in his 4 2/3 innings of work while striking out 4. He gave way to Kevin McShane and Tyler Atkinson, who kept LW in check over the final 2 1/3 to preserve the win. Gene Watson was 2-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI for the Cougs, while Chris Viltz had LW's only hit, a three-run double in their five-run fifth inning.


• Inglemoor 12, Woodinville 4 - The Vikings picked up their first KingCo win of the season, downing the previously unbeaten Falcons, 12-4. Shortstop Sam Johnston hit his second home run in as many games, and designated hitter Ethan Yeo had two doubles for Inglemoor, who picked up the win behind junior left-hander Spencer Trautman. Connor Jones took the loss for Woodinville, who travels to Lee Johnson Field to take on the Kangs on Wednesday afternoon.

While Redmond sits alone atop the Crest Division at 3-0, the Crown Division has four teams (Ballard, Bothell, Lake Washington, Woodinville) tied for first place at 2-1. All four teams match up against each other on Wednesday...

Week 1 KingCo 4A Players of the Week

Each week, a player and pitcher of the week will be named for both the Crest and Crown divisions. This award is based on nominations by each team's coach and a voting committee consisting of three KingCo 4A head coaches.

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 1: March 22 - 28, 2009

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Spencer Rogers, Jr., Issaquah
Rogers, a junior outfielder for the Eagles who was a first-team All-KingCo 3A outfielder in 2008, is this week's Crest Division player of the week. Rogers homered in a win against Garfield, and homered again in Issaquah's extra inning loss to Eastlake. He finished the week 2-for-5 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI.

Also nominated: None

Pitcher of the Week: Dylan Davis, Soph., Redmond
Davis, a sophomore right handed pitcher, is this week's Crest Division pitcher of the week. In his first KingCo start, Davis kept Newport's offense in check, allowing a run on just one hit over his five innings of work. He walked just one Knight batter while striking out 7 in earning his first KingCo win.

Also nominated: None


Crown Division
Player of the Week: Connor McClure, Sr., Ballard
McClure, the senior second baseman for the Beavers, is this week's Crown Division player of the week. He started his season going 2-for-3 with a stolen base against Lake Washington and followed that up with a monster day against Inglemoor, driving in 5 on a two-run homer in the first and a bases-clearing double in the second. McClure finished the week 5-for-7 with a double, home run and 5 RBI.

Also nominated: Sean Murphy, Woodinville

Pitcher of the Week: Nick Palewicz, Sr., Ballard
Palewicz, a senior right handed pitcher heading for the University of Washington in the fall, is this week's Crown Division pitcher of the week, joining his teammate Connor McClure in receiving the weekly honors. He held Inglemoor in check on Thursday night, allowing just one run on a solo home run over five innings of work, striking out 5 en route to picking up the win for the Beavers.

Also nominated: Stephen Holt, Roosevelt; Blake Lively, LW; Christian Kaiser, LW

Week 1 Recap, Week 2 Preview

Week 1 in the KingCo 4A baseball conference showed just how tough the conference should be from top to bottom in 2009. Six of the league's twelve teams finished the week at 1-1 and seven of the twelve games played last week were decided by three runs or less. Of those seven games, three took extra innings to determine a winner.

Three teams remain unbeaten after two games. Redmond sits alone atop the Crest Division thanks to a 6-2 win over Garfield and a 9-1 win over Newport. In the Crown Division, Woodinville and Lake Washington took different routes to the same result. The Falcons used a potent offensive attack, scoring 19 runs in their two wins over Roosevelt and Bothell. Meanwhile, the Kangs allowed just one unearned run over 15 innings against Ballard and Roosevelt on their path to 2-0.

Week 2 is the first three game week, with game days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Redmond will run the plateau gauntlet, hosting Eastlake and Skyline before heading to Issaquah to take on the Eagles on Friday. Lake Washington faces all three Northshore school district teams this week, traveling to Bothell on Monday followed by home dates with Woodinville and Inglemoor on Wednesday and Friday respectively. Many other rivalries are renewed this week in the last week of divisional play before the teams spend two weeks playing crossover (out-of-division) games.

Friday (3/27) Make-up

The lone KingCo game remaining in week 1 was played at Hartman Park on Friday:

• Redmond 9, Newport 1 - In a game for sole possession of first place in the Crest Division, the Mustangs rode a couple of rookies to a 9-1 win over the Knights. Sophomore Dylan Davis allowed just a single hit over five innings of work, striking out eight and fellow soph Michael Conforto broke open a tight game with a fifth inning grand slam as Redmond joined Woodinville and Lake Washington as the only unbeaten teams through the first week of league action.

In non-league action, Lake Washington played host to West Linn, Oregon at Husky Ballpark and picked up a 5-3 win.

Thursday (3/26) Wrap

A rare dry day in March allowed for a full slate of KingCo action yesterday...

Crest Division

• Newport 6, Skyline 4 - The Knights used a six-run fifth inning to crawl back from an early deficit and top their former 3A rival Spartans, 6-4. Sophomore right-hander Cole Wiper struck out four Spartans in the final two frames to close out the first league win for Newport. Junior Trace Tam Sing was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Knights, while senior Ryan Somers doubled, homered and drove in two for Skyline (1-1).



