Wednesday, May 9, 2012

KingCo Playoffs - Tuesday Recaps

KingCo 3A - First Round
Liberty 7, Mercer Island 2 - The Patriots jumped out on MI starter Hunter Goldberg, scoring six times in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to a 7-2 win over the Islanders in the first game of the KingCo 3A tournament. Ben Wessel started and worked 5 solid innings, allowing 2 earned while striking out 6. Liberty was led offensively by Nick Short, who went 2-for-3 with a double and 3 RBI. Wessel and Jalen Mano added two hits a piece for the Pats, who advance to the 3A semi-finals to take on top-seeded Mount Si on Thursday night at 7:00 PM. Junior Alex Himstead drove in both Mercer Island runs and Matt Orehek added two hits of his own, as the Islanders season ends with a record of 8-13.

Bellevue 3, Juanita 2 - Senior Michael Raine outdueled junior Sean Brennan, as the Wolverines fought off a game Juanita team, 3-2. Raine worked five strong innings, allowing just two Rebel runs before making way for Trent Ishii, who pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning to record the save. Brennan was the tough luck loser, allowing three runs in his four innings of work. Bellevue advances to Thursday's semi-finals where they will take on Lake Washington, a team they split the regular season with. Juanita, who started just one senior on Tuesday, sees its season end with a record of 4-16.

KingCo 4A - Loser Out Games
Inglemoor 7, Bothell 6 - Lucas Wimmer's 2-out walk-off double kept a resilient Vikings team alive, as they ended the season of Northshore rival Bothell, 7-6. Inglemoor trailed 6-5 headed into the 7th, but got a solo home run by Blake Wilson to tie the game and set the stage for Wimmer's heroics. Curtis Bafus also homered for the Viks, with Zach Anderson hitting a solo home run for Bothell. Inglemoor is now two wins away from State, while the defending 4A state champion Cougars end their season with a record of 12-11.

Ballard 6, Newport 4 - Frank Airey doubled twice and drove in 3 runs as the Beavers extended their great season with a 6-4 win over Newport. Joe Jacobson allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings, while Caleb Jaeger picked up the save, recording the final two outs of the game. Ballard will face Inglemoor on Thursday at 4:00 PM for the opportunity to take on the WesCo #3 seed with a trip to State on the line. Newport, who got two hits each from Ioannis Kritsonis, Mason Paul and Jake Rosen, has its season come to an end with a record of 12-10.

** special thanks to Jim Greer for information on the 4A games
__________________________________________________

The four remaining teams in each classification take Wednesday off, with a big day of KingCo baseball action scheduled for Thursday. The schedule is listed below, along with links to each league's updated tournament bracket:

KingCo 4A - Thursday Schedule
4:00 PM - Ballard vs. Inglemoor (winner to district play-in game, loser out)

KingCo 4A Championship
7:00 PM - Issaquah vs. Redmond (winner #1 to State, loser #2 to State)

KingCo 3A - Thursday Semi-Finals
4:00 PM - Bellevue vs. Lake Washington
7:00 PM - Liberty vs. Mount Si

KingCo Playoff Brackets: 3A Tourney | 4A Tourney

Monday, May 7, 2012

KingCo 4A Tournament Results

Link: KingCo 4A Tournament Bracket

A quick recap of Saturday's KingCo 4A Tournament results:


Redmond 3, Woodinville 2
- Adam Cline outdueled Marty Luchenbach in a complete game victory, as the Mustangs knocked off the Falcons, 3-2.  Cline allowed just three hits (all to Woodinville shortstop Shea Donlin, who had two doubles and a single) and struck out 5.  Offensively, the 'Stangs were led by Patrick McGrath (2-for-2, 2 RBI) and Brent Firth (solo home run in the 2nd inning).  

Newport 8, Inglemoor 1
- Senior Aaron Sandefur saved his best game for the biggest stage, as he led Newport past the top-seeded Vikings, 8-1.  Sandefur allowed just 6 hits and a run in a complete game win, while also homering and driving in four at the plate.  Mason Paul chipped in with two RBI and Ioannis Kritsonis was 2-for-4 with a stolen base for the Knights, who advance to the KingCo semi-finals to take on Crest Division foe Redmond on Monday at 4:00 PM.  Inglemoor will face Northshore rival Woodinville in a loser-out game Monday afternoon at Inglemoor HS.

Issaquah 6, Ballard 1
- The Eagles became the third straight Crest division team to win on Saturday, as they scored three runs in the first and didn't look back in a 6-1 win over Ballard.  Brandon Mahovlich was the winning pitcher, allowing just an unearned run on 3 hits while striking out 9 Beavers in the contest.  Ethan Kalin was the offensive star for Issy, going 3-for-4 with a triple, home run, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored.  Ballard was led by Ben Welch, who was 2-for-3 on the afternoon.

Bothell 5, Skyline 4
- The Cougars used a five-run fifth inning to stun the top-seeded Spartans, 5-4.  Travis Dohr pitched five shutout innings in relief of starter Brady Mickelson to earn the win, with Camden McLeod slamming the door over the final 1 2/3 innings for the save.  Skyline took an early lead with four runs in the top of the first, but couldn't push any more runs across. Sam Lee drove in two runs for the Cougars, who will take on Issaquah on Monday night at 7:00 PM at Woodinville HS.  Skyline, who got doubles from Clayton Huber, Brandon Fischer and Jim Sinatro, will play Ballard on Monday at 7:00 PM in a loser-out game at Inglemoor HS.

Monday Schedule

Winners Bracket - Woodinville HS
Redmond vs. Newport, 4:00 PM
Issaquah vs. Bothell, 7:00 PM

Losers Bracket - Inglemoor HS

Woodinville vs. Inglemoor, 4:00 PM
Ballard vs. Skyline, 7:00 PM

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 5

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 5: April 30 - May 5, 2012

Player of the Week: Andy Cosgrove, Soph., Juanita
Sophomore catcher Andy Cosgrove picks up Juanita's first award of the year, winning KingCo 3A Player of the Week for the final two games of the regular season. The young backstop went 5-for-8 on the week, doubling twice and driving in three runs. He also threw out four would be base stealers. Cosgrove finished his sophomore campaign batting .408 with 7 doubles, a home run and 7 RBI.

Also nominated: Jack Meggs, Bellevue; Jack Perkins, Bellevue; Trevor Taylor, Mt. Si; Joey Cotto, Mt. Si; Reece Karalus, Mt. Si

Pitcher of the Week: Trevor Lane, Sr., Mt Si
Another week, another award for a Mount Si pitcher. Trevor Lane once again wins the award for the season's final week for his performance against Interlake. The southpaw allowed just two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, striking out an amazing 17 batters (of a possible 19 outs) in a KingCo Championship clinching win. Lane finished the year with a 2.25 ERA in 6 starts, with 67 strikeouts against just 11 walks in 37 1/3 innings.

Also nominated: Trent Ishii, Bellevue; Reece Karalus, Mt. Si

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Playoff Time!

With the 3A regular season wrapping up yesterday, both the 3A & 4A leagues shift their focus to the KingCo playoffs. Here's a look at the final league standings and playoff seedings:

KingCo 3A
#1) Mount Si 12-2
#2) Lake Washington 11-3
#3) Bellevue 10-4
**) Interlake 6-8
#4) Liberty 6-8
#5) Mercer Island 5-9
#6) Juanita* 3-11
------------------------
Sammamish 3-11

* - Juanita earns the final playoff spot thanks to a sweep over Sammamish
** - Interlake moves to the 2A bi-district playoffs and does not participate in the KingCo tournament

KingCo 4A - Crest Division
#1) Skyline 10-4
#2) Redmond 9-5
#3) Issaquah 7-7
#4) Newport 6-8
------------------------
Eastlake 5-9

 
KingCo 4A - Crown Division
#1) Inglemoor 10-5
#2) Ballard* 9-6
#3) Woodinville 9-6
#4) Bothell 9-6
------------------------
Garfield 5-10
Roosevelt 1-14

* - Ballard won the three-way tiebreaker and earns the #2 seed.

The 4A tournament starts on Saturday, while the 3A playoffs kick off next Tuesday. Links to the brackets can be found below:

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 6

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 6: April 23 - 30, 2012

Crest Division
Pitcher of the Week: Andrew Stull, Sr., Eastlake
In the last week of the season, Eastlake’s hard throwing right-hander, Andrew Stull, was called on three times to shut the opposing team down. In those three appearances, Stull tossed nine innings, only allowing two runs. Demonstrating excellent command of his pitches, he struck out a remarkable 11 while only walking one.

Player of the Week: Peter Hendron, Sr., Redmond
Redmond senior Peter Hendron’s bat stayed hot in the final week of the season. In three games, the Mustang slugger posted a 5-11 week with three doubles. Hendron also scored four times while driving in two.

Crown Division
Pitcher of the Week: Paul Crane, Sr., Ballard
Ballard starting pitcher Paul Crane tossed a gem in the final week of the season. In a complete game shutout versus Bothell, he struck out seven and only walked two. In fact, a Bothell Cougar never reached third base in the Ballard 11-0 win.

