Thursday (4/23) Results

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

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

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

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

Tuesday (4/21) Results: Crest Sweeps Crown

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

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

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

Final Day of Interdivisional Play

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

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

Week 4 KingCo 4A Players of the Week

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

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

Also nominated: Dylan Davis, Redmond

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

Also nominated: Mac Acker, Redmond

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

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

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

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

Expanding on Friday's Results

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

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

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

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

Friday (4/17) Scores

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

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

Wednesday (4/15) Wrap

Wednesday's results brought some separation in the Crest Division, only to see more crowding in the Crown Division...

• Redmond 4, Bothell 1 - It was the "sophomore show" once again for Redmond as sophs Dylan Davis and Michael Conforto played key roles in the Mustangs 4-1 win over Bothell. Davis and Conforto each homered in the game, while Davis was dominant on the mound, allowing just 1 unearned run on 2 hits in a complete game victory. Josh Bircher chipped in with two doubles for Redmond, improved to 7-2 in league play. Gene Watson had one of the two Cougar hits while Evan Hudson took the loss, which dropped Bothell into a tie for first with Lake Washington in the Crown Division.
• Lake Washington 10, Newport 5 - Eric Folkers homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the Kangs past Newport, 10-5. The senior corner infielder hit a solo shot in the third and followed that up with a back-breaking three-run blast in the seventh which pushed LW's lead from 2 to 5. Folkers now leads the KingCo 4A conference in RBI (16) and is tied for the league lead in home runs with 4. Chris Viltz continued swinging a hot bat, finishing the day 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored. For Newport, shortstop Trase Tam Sing was 3-for-3 with a double and 2 runs scored, while second baseman Brad Binder had two hits of his own. LW improves to 7-2 on the season, while Newport sees its record drop to 4-5.
• Skyline 10, Ballard 5 - The Spartans used an eight run third to fight off an early deficit and run their win streak to seven games with a 10-5 win over the Beavers. Junior right hander Adrian Sampson struck out 12 in 6 innings of work to improve to a league-best 5-0. Skyline was led by a balanced attack which saw four players (Sean Penberthy, Shawn Ellis, Jake Knecht and Jacob Shannon) drive in 2 runs a piece. Senior shortstop Ryan Somers was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple for the Spartans, who remained a game ahead of Redmond in the Crest Division at 8-1. Connor McClure and Grady Williams each had 2 hits for Ballard, which dropped its 6th straight game.
• Inglemoor 6, Issaquah 4 - The pitching hero a night before, sophomore Obadiah Taylor came through for Vikings with the bat on this day, leading a 13-hit attack with three of his own as Inglemoor won its second straight, 6-4 over Issaquah. Junior left-hander Spencer Trautman worked 6 innings to pick up the win, allowing 7 hits and 4 runs (3 earned). Sam Johnston and Scott Meyers homered for the Vikings, who improved to 5-4 with the W. For the Eagles, junior right hander Shane Yarnell suffered his first loss of the season. They were led offensively by the two hits of Devin O'Donnell.
• Woodinville 7, Garfield 1 - Senior Shawn Murphy allowed just 6 hits and a run over 6 1/3 innings of work to lead the Falcons to the 7-1 win over Garfield at Bobby Morris Field in Seattle. Preston Longoni was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and 2 stolen bases for Woodinville, who closed to within a game of first place in the Crown Division at 6-3. Week 3 pitcher of the week Sean Gilman suffered the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing 7 runs (5 earned) in his five innings on the bump. Jack Jajewski was 2-for-3 with a double as Garfield dropped to 1-8 on the season.
• Roosevelt 9, Eastlake 8 - The Roughriders scored four times in the top of the seventh and held on for dear life to pick up their first win of the season, 9-8 over the Wolves of Eastlake. Colin Gipner pitched 6 1/3 innings for the win, while Johnson was 3-for-5 with 2 RBI. Eastlake shortstop Nick Smith was 3-for-5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI in a losing effort.

The Crest Division now has a clear cut top two teams, with second place Redmond (7-2) a full three games ahead of Issaquah and Newport (4-5). The 'Stangs trail Skyline (8-1) by just one game for first place. Meanwhile, in the Crown Division, the top four teams are separated by just two games, with Bothell and LW on top at 7-2 followed closely by Woodinville (6-3) and Inglemoor (5-4).

Friday's action features a Crest-Crown showdown, when first place Skyline travels to first place Bothell. Game time is at 6:00 at Bothell HS. Other games include Redmond @ Inglemoor, Eastlake @ Ballard, Garfield @ Roosevelt, Newport @ Woodinville and Issaquah @ Lake Washington.

Tuesday (4/14) Make-ups

Tuesday's make-up games once again showed the overall competitiveness of the conference, with all five games played within four runs or less, including three games won on team's last at bats.