• Eastlake 8, Issaquah 5 (8 inn.) - The Wolves overcame home runs by Issaquah juniors Spencer Rogers and Shane Yarnell, scoring three runs in the top of the eighth to top their neighbors on the plateau, 8-5. Four Eastlake pitchers combined to hold the Eagles to just four hits on the day, with Joseph Johnson earning the win. Nick Smith and Kelly Rockey each drove in two runs for Eastlake, as both teams evened their record at 1-1.



• Redmond 6, Garfield 2 - Junior Ryan Beliel allowed just one earned run over six innings and senior Nolan Thomas homered as Redmond topped the Bulldogs of Garfield, 6-2. The game was tight into the seventh inning until the Mustangs (1-0) pulled away with four runs in the top half of the frame. Michael Harvey and James Morris-Lent each had two hits for the Bulldogs (0-2).
  

Crown Division

• Woodinville 5, Bothell 4 - In a hotly contested battle between 1-0 teams, the Falcons plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to walk off on the Cougars, 5-4. Bothell jumped out to an early 3-0 lead only to see Woodinville tie the game with two runs in the third and one in the fourth. The Cougs went ahead in the top of the 7th on a sacrifice fly, but the Falcons responded to score twice in the bottom half for the win. Alex Reynolds was 1-3 with 2 RBI for Bothell (1-1), while Woodinville (2-0) was led by seniors Joel Maltos (2-for-3, 2 runs scored) and Sean Murphy (RBI double in the 7th to tie the game).



• Ballard 6, Inglemoor 2 - University of Washington signee Nick Palewicz made his 2009 KingCo debut a good one, pitching deep into the game in the Beavers 6-2 win over the Vikings. Second baseman Connor McClure paced the offense, hitting a two-run homer in the first and a bases clearing double in the second, finishing the day with 5 RBI. The win evened Ballard's record at 1-1, with their pitching allowing just 5 runs in their first two contests. Inglemoor shortstop Sam Johnston homered in a losing effort.



• Lake Washington 2, Roosevelt 0 (8 inn.) - In a game that remained scoreless through regulation, the Kangs broke through with 2 runs in the top of the eighth to sneak by the Roughriders, 2-0. LW's Christian Kaiser and Roosevelt's Stephen Holt held the respective offenses scoreless through the first six innings before giving way to their bullpens. Senior Chris Viltz (3-for-4) had the game-winning hit through a drawn-in infield for the Kangs who improved to 2-0, allowing just 1 unearned run in their first 15 innings of KingCo action. Tommy Neilson had two knocks in four at-bats for Roosevelt (0-2).

On Friday, Newport and Redmond will continue their suspended game make up their rainout from Tuesday with sole possession of first place in the Crest division on the line (UPDATE: KingCo rules call for any game rained out prior to becoming an official game be made up in its entirety). KingCo play then resumes on Monday as the first three-game week of the season kicks off.

Non-league games this weekend include Lake Washington and Inglemoor playing host to West Linn, Oregon. The Kangs get the first crack at the Oregon 6A school on Friday night at 7:00 pm Husky Ballpark (UW), with Inglemoor hosting on Saturday afternoon.

Opening Day, Part II

A couple of games were played yesterday that were postponed on the real KingCo 4A opening day...

• Lake Washington 3, Ballard 1 - Good ol' fashioned pitcher's duel to start the season between Ballard senior Jimmy Pugel and Lake Washington senior Tyler Staudacher. The Kangs got RBIs from seniors Christian Kaiser and Alex Ross in a 2-run fourth to break a 1-1 tie and pick up the opening day win. Senior Eric Folkers homered for LW and senior Blake Lively struck out the final six hitters of the game for the save. For Ballard, Connor McClure had two hits and a stolen base, while Pugel struck out 5 Kangs in his five innings of work. [ Box Score ]
  


• Woodinville 14, Roosevelt 4 - Woodinville used a six-run first inning to run away from the Roughriders in their opener. Senior Shawn Murphy had three hits and drove in five while junior Dan McMillan chipped in with three hits of his own for the Falcons, who host Bothell in a matchup of 1-0 teams tonight at 7:00 pm. [ Box Score ]

Tonight's hot ticket games are the aforementioned Bothell-Woodinville clash as well as a battle of two KingCo 3A teams from a year ago when Skyline travels to Newport. Rounding out the schedule:

• Ballard @ Inglemoor, 7:00 pm
• Lake Washington @ Roosevelt, 3:45
• Redmond @ Garfield, 3:45
• Eastlake @ Issaquah, 3:45
  

KingCo Opening Day

Some teams were lucky with the raindrops, while others were not...

Results from 3/24
Bothell 4, Inglemoor 3 (8 inn.)
Issaquah 6, Garfield 1
Skyline 3, Eastlake 2
Newport 4, Redmond 2 (suspended in 2nd inning)
Ballard @ Lake Washington, ppd. rain
Woodinville @ Roosevelt, ppd. rain

Ballard @ LW is rescheduled for Wed, 3/25 @ Bothell HS at 6:30 pm. Woodinville @ Roosevelt reschedule is pending...