Player of the Week: Willie Augustavo, Jr., Inglemoor
Inglemoor again takes home player of the week honors in the Crown division. This time the extremely consistent junior, Willie Augustavo, is recognized. In extending his hitting streak to 16 games, the young infielder posted a .500 average, going 5-10 with a 2B and a 2 run homerun. The round-tripper was the eventual game winner over Bothell. Augustavo had 5 RBI on the week.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 4

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 4: April 23 - 28, 2012

Player of the Week: Trevor Lane, Sr., Mount Si
For the third time in four weeks, Trevor Lane has earned a KingCo weekly award, picking up the Player of the Week honors for Week 4. The senior pitcher/first baseman had an outstanding week at the plate for the Wildcats, leading them to a 4-0 record and into a first place tie headed into the home stretch. Lane went 7-for-13 (.539) with a grand slam and 9 RBI in the four league games. He also added three runs scored and a couple stolen bases for Mount Si. Overall in 2012, Lane is hitting .444 with 6 doubles, a home run, 18 RBI and 20 runs scored. Those numbers along with his tremendous performance on the mound have him in the hunt for KingCo 3A MVP honors.

Also nominated: Alex Himstead, MI; Connor Foreman, Bellevue

Pitcher of the Week: Trevor Taylor, Sr., Mt Si
Senior right hander Trevor Taylor is this week's winner thanks to a complete game shutout win over Mercer Island. Taylor, who is the third different Wildcat to win pitcher of the week this season, went 6 innings, allowing just 4 hits and striking out 7 in an 11-0 Mount Si victory. He needed just 80 pitches to go the distance, throwing 53 of them for strikes and not walking a single batter. Taylor has been on top of his game all season, working 30 innings and allowing just 4 earned runs - good for a 0.93 ERA.

Also nominated: Trent Ishii, Bellevue; Drew Quinlan, Bellevue; Austin Strother, Interlake; Zach Johnson, LW; Reece Karalus, Mt. Si; Trevor Lane, Mt. Si; Ross Tassara, Mt. Si

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 3

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 3: April 16 - 21, 2012

Player of the Week: Sam Finfer, Jr., Interlake
Junior catcher Sam Finfer collects this week's player of the week award for an outstanding performance in week 3 of league play. The left handed hitter doubled twice and homered, finishing the week 4-for-10 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. His offensive output combined with his outstanding work behind the plate for the Saints earned him the award.

Also nominated: Jack Carlson, Bellevue; Nick Johnson, LW

Pitchers of the Week: Austin Strother, Jr., Interlake
Joining his battery mate in KingCo honors this week, junior southpaw Austin Strother is the pitcher of the week in the 3A conference for week 3. Interlake's ace started two games last week and did not allow an earned run over 12 1/3 innings of work. He allowed just six hits and 3 walks while striking out 16 opposing batters.

Also nominated: Nolan Watson, Bellevue; Reece Karalus, Mt. Si; Hunter Goldberg, Mercer Island; Zach Johnson, LW

Monday, April 23, 2012

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 5

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 5: April 16-21, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Matt Sinatro, Jr., Skyline
Though only playing one game due to a bye shortened week, Skyline junior Matt Sinatro made enough of a splash to be recognized as the Crest Player of the Week. The left-handed hitting shortstop turned in a 3-4 day with two doubles and three RBI in a tight win over the Bothell Cougars.

Pitcher of the Week: Peter Hendron, Sr., Redmond
For the second straight week, a Redmond Mustang arm has been awarded Crest Pitcher of the Week honors, this time for the ever so rare feat of a perfect game. Senior right-hander Peter Hendron sat down 21 Eastlake hitters in a row, striking out the first five of six. In all, Hendron sat down ten via strikeout while propelling Redmond to a 1-0 win.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Blake Wilson, Sr., Inglemoor
Inglemoor senior Blake Wilson turned things up a notch offensively this past week. In two games against Woodinville and Redmond, the right-fielder was 5-8 at the plate with two doubles and a triple. Most eye-popping, however, were his 7 RBI to lead all Kingco players on the week.

Pitcher of the Week: Marty Luchenbach, Sr., Woodinville
Oregon State signee, RHP Marty Luckenbach of Woodinville, is this week’s Crown Pitcher of the Week. The tall right-hander turned in a complete game, no hit performance against the Issaquah Eagles. He struck out eight and walked four while lowering his season ERA to 2.91 in four starts..

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 2

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 2: April 9 - 14, 2012

Player of the Week: Trevor Lane, Sr., Mount Si
One week after picking up Pitcher of the Week honors, Mount Si senior Trevor Lane collects another award, this time winning Player of the Week for week 2. The left-handed hitter finished the week an outstanding 7-for-9 at the plate, scoring six times and driving in four more. Lane also stole 2 bags for the Wildcats, helping lead his squad to a 2-1 week.

Also nominated: None

Pitchers of the Week: Zach Johnson, Sr., LW & Reece Karalus, Sr., Mt Si
Two senior pitchers collect this week's award for outstanding performances. Johnson, the senior southpaw from LW heading to Edmonds Community College next season, was masterful in beating the top-ranked Mount Si Wildcats on Friday night. Johnson scattered six hits and allowed just a solo home run in a complete game victory. He struck out 7 Wildcats in the process. Karalus, who is committed to the University of Santa Clara, tossed a 2-hit shutout, striking out 7 in Mount Si's 7-0 win over Liberty. The righty needed just 79 pitches, and missed the strike zone just 20 times all afternoon.

Also nominated: Trevor Lane, Mt. Si; Trevor Taylor, Mt. Si;

KingCo 4A Awards: Week 4

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 4: April 9-14, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Lucas Eliason, Soph., Redmond
Lucas Eliason, the sophomore backstop for the Redmond Mustangs, came alive for the surging club. In three games, Eliason went 4-8 hitting two homeruns and a double while driving in six. With three walks, he posted a .636 OBP, scoring three times.

Pitcher of the Week: Adam Cline, Sr., Redmond
Columbia University bound Adam Cline led the Redmond Mustang pitching staff to a perfect 3-0 week in Kingco play. The right-hander tossed an 87 pitch complete game shutout against the Bothell Cougars on Monday. He came back on Friday to shutout the Woodinville Falcons for the final three innings to earn a save. In the 10 scoreless innings, Cline struck out 8 and only walked two.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Sam Kennard, Sr., Garfield
Sam Kennard of Garfield has earned player of the week honors for his offensive output versus Newport and Skyline. In two games, the senior went 3 for 6 with a double. He also tallied 3 RBI, driving in half of the Bulldog runs on the week.

Pitcher of the Week: Caleb Jaeger, Sr., Ballard
After multiple nominations due to dominating performances in this Kingco season, Caleb Jaeger of Ballard is the Crown pitcher of the week. In two games, the senior threw 10 1/3 innings of shutout baseball against Issaquah and Skyline. The Issaquah effort was a complete game shutout. His season ERA is now a miniscule 0.56 with his ERA in Kingco play at 0.65.

Hitting the Home Stretch

As we approach the final two weeks of play, conference races are heating up in the KingCo 3A & 4A leagues.  Four games remain for the 4A teams, with the 3A teams each with five games remaining on the slate.  Here's a quick look at the divisional races:

KingCo 4A - Crest Division

Skyline 8-2
Redmond 7-4
Issaquah 5-6
Newport 5-6
Eastlake 4-7

Skyline holds a game and a half lead over smoking hot Redmond, who was won seven straight league games and ten straight overall after an 0-7 start.  The win streak continued on Friday behind the perfect game of Peter Hendron in Redmond's 1-0 victory. Those two clubs match up on Monday - a win for Skyline would clinch the Crest Division crown as they would hold the tiebreaker over the Mustangs thanks to a season sweep.  Just one game separates Issaquah, Newport and Eastlake, who are fighting for two playoff spots.



KingCo 4A - Crown Division
Bothell 7-4
Inglemoor 7-4
Woodinville 7-4
Ballard 5-6
Garfield 4-7
Roosevelt 1-10

This hotly contested divisional race has all three Northshore teams tied for the top spot at 7-4.  Each team has four games remaining, so there's a good chance the division title could be decided on the regular season's final day (Monday, 4/30).  Ballard scored a huge win over Garfield last Thursday, completing a season sweep and giving them the upper hand on the Bulldogs for the final playoff spot in the Crown division.  The Beavers hold a full game lead and the tiebreaker, putting them in good shape.  Roosevelt must win out and have Ballard lose out to have any chance at the post-season.



KingCo 3A/2A
Lake Washington 8-1
Bellevue 7-2
Mount Si 6-2
Interlake 4-5 **
Mercer Island 3-5
Juanita 3-6
Liberty 3-6
Sammamish 1-8

** Interlake (2A) will not play in the KingCo post-season; they will instead play in districts with other 2A schools


Nine games into the conference season, Lake Washington sits alone atop the conference at 8-1.  Their lone blemish came to Bellevue, who knocked off both LW and Mount Si last week before losing to Interlake on Friday afternoon.  The Wolverines are one game back at 7-2, with Mount Si a game and a half back with a record of 6-2.  The top three spots appear secure, with a 3 game difference between 3rd and 4th place Mercer Island.  Juanita and Liberty are currently tied for 5th place at 3-6, with each team holding a full two game lead over Sammamish for the 6th and final playoff spot.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Stage Set for Friday Night Lights

Both Lake Washington and Mount Si won games on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, setting up a first place battle between two 5-0 teams on Friday night. The game will be played at 7:00 PM at Lee Johnson Field. Mount Si is ranked #1 in the state, with an overall record of 10-1 while LW sports a 9-2 record heading into the contest. Should be a fun atmosphere under the lights at Peter Kirk Park.