• Skyline 5, Roosevelt 4 - The Spartans scored a run in the top of the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie and extend their KingCo win streak to 6 games with a 5-4 win over the Roughriders. Sean Penberthy and Ryan Somers led the Skyline attack, with Penberthy going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and Somers finishing the day a perfect 4-for-4 with 2 runs scored. Senior left-hander Blake Fulghum picked up the win in relief, helping the Spartans improve to 7-1, a full game ahead of second place Redmond. Jeff Chaney was 2-for-3 and Nick Foster was 1-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI for Roosevelt, who fell to 0-8 on the season.
• Bothell 5, Issaquah 4 (8 inn.) - Bothell pushed across the tying run in the bottom of the seventh and the winning run in the bottom of the eighth to stun the Eagles, 5-4. Issaquah led 4-1 headed into the bottom of the fifth, but the Cougars kept pressing, scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth to set up the late game heroics. Sophomore Brian McAfee picked up his second KingCo win, working four innings out of the bullpen while striking out 5. Tyler Atkinson doubled and drove in two and Gene Watson and James Korn added two hits a piece for Bothell, who sits one game ahead of Lake Washington in the Crown division at 7-1. Brennan Miller was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and Spencer Rogers had 2 hits and 2 RBI for Issaquah, who drops to 4-4 with the loss.
• Woodinville 7, Eastlake 6 (8 inn.) - For the fourth time this season, Woodinville walked off on an opponent at home, this time scoring a run in extra frames to top Eastlake 7-6. The Wolves jumped out to a 5-0 lead through 2 1/2 innings and maintained a large cushion until the the Falcons tied the game with 3 runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth. Devin Jones picked up the win in relief, tossing two hitless innings while striking out 2. Junior shortstop Luke Taylor was 3-for-5 with 4 RBI and senior Joel Maltos was 2-for-4 with 2 runs batted in for Woodinville, who improved to 5-3 on the season. Nick Andrews and Michael Russo hit home runs for Eastlake in a losing effort.
• Inglemoor 2, Newport 0 - One mistake decided this one, as the lone slip up by Newport senior Brandon Andreini resulted in a Trevor McMaster two-run home run in the Vikings 2-0 win over the Knights on Tuesday night. Sophomore Obadiah Taylor outdueled Andreini, scattering 7 hits in a complete game shutout to improve to 3-0 in KingCo play. Andreini allowed just 3 hits, striking out 7 in defeat. Colin Hering and Victor King had two hits each for Newport, as both teams finished the night with 4-4 records.
• Lake Washington 4, Garfield 0 - Senior Karl Myers went the distance, allowing 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out four in the Kangs 4-0 win over Garfield. Myers improved to 2-1 in league and saw his KingCo ERA drop to 1.37 with the shutout. Four different Kangs drove in runs, while senior Chris Viltz continued his torrid pace, going 2-for-2 with a hit by pitch, upping his batting average to a league leading .542. For Garfield, Joe Lucia and James Morris-Lent each doubled in a losing cause.

Wednesday brings 5 afternoon games, with the lone evening game being a clash between 6-2 Redmond and 7-1 Bothell at Hartman Park.

Monday Washed Out

Rain continues to be a major story in this 2009 baseball season, as to this writer's knowledge, 5 of the 6 games scheduled for Monday were rained out. The lone game completed was an afternoon affair between Redmond and Ballard...

• Redmond 5, Ballard 2 - Mac Acker allowed just 2 hits and struck out 11 in a complete game victory as the Mustangs used a 3-run sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and prevail over the Beavers, 5-2. Senior shortstop Brian Grina was 2-for-3 with 2 doubles and an RBI and sophomore Michael Conforto hit a solo home run to pace Redmond, who improved to 6-2 on the season. They now sit 1/2 game behind Skyline in the Crest Division. The loss was the fifth straight for Ballard, who dropped to 2-6 on the year.

Tuesday will undoubtedly feature a number of make-up games. As of the time of this post, the confirmed makeups for today are as follows:

• Garfield (1-6) at Lake Washington (5-2), 4:00 pm
• Issaquah (4-3) at Bothell (6-1), 6:00 pm
• Newport (4-3) at Inglemoor (3-4), 7:00 pm

Other games that may be scheduled for today include Skyline (6-1) @ Roosevelt (0-7) and Eastlake (2-5) at Woodinville (4-3).

Week 3 KingCo 4A Players of the Week

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 3: April 6 - 11, 2009

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Miles Perkins, Sr., Issaquah
Perkins, a senior outfielder for the Eagles, returned from a rib injury to earn Player of the Week honors in week 3. Miles finished the week 5-for-8 with a double and 2 RBI in leading Issaquah to a perfect 2-0 week in KingCo play. He joins fellow Eagles outfielder Spencer Rogers (week 1) in picking up player of the week hardware in 2009. For the season, Perkins is batting .435 with a double, 4 runs scored and 2 RBI.

Also nominated: None

Pitcher of the Week: Sean Gilman, Sr., Garfield
Gilman, a senior pitcher for the Bulldogs, wins this week's Crest Division Pitcher of the Week award based on a stellar performance last Thursday against Inglemoor. The left-hander went the distance in Garfield's first KingCo win of the season, allowing just six hits and a walk while striking out 7. He also finished the day 2-for-3 with 4 RBI, helping himself in the victory. For the season, Gilman is 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA, striking out 32 batters in 28 innings of work.

Also nominated: Shane Yarnell, Issaquah

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Chris Viltz, Sr., Lake Washington
Kangs right fielder Chris Viltz is the Week 3 Crown Division Player of the Week based on his outstanding performance last week. The LW senior finished the week 5-for-8 with two doubles, a home run, 4 walks, 4 runs scored and 5 RBI. He had an extra base hit in each of the three Lake Washington games last week, including a three-run home run on Thursday against Eastlake. Viltz reached base safely in nine of his twelve plate appearances and also stole his seventh base of the season. For the year, Viltz leads KingCo 4A with a .500 batting average in league play and is third in on-base percentage (.607), slugging percentage (.773) and RBI (10).

Also nominated: Eric Folkers, Lake Washington

Pitcher of the Week: Nick Palewicz, Sr., Ballard
Senior right-hander Nick Palewicz is the Week 3 Crown Division Pitcher of the Week, winning the award for the second time in three weeks. Palewicz earns the honors this week based on his strong performance in a loss against Issaquah. The Beaver pitcher went the distance, allowing 4 hits and 3 runs (1 earned), striking out 4 against no walks. For the season, the University of Washington signee is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA, with just 5 walks and 22 punchouts in 20 innings of work.

Also nominated: Brett DeRooy, Woodinville

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.