A look at the results from the past two days of KingCo 3A play:

Liberty 5, Mercer Island 4 - The Patriots scored five runs in the first two innings and made the lead hold up, picking up their first win of the 2012 campaign, 5-4 over Mercer Island. Izak Styskal struck out 7 in a complete game effort, scattering 8 hits and a walk while throwing 102 pitches. Blake Reeve had two hits and an RBI for Liberty, while Alex Himstead was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI for MI.

LW 11, Interlake 5 - Senior Victor Mayorquin's grand slam capped a furious comeback as the Kangs rallied for an incredible 10 runs with two outs in the seventh inning to shock the Saints, 11-5. LW was held in check all afternoon by Interlake lefty Austin Strother, who left the game with 2 on and 1 out with his team leading 4-1. The Kangs kept grinding out at bats and tied the game thanks to a 2-run single by Zach Johnson and a bases loaded walk by Shawn Gray. From there, walks and hit batters extended the lead until Mayorquin's blast sealed the deal. Sam Finfer drove in three runs for the Saints, who fell to 2-3 in league play. Sophomore Jordan LaFave reached base safely in all four plate appearances for LW, who heads into Friday night's showdown with Mount Si a perfect 5-0 in league.

Bellevue 10, Juanita 0 - The Wolverines continued their stellar play, winning their fourth straight KingCo game after an opening day loss, 10-0 over Juanita. Connor Foreman and Jack Meggs each scored two runs, while Jack Carlson scored three times for Bellevue. Following a loss to Mount Si on the first day of KingCo play, Bellevue has not lost, remaining just a game back of the first place Wildcats and Kangs.


Mount Si 11, Sammamish 0 - Trevor Taylor shutout the Totems over five innings to extend the Wildcats scoreless streak to 26 innings as Mount Si topped Sammamish 11-0. The defending KingCo 3A champs have allowed just a seventh inning run to Bellevue in the league opener, sporting an incredible 0.21 ERA in five league games. Trevor Lane followed up a 4-for-4 performance on Monday with another perfect effort, going 2-for-2 with a triple, walk, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Lane is now hitting .484 on the year, and will get the ball in Friday night's showdown against 5-0 Lake Washington.

Wednesday/Thursday 4A Action

Rain forced 2 of Wednesday's 5 scheduled 4A games to be bumped to Thursday. A full recap of the five games follows:

Wednesday/Thursday 4A Recaps

Bothell 6, Issaquah 1 - Brady Mickelson worked around some control issues to allow just 1 earned run in four innings as the Cougars knocked off Issaquah Wednesday, 6-1. Zach Anderson, Rex Carlin and Jake Storer each doubled for Bothell, who pulled into a second place tie with Inglemoor just a single game behind Crown Division leading Woodinville. Issaquah falls to 3-5 with the loss and finds itself in last place in the Crest Division. However, parody reigns, with the Eagles just a single game out of second place.

Skyline 2, Garfield 1 - Skyline's Clayton Huber outdueled Garfield's John Trupin in a classic pitchers duel, as the Spartans improved to 6-2 in league play with a 2-1 win over Garfield. Skyline scored single runs in the second and third innings and made the one-run lead hold up throughout. Huber also added two hits (including a double) and an RBI, while Corbin Powers also had two hits and a run batted in. Ricky Nakamura and Derek Billey picked up two knocks each for the Bulldogs in the loss.

Redmond 5, Roosevelt 1 - Senior Peter Hendron struck out 8 batters in six shutout innings to help the Mustangs continue their resurgence with a 5-1 win over Roosevelt. Redmond has won four straight KingCo games and six straight overall since starting their season 0-7. Steven Danek, Lucas Eliason, Brent Firth and Hendron all had two hits a piece, pacing the 'Stangs 10 hit attack.

Woodinville 7, Eastlake 3 - Caleb Hamilton was 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI and Marty Luckenbach pitched six strong innings as the Falcons topped Eastlake Thursday, 7-3. The game was tied at 1 into the bottom of the fifth, when Woodinville broke through scoring four times. Eastlake responded with two in the top of the sixth, but would get no closer. Woodinville improves to 6-2 in KingCo play with the win, one full game ahead of Inglemoor in the Crown Division.

Newport 4, Ballard 2 - Senior Nate Anderson's walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh sent the Knights home victories, as they knocked off a game Beavers squad, 4-2. Anderson's HR was just the third hit of the game for Newport, who was held in check all afternoon by Ballard's Joe Jacobson. Ben Welch and Alex Stamey each had two hits for the Beavers in a losing effort.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Full Slate of KingCo Action

First off, wanted to apologize again for the lack of coverage last week on the blog. It was a crazy week and I wasn't able to keep up with all the action. Hoping to stay on top of things from here on out.

Monday was the first day of the KingCo season with a full slate of action. With both the 3A and 4A on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule this week, there will be a lot of great baseball being played! Here's a look at yesterday's results.

Monday 4A Recaps
Ballard 4, Issaquah 0
- Senior Caleb Jaeger continued his tremendous run of pitching, striking out 5 in a complete game shutout as the Beavers blanked Issaquah, 4-0. Ballard scored four runs in the second inning off Eagle starter Ethan Kalin and Jaeger did the rest, scattering four hits and a walk in his seven innings of work. Stuart MacGeorge drove in two runs and stole two bases for Ballard, who evened their KingCo record at 4-4.

Garfield 5, Newport 3 - Colin Evenson allowed just 1 earned run in six solid innings and Sam Kennard was 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI as the Bulldogs knocked off the Knights, 5-3. Ricky Nakamura added three hits for Garfield, with Hayes Gorecki working a scoreless seventh for the save. Senior Jake Chinery had two hits for Newport, who struggled defensively, committing four errors on the afternoon.

Redmond 4, Bothell 0 - The Mustangs continued their resurgence, winning their third straight KingCo game 4-0 over Bothell. Adam Cline shutout the Cougars, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out six. Conner Bozman was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Steven Danek and Patrick McGrath each doubled for the 'Stangs. Bothell saw their four-game league win streak snapped.

Inglemoor 4, Skyline 2 - Inglemoor continued its strong play, downing Crest Division leading Skyline 4-2 on Monday evening. Danny Larsen was the inning pitcher, scattering 6 hits and 3 walks in 6 solid innings. He was aided by Willie Augustavo, who accounted for all four Viking runs by scoring twice and driving in two more. Patrick Harrod and Jack Valencia each had two hits for Skyline in a losing effort. The Spartans hold a one game lead over Eastlake in the Crest Division, while Inglemoor pulled to within a half-game of Woodinville in the Crown with their fourth straight win.

E
astlake 2, Roosevelt 1 - Junior Michael Staudinger's solo home run in the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and propelled Eastlake into second place in the Crest Division with a 2-1 win over Roosevelt. Starters Andrew Stull (Eastlake) and Graylin Derke (Roosevelt) both pitched well, but didn't factor into the decision. Josh Barokas worked three shutout innings in relief for the Wolves to pick up the win. Pitching was the story of the game, with the teams combining for just 6 hits on the afternoon.

Monday 3A Recaps
Mount Si 7, Liberty 0
- Santa Clara bound Reece Karalus continued the Wildcats amazing pitching run, shutting out the Patriots 7-0. Mount Si has not allowed a single run in the past 21 innings, allowing just a single run to Bellevue last Monday in their first 4 league games. Karalus allowed just 2 hits and didn't walk a single batter, needing just 79 pitches to go the distance. He was helped by fellow senior Trevor Lane, who finished the afternoon a perfect 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. Ben Wessel took the loss for Liberty, who is still searching for their first league win. Mount Si improved to 4-0 in league play and will look to continue their scoreless streak when they take on Sammamish on Wednesday.

Lake Washington 13, Juanita 10 - Theo Alexander's majestic grand slam in the fifth inning gave the Kangs the lead for good, as they improved to 4-0 in KingCo play with a 13-10 win over rival Juanita. The game was a classic Peter Kirk affair, with strange bounces, key plays and a ton of offense. Alexander's big blast came one inning after Juanita's Avery Britton had cleared the bases with a three-run double to put the Rebels back on top. Zach Johnson also homered for LW, with senior Ben Ciuba working the final two innings to preserve the win. Victor Mayorquin doubled and drove in three for LW, who will take on Interlake on Wednesday. Juanita, who lost their second straight league affair, got two hit nights from senior John Robinson and sophomores Bradley Close and Andy Cosgrove.

Mercer Island 8, Interlake 4 - The Islanders responded from a tough opening week with avengance, as they used a five-run third inning to down the Saints, 8-5. Senior Hunter Goldberg was the winning pitcher, and he got help from Chris Lawler (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and Matt Orehek (2-for-3, 3 RBI). Keegan Ogard and Brandon Lawler added 2 hits a piece for MI, which snapped a scoreless streak of 21 innings with the third inning 5-spot. Jake Wilson had 2 hits for Interlake, who fell to 2-2 with the loss.

Bellevue 8, Sammamish 5 - Bellevue fought back from an early deficit, scoring three times in the fifth and twice more in the sixth to topple the Totems, 8-5. Sammamish was led by the three hits of Joey Sullivan, with Paul Heywood and Ryan Hashimoto each added two hits a piece. The Wolverines win was their third straight, as they kept pace with Mount Si & Lake Washington, just one game back of the division leaders.

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 1

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 1: April 2 - 7, 2012

Player of the Week: Theo Alexander, Sr., Lake Washington
Outfielder Theo Alexander picks up the first KingCo 3A player of the week award in 2012. The senior who has committed to UC-Santa Barbara helped lead LW to a 3-0 week, going 4-for-7 with a triple, 2 home runs, 6 RBI and 5 runs scored. He also drew 4 walks, ending the week with a .727 on base percentage. Entering Monday night's contest, Alexander was slugging 1.200 on the year, with 16 RBiI and 11 runs scored in just 9 contests.

Also nominated: Daniel Besmer, Mount Si; Jack Meggs, Bellevue

Pitcher of the Week: Trevor Lane, Sr., Mount Si
Southpaw Trevor Lane was the star amongst many strong pitching performances in the first week of KingCo 3A play. The Western Nevada bound senior tossed a 1-hit shutout over Mercer Island on Wednesday, walking just 1 and striking out 10 in the process. Lane was in command all night and led a Wildcat staff that allowed just a single run in 21 innings of play. Lane has allowed just 3 runs in 18 innings this season, with an amazing 10:1 strikeout to walk ratio (30 Ks, 3 walks).

Also nominated: Reece Karalus, Mount Si; Zach Johnson, LW; Michael Raine, Bellevue

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 3

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 3: April 2 - 7, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Clayton Huber, Sr., Skyline
For many teams, offense has been hard to come by this year. Not true of the Skyline Spartans as Clayton Huber led them with his stick to a 2-0 week in Kingco play. In the two games, Huber was 5-7 with a double, a triple, and a homerun. He also drove in three while scoring two.

Pitcher of the Week: Brandon Mahovolich, Sr., Issaquah
For the second week in a row, an Issaquah pitcher garners the Crest Division’s pitcher of the week honors. This time it is staff ace, Brandon Mahovolich, for his complete game shutout of the Garfield Bulldogs. In the effort, the Gonzaga signee struck out ten without walking a single hitter.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Willie Augustavo, Jr., Inglemoor
Junior Willie Augustavo of the Inglemoor Vikings is this week’s player of the week in the Crown Division. Augustavo had hits in all three league games and drove in two runs for Inglemoor, who went a perfect 3-0 on the week.

Pitcher of the Week: Danny Larsen, Sr., Inglemoor
Senior Danny Larsen of Inglemoor again nabs pitcher of the week honors in the Crown Division, completing the sweep of the awards for the red-hot Vikings. In his 2nd complete game of the season, Larsen threw a 3 hitter in the 3-1 Viking win over Issaquah. In striking out three and walking just one, he lowered his Kingco 4A ERA to 1.56 in three games pitched.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Catching Up This Weekend

My apologies to the blog readers - been a tough week for me to get ahead of things. The blog will get caught up this weekend with a review of this week's baseball action. I will continue to update Twitter with the latest scores and hope to have some short recaps posted by the end of the weekend.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 2

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 2: March 26 - 31, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: No Nominations


Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Guiberson, Jr., Issaquah
Out of the pen, junior hurler Ryan Guiberson pitched the Issaquah Eagles to victory past the Skyline Spartans. The left-hander threw five shutout innings allowing the Eagles to win it in the 9th. On the day, he struck out two while only walking one.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Sam Lee, Jr., Bothell
Junior Sam Lee, earned player of the week honors in the Crown division for his work with the stick. The Bothell Cougar catcher posted six hits in nine at bats. He also drove in two while belting one home run.

Pitcher of the Week: Caleb Jaeger, Sr., Ballard
Senior Caleb Jaeger of the Ballard Beavers went the distance and then some in tossing eight innings as Ballard defeated Roosevelt 3-1. He struck out 11 Roughriders without walking a single hitter. Jeager is off to a hot start this year, giving up only three runs in 15 innings pitched in Kingco games.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Pitching Dominates KingCo 3A Openers

With aces on the mound for many of the league's teams on Monday, pitching was the story. The four losing teams combined to score just five runs, while only one team scored more than five runs. On to the recaps...

Mount Si 5, Bellevue 1 - The defending KingCo 3A and state champions picked up where they left off, beating Bellevue 5-1. Staff ace and Santa Clara signee Reece Karalus allowed just an unearned run and struck out 11 Wolverines, going the distance on 104 pitches. He also added two doubles and scored two of the Wildcat five runs. Mount Si used four consecutive doubles in the top of the seventh to break open a 1-0 game and give them the opening day victory. For Bellevue, Drew Quinlan pitched well in defeat, allowing just four hits and a run in five solid innings. Nolan Watson added a double for one of the two Wolverine hits.

LW 8, Sammamish 1 - Junior Nick Johnson scattered 7 hits in a complete game victory, while senior Theo Alexander homered and drove in 3 as the Kangs started league play 1-0 with an 8-1 win over Sammamish. Johnson didn't walk a single batter and struck out 7, needing just 86 pitches to get through seven innings. Four Kangs (Victor Mayorquin, Shawn Gray, Jeremy Parkhurst, Alac Wong) had two hits a piece, with Parkhurst and Mayorquin collecting doubles and Wong driving in two runs. Senior Corey Scheppe had two of the Totems seven hits and scored the lone Sammamish run.

Juanita 3, Mercer Island 1 - Taylor Dantini, Ty Eng and Sean Brennan combined to 3-hit the Islanders as Juanita upended MI, 3-1. Dantini picked up the win, allowing just 2 hits and a run over four solid innings. Eng and Brennan took care of the rest, with Brennan striking out the final batter of the game with the bases loaded in the seventh. The Rebels young lineup collected eight hits against Mercer Island starter Hunter Goldberg, with sophomore Michael Petter going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Fellow sophomore Brad Close had 2 hits as well for Juanita, who is looking to return to the playoffs in 2012. Matt Orehek had two hits and an RBI for the Islanders, who will look to bounce back against Mount Si on Wednesday.

Interlake 3, Liberty 2 - The Saints used a three-run sixth inning to sneak past Liberty, 3-2. Liberty starting pitcher Ben Wessel was cruising, but ended up being undone by some shaky Patriot defense. Liberty loaded the bases in the seventh, but left the tying run stranded at second base to end the game. Wessel took the loss despite allowing just 4 hits and striking out 7 in six strong innings. Junior Austin Strother pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings before giving way to Nate Wehner, who earned the win allowing 2 runs in the final 2 2/3 innings. Henry Lin was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Interlake, while Blake Reeve doubled and drove in a run for the Pats.

Monday, April 2, 2012

2012 KingCo 3A Preview

KingCo 3A - Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1) Mount Si (5 first place votes) - 47 points
2) Mercer Island - 40 (1)
3) Lake Washington (1) - 37 (1)
4) Interlake - 32 (1)
5) Bellevue - 26
6) Liberty - 20
7) Juanita - 12
8) Sammamish - 10

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 last place.



Team Capsules (listed alphabetically)
Bellevue Wolverines
Head Coach:
Pete Wilkinson (1st year)
2011 Summary: 7-7 KingCo (T-3rd in KingCo), 10-11 overall, lost in first round on KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Jack Carlson (Sr - 2B/OF), Connor Foreman (Sr - SS/P), Jack Meggs (Jr - OF/P), Jack Perkins (Sr - OF/P), Drew Quinlan (Sr - OF/P), Michael Raine (Sr - P/UTIL), Jake VanWolvelaere (Sr - P/1B)

Top newcomers: Mason Adams (Jr - 3B/P), Greg Bennett (OF/SS), Reid Hartmann (Jr - C), Chandler Hawk (Soph - IF), Trent Ishii (Sr - P), Beau Jack (Jr - 2B/LF), Robby Lundquist (Fr - C), Jack Moore (Jr - IF), Freddy Moss (Jr - OF/1B), Teddy Rou (Jr - 1B/P), Aaron Saathoff (Jr - C), Nolan Watson (Jr - 3B/P)

Season Outlook from Coach Wilkinson: We bring back 6 regulars from a team that competed for the top spot in the league for half the season in 2011. There is pitching depth and a very solid outfield. We must prove ourselves in the middle infield and at catcher, and we must be able to compete at the top end of the pitching staff if we’re to make a run at a Conference title. Team speed is good. Offensive production is the biggest question mark from 2011. The group is athletic, versatile, and hungry.



Interlake Saints
Head Coach:
Marc Linn (2nd year)
2011 Summary: 8-6 KingCo (3rd in KingCo 3A), 13-11 overall, lost to eventual State champion Burlington-Edison 3-2 in 9 innings at Regionals

Returning starters: Austin Strother (Jr - P/DH), Sam Finfer (Jr - C), Jake Wilson (Sr - OF), Carl Snaring (Sr - P/OF), Joey Button (Sr - OF)

Top newcomers: Henry Lin (Soph - P/IF), Nate Wehner (Soph - P), Jihad Mardini (Jr - OF), Jason Sass (Soph - P/IF)

Season Outlook from Coach Linn: Our health is going to be the Key. We are not a deep team but we do return several players from the team that advanced to the regional tournament a year ago. Our Pitching will be the strength of our team once again. Our offense must be able to generate more run support for our Pitchers this season to be successful. We are going to ask players to step into more of a leadership role this season since eight seniors graduated last year. The nice situation is players know the expectations this season compared to a year ago with a new coaching staff.



Juanita Rebels
Head Coach:
Sherman Leach (2nd year, 3-17 career record)
2011 Summary: 3-11 KingCo (Last in KingCo 3A), 3-17 overall

Returning starters: Conner Jackson (Sr - P/UTIL)

Other returners: Sean Brennan (Jr - P/OF), Avery Britton (Jr - OF/P), Taylor Dantini (Sr - OF/P), Ty Eng (Jr - P/OF)

Top newcomers: Daniel Atkins (Sr - C/OF), Brad Close (Soph - IF), Andy Cosgrove (Soph - C/IF), Matt Iverson (Sr - P), Kyler Kedroske (Soph - IF), John Robinson (Sr - IF/P), Conner Rusch (Jr - IF/P)

Season Outlook from Coach Leach: A nice core group of arms give optimism to the Juanita program this season. With only five seniors and three sophomores, it will be a young, but athletic group. The first week will be a strong indicator of what’s to come for the Rebels.



Lake Washington Kangs
Head Coach:
Derek Bingham (8th year, 106-57 career record)
2011 Summary: 8-5 KingCo (2nd in Crown division), 13-11 overall, lost in KingCo championship game, advanced to State tournament, lost to Hanford at Regionals

Returning starters: Theo Alexander (Sr - OF), Nick Johnson (Jr - P/IF), Zach Johnson (Sr - P/1B), Victor Mayorquin (Sr - OF), Steve Semler (Jr - C)

Other returners: Alac Wong (Jr - IF/OF)

Top newcomers: Ty Amundsen (Jr - 1B), Ben Ciuba (Sr - P), Shawn Gray (Jr - OF/P), Robert Hill (Jr - P/IF), Chase Keierleber (Jr - IF/C), Jordan LaFave (Soph - IF), Rasik Parikh (Jr - P/OF), Jeremy Parkhurst (Sr - IF), Jacob Reddinger (Sr - P)

Season Outlook from Coach Bingham: The Kangs enter 2012 looking to build of a strong finish to last season’s campaign. While we lost a good bit of talent to graduation last year, a solid core returns including five starters from a year ago. We will be talented but inexperienced on the mound, with Zach Johnson the only player on the roster to pitch any KingCo innings in 2011. A strong junior class along with the solid seniors that return have the Kangs setting their sights on competing for a KingCo championship and a return to the State tournament.



Liberty Patriots
Head Coach:
John Martin (1st year)
2011 Summary: 6-8 KingCo (5th in KingCo 3A), 9-10 overall, lost in the KingCo tournament

Returning players: Jack Brady (Sr - OF), Monte Korsmoe (Sr - P/C), Blake Reeve (Sr - P/IF), Izak Styskal (Sr - P/OF), Ben Wessel (Sr - P/1B/OF)

Top newcomers: Lorin Archibald (Soph - IF), Garrett Hughes (Jr - IF), Jalen Mano (Jr - OF), Luke Oman (Jr - C), Darren Peterson (1B), Nicholas Short (P/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Martin: Hope to have decent pitching support. Will work hard to compete in the tough 3A KingCo league.



Mercer Island
Head Coach:
Cory Smith (3rd year, 31-17 career record)
2011 Summary: 7-7 KingCo (T-3rd in KingCo 3A), 13-10 overall, 3rd place in KingCo tournament

Returning starters: Max Dammeier (Sr - P/OF/1B), Nick Holstead (Sr - IF), Hunter Goldberg (Sr - P), Chris Lawler (Soph - IF/P), Cameron Ogard (Sr - C/DH), David Oppenheim (Sr - OF/P), Matt Orehek (Jr - IF), Phil Pugel (Sr - OF/P)

Other returners: Alex Himstead (Jr - P/1B), Isak Morris (Jr - P/OF)

Top newcomers: Nick Chandler (Jr - OF/P), Keegan Ogard (Soph - C), Steven Petrie (Jr - OF/P), Mack Schlamp (Jr - UTIL)

Season Outlook from Coach Smith: 10 players with some varsity experience returning to compete this year with some new talent for a deep roster. Pitching depth is very good this year and should help keep ball games close. We are excited about this group and hope to be in the hunt for a league title.



Mount Si
Head Coach:
Elliott Cribby (2nd year, 22-3 career record)
2011 Summary: 12-1 KingCo (KingCo 3A regular season champions), 22-3 overall, KingCo 3A Tournament Champions, 3A State Champions

Returning starters: Ryan Atkinson (Sr - IF), Daniel Besmer (Sr - OF), Justin Henak (Sr - UTIL), Reece Karalus (Sr - P/1B), Trevor Lane (Sr - P/1B/OF), Trevor Taylor (Sr - P/OF/3B)

Other returners: Brian Woolley (Jr - UTIL)

Top newcomers: Joe Boyce (Jr - P), Carson Breshears (Soph - IF), Gunnar Buhner (Jr - IF), Joey Cotto (Jr - OF), Connor Jensen (Jr - IF), Evan Johnson (Soph - C/OF), Connor Swift (Jr - P/OF), Ross Tassara (Sr - P/IF), Zach Usselman (Soph - C/P)

Season Outlook from Coach Cribby: The Wildcats look to repeat as KingCo 3A Champions and defend their 2011 3A State Championship. A trio of power arms on the mound in Seniors Reece Karalus, Trevor Lane, and Trevor Taylor have the ‘Cats poised for another run.



Sammamish Totems
Head Coach:
Pete Orgill (1st year)
2011 Summary: 4-10 KingCo (Xst in Crown division), 10-10 overall

Returning starters: Michael Colombi (Sr - SS/P), Joe Giachetti (Soph - P/IF), Ryan Hashimoto (Sr - P/OF), Paul Heywood (Sr - P/IF), Tyler Hormel (Sr - OF), Jacob West (Sr - P)

Other returners: Christian Davis (Sr - OF), Aaron Farnum (Sr - IF), Eric Nahn (Sr - P/OF), Joe Sullivan (Sr - C), Shing Varakitsomboon (Sr - OF)

Top newcomers: Tristan Cates (Soph - P/3B), Nick DeGallier (Fr - P/1B), Ben Friedman (Fr - C), Corey Scheppe (Sr - 1B)

Season Outlook from Coach Orgill: With mostly Seniors, the Totems are ready to compete this year for a spot in the post season. This team is full of hard workers and players who love playing the game and playing together. This year’s team will play hard and wants to win and with this group of seniors anything is possible.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Spartans, Falcons Remain Unbeaten in KingCo Play

Skyline and Woodinville are now the lone unbeaten KingCo 4A clubs, winning by identical scores on Wednesday. Here's a look at the action from a wet and windy Wednesday.

Crest Division
Skyline 6, Newport 2 - Junior Matt Sinatro's two-out RBI double broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh inning as Skyline topped Newport 6-2 in a battle of unbeaten Crest Division teams. Both starting pitchers threw the ball well, with reigning Crest Division pitcher of the week Matt Lunde exchanging blows with Newport starter Aaron Sandefur. Both allowed 2 runs in five innings before giving way to the bullpens. Skyline took advantage in the seventh, with Sinatro's double keying a four-run rally. Following the double, Jimmy Sinatro was intentionally walked. Senior Clayton Huber made the Knights pay, doubling home two more insurance runs for Skyline. Junior Corbin Powers picked up the win, working 2 shutout innings in relief of Lunde. The Knights were held to just 3 hits on the day, with their lone RBI coming from Kyle Goemmer.

Issaquah 6, Redmond 1 - Gonzaga signee Brandon Mahovlich kept the Mustang bats in check, allowing just a run on four hits as the Eagles topped Redmond on Wednesday night, 6-1. Mahovlich was effectively wild, walking six but striking out nine in the complete game victory. Issaquah scored 4 runs in the third off Mustang senior starter Peter Hendron, with Ethan Kalin driving in two. They tacked on 2 more in the 6th on a 2-run home run by senior catcher Andrew Kemmerer. Hendron, who was 2-for-3 with Redmond's lone RBI, took the loss for the 0-4 'Stangs.

Crown Division
Garfield 5, Inglemoor 0 - Senior Collin Evenson spun a 6-hit shutout and Liam McFeely doubled and drove in two as the Bulldogs evened their KingCo record at 2-2 with a 5-0 win over Inglemoor. Evenson needed just 87 pitches in the complete game victory, not walking a single batter while striking out 3. McFeely's double started the scoring in the third inning, and Garfield tacked on two more runs in the fourth and a single tally in the sixth en route to the impressive win. Junior Willie Augustavo doubled for the Vikings, who dropped to 1-3 with the loss.

Bothell 7, Ballard 5 - Rex Carlin and Brett Steiner each doubled and drove in a run as Bothell slipped past the Ballard Beavers, 7-5. The game was tight throughout, with Carlin also shutting out Ballard through five innings. The Beavers scored twice in the 6th to close the gap to 3-2. That was as close as they'd get however, as Bothell scored four times in the top of the seventh and held off a seventh inning rally. Carlin was the winning pitcher, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits in six innings of work. He was helped by Kellen Webster, who finished the day 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Frank Airey chipped in two hits for the Beavers in the loss.

Woodinville 6, Roosevelt 2 - A five-run fourth inning was the 'Riders undoing, as they dropped Wednesday night's game to the #3 ranked Falcons, 6-2. Roosevelt got out to an early lead, scoring on a Woodinville error in the first and a solo home run by Mitchell Bouldin in the third. Myles Franklin singled home a run in the bottom half of the third to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. Woodinville would take the lead for good in the fourth, bringing all nine batters to the plate in a 5-run inning. Cody Bauman took care of the rest, working three shutout innings to pick up the save in relief of Jeff Wyner. Bouldin had two of Roosevelt's three hits, with senior Graylin Derke taking the loss. For the 4-0 Falcons, Shea Donlin and Myles Franklin each had 2 hits, with Franklin driving home two runs. Woodinville will go for the Crown Division sweep on Friday when they host Ballard at 6:30 PM.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 1

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 1: March 19 - 24, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: John Armour, Sr., Eastlake
Eastlake senior John Armour had a fine week at the plate for the Wolves. In two games, the outfielder went 4-6 with one double. However, the biggest at bat came in the form of a walk off RBI against Issaquah on Thursday, completing a perfect 2-0 week for the Crest Division leading Wolves.

Pitcher of the Week: Matt Lunde, Sr., Skyline
Skyline’s southpaw, Matt Lunde, earned pitcher of the week honors for the Crest division for his dominating performance against the Redmond Mustangs. Lunde was in control from beginning to end as he tossed six innings while only allowing one hit and one walk. He also fanned eight Mustang hitters in the performance.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Shea Donlin, Sr., Woodinville
WSU bound Shea Donlin paced the potent Woodinville attack in going 4-7 in the two game week. The senior shortstop drove in four and scored three times. Donlin was also able to swipe two bases in the perfect 2-0 week for the Woodinville Falcons.

Pitcher of the Week: Danny Larsen, Sr., Inglemoor
The pitching line of the week comes from Inglemoor senior Danny Larsen. The lefthander quieted the Ballard Beavers’ bats in pitching a complete game, one hitter. He struck out two and walked none in the 9-0 Viking win.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Seattle Times 4A/3A Baseball Rankings

The first rankings are out from Mason Kelley at the Seattle Times, and the KingCo conference is well represented. At the 3A level, the defending state champion Mount Si Wildcats top the poll with their 4-1 record. Lake Washington and Mercer Island are on Kelley's watch list as teams that just missed the cut.

As for 4A, Woodinville is the highest ranked KingCo team, coming in at #3 behind Puyallup and Kentwood. Newport checks in at #6 with their perfect 5-0 record. Eastlake, Garfield and Issaquah round out teams to "keep an eye on".

You can view the entire rankings here:
4A and 3A high school baseball rankings - Week 1

Close Games the Story of Monday's 4A Action

Monday was a day for nail-biters, with the five games being decided by a total of six runs. Four of the contests were one run games, with two of them needing extra innings to declare a winner.

Crown Division
Bothell 4, Inglemoor 3 (8 inn.) - Junior Samuel Lee went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and 2 RBI as Bothell walked off on rival Inglemoor in the bottom of the eighth inning, 4-3. Zach Anderson added two doubles and an RBI for Bothell, who picked up their first KingCo win in three attempts. The Vikings had tied the game up with 2 runs in the sixth, but could never overtake the Cougars before falling in the last half of the eighth. Brady Mickelson picked up the win for Bothell, while Lucas Wimmer took the loss. Tyler Beahan had a 3 hits, including a double for IHS.

Woodinville 2, Garfield 1 (9 inn.) - Senior Nate Wilham's groundout plated fellow senior Beau Vinterun with the go ahead run in the top of the ninth as the Falcons survived a scare from Garfield in a 2-1 win. Senior and Washington State University commit Shea Donlin put Woodinville ahead in the top of the first inning with an RBI single. Garfield's Charlie Tarnoff tied the game in the bottom half of the third with an RBI of his own. The game would remain scoreless until the ninth, with both starting pitchers and relievers keeping the opponent bats at bay. Senior Cody Bauman struck out four in 2 1/3 innings of work to pick up the win. Bulldog senior John Trupin pitched great, allowing just a single run while striking out five in seven innings in a no-decision. Woodinville remains the only unbeaten team in the Crown Division at 3-0.


Ballard 3, Roosevelt 1 - Senior Caleb Jaeger was once again dominant for the Beavers, striking out 11 in a complete game win as Ballard slid past Roosevelt, 3-1. Jaeger needed just 71 pitches to go the distance, throwing just 15 balls the entire day. He allowed three hits and one earned run, while not walking a single batter. Junior Ben Welch paced the Ballard offense, going 4-for-4 with a double, while junior George Chrisafis added a double of his own. Myles Gouveia pitched well in defeat, allowing just 4 hits and an earned run in four innings of work.


Crest Division
Skyline 4, Eastlake 3 - Senior Patrick Harrod's 2-out double in the bottom of the seventh scored Brandon Fischer with the winning run, as the Spartans topped Eastlake, 4-3. The Wolves had battled back from a 3-0 deficit with three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game, only to watch the Spartans walk off in the last half. Senior Clayton Huber was dominant on the mound, allowing just a hit in six shutout innings, but the bullpen gave up the lead, costing him the win. Josh Barokas was the losing pitcher, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) in a complete game effort. Mick Vorhoff was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Wolves, who took their first league loss of 2012. Fischer and Jack Valencia each had 2 knocks for the now 2-0 Spartans.

Newport 2, Redmond 1 - In a battle of the two Crest division co-champions of a year ago, the Knights prevailed over Redmond by the final of 2-1. Senior Billy Sahlinger starred for Newport, hitting the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the sixth as well as tossing a complete game. Sahlinger allowed just 5 hits and didn't walk a batter, needing just 85 pitches to go the distance. Redmond senior Adam Cline was nearly as effective, as he allowed just 2 hits and 2 earned runs, also working a complete game. Newport keeps pace with Skyline at 2-0, while Redmond drops to 0-3 in KingCo play.

Monday, March 26, 2012

2012 KingCo 4A - Crown Division Preview

Crown Division - Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1) Woodinville (5 first place votes) - 25 points
T-2) Bothell - 19 points
T-2) Inglemoor (1) - 19 points
4) Ballard - 12 points
5) Garfield - 9 points
6) Roosevelt - 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
2011 Summary: 6-8 KingCo (4th in Crown division), 9-10 overall

Returning players: Frank Airey (Jr - C), Nelson Cooper (Sr - 1B/DH), Paul Crane (Sr - P), Rory Graf-Brennen (Jr - OF/2B), Joe Jacobson (Jr - P), Caleb Jaeger (Sr - P), Ryan Kangas (Jr - SS), Stewart MacGeorge (Jr - OF), Alex Stamey (Jr - 2B), Steven Weber (Sr - 1B/P), Ben Welch (Jr - SS/OF)

Top newcomers: George Chrisafis (Jr - 3B), Chris Kahn (Jr - P), Drew Lombardi (Jr- C), Damani Nkeiruka (Jr - P/OF), Carl Pearson (Jr - P), Ian Scott (Soph - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Lamm: We hit .316 as a team but we did not face all the #1 one pitchers last year. We will hit well and play defence with so many returning varsity players. Our arms will make or break us this year. If we make teams put the ball in play and not give up walks we will be competitive in most our games.



Bothell Cougars
Head Coach:
Paul Moody (14th year, 350-265 career record)
2011 Summary: 13-2 KingCo (1st in Crown division), 23-4 overall, KingCo Champions, 4A State champions

Returning starters: Sam Lee (Jr - C), Mark Woods (Sr - SS)

Other returners: Zach Anderson (Sr - 1B), Rex Carlin (Sr - 3B/P), Nik Gray (Sr - OF), Brady Mickelson (Sr - P), Kellen Webster (Soph - 2B)

Top newcomers: Jake Cooper (Jr - C), Travis Dohr (Jr - 1B/P), Daniel Fredrickson (Soph - OF), Evan Harder (Jr - P), Ryan Harder (Jr - OF/P), Ryan Hert (Jr - P), Camden McLeod (Jr - P/3B), Brett Steiner (Sr - OF/P), Jake Storer (Sr - OF), Eric Woods (Sr - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Moody: Bothell graduated a lot of seniors from 2011 and looks to rebuild.



Garfield Bulldogs
Head Coach:
Chris Moedritzer (2nd year)
2011 Summary: 3-12 KingCo (5th in Crown division), 6-14 overall

Returning starters: Hayes Gorecki (Jr - 3B), Chandler Honican (Jr - SS), Liam McFeely (Sr - 2B/P), John Trupin (Sr - P/1B), Zach Ward (Sr - OF/P/1B)

Other returners: Hank Droege (Sr - P/C/1B), Collin Evenson (Sr - P/OF), Sam Kennard (Sr - C/2B), Ricky Nakamura (Sr - OF), Joe Renner (Sr - P/3B)

Top newcomers: Justin Arkills-McLain (Soph - OF/P/3B), Derek Billey (Soph - OF/SS), Alex Chase (C), Duncan Skerrett (Soph - P/OF/1B), Owen Vickrey (Soph - P/3B)

Season Outlook from Coach Moedritzer: Garfield returns a large senior class, including one of the top pitchers in the conference. The sophomore class now on Varsity led JV to its first record above .500 since joining Kingco 4A in the 1990s. The pitching, offense ,and defense looks to improve from a competitive club last season. The Bulldogs hope to put it all together this year to make a playoff run.



Inglemoor Vikings
Head Coach:
Bryan McNaghten (4th year, 62-36 career record)
2011 Summary: 9-6 KingCo (3rd in Crown division), 15-9 overall, 4th place finish in KingCo tournament

Returning starters: Tyler Beahan (Sr - OF), Brandon Edwards (Jr - IF), Blake Wilson (Sr - OF)

Other returners: Kenny Holen (Jr - IF), Danny Larson (Sr - P), Jake Sleder (Jr - IF), Lucas Wimmer (Sr - P/IF)

Top newcomers: Willie Augustavo (Jr - P), Curtis Bafus (Soph - P), Dustin Bradshaw (Jr - OF), Ryan Caylor (Sr - P), Perry Pipkin (Sr - C), Josh Seefeld (Jr - C), Josh Williams (Sr - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach McNaghten: Team has lack of varsity experience – success will depend on how quickly they can elevate their game.



Roosevelt Roughriders
Head Coach:
Jason Bowie (7th year)
2011 Summary: 2-13 KingCo (6th in Crown division), 6-14 overall

Returning starters: Mitchell Bouldin (Jr - OF), Graylin Derke (Sr - IF/P), Tate Maider (Jr - C/1B), Spencer Maniccia (Jr - 1B/P), Zach Naon (Sr - OF), Cody Shaul (Sr - 1B), K.J. Suedel (Soph - IF)

Other returners: Bridger Hayashi (Sr - C)

Top newcomers: Nathan Aberg (Jr - 3B/2B), Nick Ferguson (Jr - P/IF), Myles Gouveia (Soph - IF/P), Paul Gray (Sr - OF/P), Julien Hayes (Jr - IF/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Bowie: The Roughriders lost some arms from last year’s squad and are hoping to have some younger pitchers pick up the slack. Pitching and defense will be the key for the Riders this year. The top half of the batting order could be pretty strong. Hopefully the crop of incoming arms can propel the Riders to a few more KingCo victories this season.



Woodinville Falcons
Head Coach:
Terry Agnew (21st year)
2011 Summary: 9-5 KingCo (2nd in Crown division)

Returning starters: Clarke Bader (Sr - C), Shea Donlin (Sr - SS), T.C. Florentine (Sr - CF), Spencer Greer (Sr - P), Marty Luckenbach (Sr - P), Beau Vinterun (Sr - 2B)

Other returners: Cody Bauman (Sr - P), Max Carter (Sr - OF), Myles Franklin (Sr - 1B), Nate Wilham (Sr - OF)

Top newcomers: Conner Brueske (Jr - OF), Caleb Hamilton (Jr - IF/P), Griffen Jones (Sr - OF), Matt Laitala (Sr - IF), Stephan White (Jr - P), Tommy Wick (Soph - IF), Lee Wunderlich (Soph - C/OF), Jeff Wyner (Sr - P/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Agnew: Woodinville has a veteran team with starters returning in most positions. Pitching depth and team speed are two of Woodinville’s main strengths.

2012 KingCo 4A - Crest Division Preview

Crest Division - Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1) Issaquah (4 first place votes) - 16 points
2) Newport (1) - 13 points
3) Redmond - 9 points
4) Skyline - 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.







Team Capsules (listed alphabetically)
Eastlake Wolves

Head Coach: Kevin Agnew (2nd year, 27-46 career record)
2011 Summary: 1-11 KingCo (5th in Crest division), 6-14 overall

Returning starters: Casey Fithian (Sr – C), John Armour (Sr – OF), Robert Nolan (Sr – IF), Andrew Stull (Sr – P)

Other returners: Grant Beahm (Jr – OF), Griffin Davis (Jr – IF), Josh Barokas (Jr – P/IF), Michael Staudinger (Jr – IF)

Top newcomers: Mick Vorhoff (Soph – P), Ryan Pladson (Jr – IF/P), Mason Pierzchalski (Soph – IF), Ryan Teasell (Jr – IF), Mitch Loofburrow (Jr – P/OF)


Season Outlook from Coach Agnew: We have great senior leadership. We have two quality starters that we will rely on heavily. Our offense will be young, but talented, and anchored by two seniors at the top in Armour and Fithian. If we can play solid defense and execute offensively we will have a shot to make the playoffs.







Issaquah Eagles
Head Coach:
Rob Reese (19th year, 306-137 career record)
2011 Summary: 6-8 KingCo (4th in Crest division), 8-14 overall, Lost in KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Jake Bakamus (Sr - SS), Blake Miller (Sr - OF), Jack Gellatly (Soph - 3B), Ethan Kalin (Sr - P/1B), Andrew Kemmerer (Sr - P/C), Brandon Mahovlich (Sr - P/OF), Mitchell Morimoto (Soph - OF)

Other returners: Scott Boydston (Sr - P), Ryan Guiberson (Jr - P/1B), Trenton Nagasawa (Sr - 2B), Danny Rawlings (Sr - OF), Zach Walker (Jr - C), Cole Westover (Sr - P)

Top newcomers: Derek Chapman (Soph - OF), Ryan Dixon (Jr - P/1B), Blake Jones (Soph - SS), Sam Reynolds (Sr - OF), Nick Sutherland (Soph - 3B), Kyle Thomas (Jr - 2B), Justin Vernia (Jr - P)

Season Outlook from Coach Reese: Eagles return 14 players from last season. Entire pitching staff plus 7 starters are back. Pitching staff should keep the Eagles in game while some young hitters develop early. Starting SS Jake Bakamus will return in the next 2 weeks from a torn ACL . His leadership will help solidify an infield with 3 sophomores currently starting. Eagles are led by Gonzaga signee Brandon Mahovlich.







Newport Knights
Head Coach:
Hal DeBerry (4th year, 36-15 career record)
2011 Summary: 11-3 KingCo (T-1st in Crest division), 19-6 overall, KingCo tourney runner-up, lost in 4A state quarterfinals

Returning starters: Nate Anderson (Sr - CF), Curtis Kojima (Sr - OF), Mason Paul (Sr - IF), Billy Sahlinger (Sr - SS/P), Aaron Sandefur (Sr - 3B/P)

Other returners: Kyle Goemmer (Sr - IF), Ioannis Kritsonis (Sr - 2B)

Top newcomers: Mack Barry (Jr - C), Jacob Chinery (Sr - OF/P), Trevor Creek (Sr - 1B/P), James Ferris (Jr - OF), Connor McCarthy (Sr - 3B/P), Levi Novak (Sr - P), Jordan Omoto (Sr - DH), Jacob Rosen (Jr - 1B/P), Ben Schuler (Sr - C)

Season Outlook from Coach DeBerry: We will blend a solid group of returners with several new faces. The ability to improve as we go will determine where we finish in a typical KINGCO league; an absolute battle in every game on the schedule.







Redmond Mustangs
Head Coach:
Dan Pudwill (8th year, 124-46 career record)
2011 Summary: 11-3 KingCo (T-1st in Crest division), 20-9 overall , 4th place finish in 4A state tournament

Returning starters: Cody Beliel (Sr - 2B), Peter Hendron (Sr - P/1B/OF), Patrick McGrath (Sr - SS)

Other returners: Adam Cline (Sr - P), Steven Danek (Sr - OF/P), Peyton Lutz (Sr - OF/P), Alex Miller (Sr - P)

Top newcomers: Brandon Burditt (Soph - OF), Lucas Eliason (Soph - C/3B/P), Kyle Francis (Soph - 1B/P), Brent Firth (Jr - 1B/3B)

Season Outlook from Coach Pudwill: Though 13 seniors are rostered, we are a very young team in terms of varsity experience. We do have some depth on the mound but not much elsewhere. We will have to work, scratch, and claw to find our way into the playoffs.







Skyline Spartans
Head Coach:
Chris Tamminen (8th year)
2011 Summary: 8-6 KingCo (3rd in Crest division)

Returning starters: Brandon Fischer (Sr - OF), Connor Gilchrist (Sr - OF/P), Clayton Huber (Sr - IF/P), Matt Lunde (Sr - P), Conner Reinersten (Sr - OF), Jimmy Sinatro (Sr - C), Matt Sinatro (Jr - IF)

Other returners: None listed

Top newcomers: Pat Harrod (Sr - IF), Chris Moellendorf (Sr - OF), Mike Stewart (Sr - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Tamminen: Tough league as always. Hoping to compete at a high level and get better as season goes along.






Friday, March 23, 2012

Eastlake Doubles 2011 KingCo Win Total

The 2012 KingCo 4A baseball season is a week into the books after Thursday's slate of games...

Crest Division
Eastlake 4, Issaquah 3 - Senior John Armour provided the game-winning hit as the Wolves scored twice in the bottom of the 7th inning to walk-off on Issaquah, 4-3. The win pushed Eastlake's record to 2-0 and doubled their KingCo conference win total from just a season ago. Four Eastlake ptichers combined to keep the Eagles bats in check, with senior Alexander Chen picking up the win after working a scoreless top of the seventh. Senior Ethan Kalin was the tough luck loser for Issaquah, going the distance allowing just four hits. The offense was paced by Brandon Mahlovich, who had two hits, a double, and drove in all three Eagle runs. Eastlake finds itself alone atop the Crest Divison after the first week of league play.

Skyline 4, Redmond 2 - The Spartans came out on top of a pitchers' duel, scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth inning to top the Mustangs, 4-2. The game was scoreless through five innings, with seniors Matt Lunde (Skyline) and Peter Hendron (Redmond) matching zeroes. The 'Stangs would break through in the sixth when sophomore Brandon Burditt scored on a passed ball. Skyline did their damage in the bottom half once Hendron left the game. Senior Connor Gilchrist's bases loaded single plated two giving Skyline their first lead at 2-1. Junior Matt Sinatro followed with an RBI single, and after another run scored on a wild pitch, Sparta found themselves up 4-1. Redmond would threaten, bringing the tying run to the plate, but could not muster a comeback. Lunde picked up the win, allowing just 1 hit and the 1 earned run while striking out 8. Hendron worked five shutout innings with eight strikeouts, but did not factor in the decision.

Newport - BYE

Crown Division
Woodinville 7, Bothell 1 - Senior Spencer Greer kept the Cougar bats in check, allowing just five hits and a run while striking out six as the Falcons moved to 2-0 with a 7-1 win over the defending 4A state champs. Woodinville jumped out early with four runs in the bottom of the first, with Shea Donlin, Matt Laitala and Beau Vinterun all driving in runs. Greer would do the rest, allowing just a 4th inning run in his six innings of work. Donlin finished the day with 2 hits and the RBI, while senior Rex Carlin collected 2 of Bothell's 5 hits.

Inglemoor 9, Ballard 0 - Danny Larsen spun a 1-hit shutout and Tyler Beahan and Josh Seefeld had two hits a piece as the Vikings evened their KingCo record at 1-1 with a 9-0 win over Ballard. Inglemoor broke a close game open with a 5-run fourth inning and relied on Larsen to finish things off. He wouldn't disappoint, allowing just the 1 hit while not walking a single Beaver hitter.

Garfield 5, Roosevelt 2 - Junior shortstop Chandler Honican collected three hits and three RBI, helping his Bulldogs bounce back from an opening day loss with a 5-2 win over Roosevelt. Collin Evanson was the winning pitcher, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) over four innings of work. He combined with two other Garfield pitchers to hold the 'Riders to just two hits. Zach Ward chipped in with two hits and also picked up the save on the mound, working a scoreless seventh inning. Both teams find themselves at 1-1 after the first week of KingCo play.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Strong Pitching Highlights 4A Openers

Pitching was the name of the game on Tuesday, with 9 of the 10 teams holding their opponents to five runs or less. Each winning team allowed no more than 3 runs, with two of the teams tossing shutouts. Let's get to the highlights from KingCo 4A Opening Day:

Crown Division
Roosevelt 1, Bothell 0 - Four Roughrider pitchers combined on a 4-hit shutout as Roosevelt made a single run in the bottom of the first stand up in a 1-0 win over the defending 4A state champion Cougars. Zach Naon scored the lone run of the game, scoring from first on Graylin Derke's first inning triple. Nick Ferguson was the winning pitcher, with Derke recording the final two outs of the contest to earn the save. For Bothell, Brady Mickelson was the tough luck loser, allowing just 3 hits and 1 earned while striking out 9 Roughriders. Rex Carlin had half of Bothell's four hits, including a double in the fourth inning.

Ballard 4, Garfield 2 - Caleb Jaeger struck out 8 in a complete game victory, as Ballard opened up KingCo play with a 4-2 win over the Bulldogs. Jaeger scattered four hits and a walk, allowing two earned runs in his seven innings of work. The Beavers got off to a hot start, scoring twice in the first on an error and an RBI double by Nelson Cooper. Rory Graf-Brennen doubled home two more runs in the second to stake Ballard to the 4-0 lead. Garfield would score twice in the fifth on an RBI double by Liam McFeely and a run-scoring single by Sam Kennard to cut the gap in half. However, Jaeger would finish strong, retiring 6 of the final 7 Garfield hitters to preserve the season-opening win.

Woodinville 13, Inglemoor 2 - The Falcons made a statement in their first KingCo game of 2012, scoring 10 runs in the first two innings en route to a 13-2 win over Northshore rival Inglemoor. Woodinville put six runs on the board before the Vikings had a chance to bat, and added four more in the second inning. A three-spot in the fourth would extend the lead to 13-0 and the Falcons would cruise from their for the 5-inning victory. Seniors Shea Donlin (Washington State commit) and TC Florentine each had 2 hits for the Falcons, while Oregon State signee Marty Luchenbach worked four innings for the win. Dustin Bradshaw took the loss for Inglemoor.


Crest Division
Newport 4, Issaquah 3 - The Knights scored twice in the top of the 7th inning to break a 2-2 tie and hang on for a hotly contested 4-3 win over their rival Issaquah Eagles. Issaquah jumped out early on Newport senior starter Billy Sahlinger, with RBI doubles from Blake Jones and Ethan Kalin. However, the Eagles would not score again until the seventh. Newport clawed their way back with single runs in the 4th and 6th innings to tie the game before the 2-run 7th inning rally. Issy would score once in the final frame to cut the lead to 1, but Aaron Sandefur shut the door, preserving the win for Newport. Senior southpaw Trevor Creek worked a shutout sixth inning to pick up the win, while Sahlinger was 1-2 with an RBI and 3 walks on the day.

Eastlake 5, Redmond 0 - Eastlake started the 2012 KingCo season off on the right foot, knocking off the defending Crest Division co-champion Mustangs 5-0 at Hartman Park. Junior Josh Barokas picked up the win for Eastlake, while sophomore Mason Pierzchalski was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Adam Cline was handcuffed with the loss for Redmond, which got a double from sophomore Lucas Eliason.

Skyline - BYE

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

KingCo 4A Opening Day!

Today marks opening day for the KingCo 4A conference, with 10 of the league's 11 teams in action. Here's a quick look at today's schedule:

Garfield @ Ballard, 3:45 PM
Newport @ Issaquah, 3:45 PM
Bothell @ Roosevelt, 3:45 PM
Woodinville @ Inglemoor, 6:00 PM
Eastlake @ Redmond, 6:00 PM

The KingCo 4A preview will be up today or tomorrow as time allows. Looking forward to an exciting year of 4A action.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Mt. Si Wins Clash Between State Champs

Tuesday saw a few more games played through the rain drops (and snowflakes!), with many more postponed. The feature matchup pitted the 4A State Champion Bothell Cougars against 3A State Champs Mount Si.

Mount Si 10, Bothell 1 (Box Score) - In a matchup between the 2011 3A & 4A State championship teams, the Wildcats pounded out 13 hits en route to a 10-1 win over the Cougars. Santa Clara commit Reece Karalus starred on the mound and the plate, striking out 8 over 5 solid innings and collecting 3 hits and 3 RBI. Fellow senior Trevor Lane was 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI for Mount Si, which broke a close game open with an 8-run fifth inning. Daniel Besmer and Gunnar Buhner each drove in 2 runs, with senior Ross Tassara closing the game out with two shutout frames. Sam Lee had two hits and Zach Anderson doubled for Bothell, who finds themselves at 1-1 in non-league play.

Ballard 20, Renton 0 - Caleb Jaeger struck out 13 Renton batters in just five innings of work, as the Beavers used a 12-run fourth inning to overwhelm Renton, 20-0. Jaeger allowed just a hit and a walk in the complete game victory. Nelson Cooper was 2-for-3 with a HR and 3 RBI and Stuart MacGeorge finished with 3 hits and 4 RBI for Ballard, who is positioned to potentially make some noise in the 4A this year.

Eastlake 12, Glacier Peak 1 - The Wolves scored multiple runs in each of the last three innings to pull away from the Grizzlies and win their season opener, 12-1. Junior Josh Barokas struck out six Glacier Peak hitters in three shutout innings, while fellow junior Ryan Pladson (3-for-4, 4 RBI) and senior Casey Fithian (2-for-4, triple, 2 RBI) paced the Wolves 12-hit attack.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Baseball is Back! (sort of...)

Teams across the state of Washington have two weeks of practice under their belts and non-league games start in full force this week in the KingCo conference. Rain engulfed much of the area on Monday, postponing the majority of the games. However, two 4A/3A crossover games were actually played, with the 4A coming out on top in both contests.

4A/3A Crossover Games
Garfield 6, Mercer Island 4 (5 inn.) - Senior left-hander John Trupin struck out four in four innings of work and junior Chandler Honican drove in two runs as the Bulldogs opened their 2012 campaign with an impressive 6-4 win over Mercer Island. The game lasted just five innings due to rain, with MI's late charge coming up short. Zach Ward doubled and drove in a run for Garfield, who will take on another KingCo 3A team in Lake Washington on Wednesday. Senior David Oppenheim homered in defeat for the Islanders.

Bothell 5, Bellevue 2 (5 inn.) - In another rain shortened affair, the defending 4A State Champion Bothell Cougars picked up where they left off in 2011, downing the Wolverines of Bellevue, 5-2. Seniors Rex Carlin and Mark Woods each had two hits for Bothell, who scored twice in the second and two more times in the fourth inning en route to the victory. Brady Mickelson was the winning pitcher, working two solid innings for the Cougs.