Divisional Rivalries Resume

Wednesday saw only four games as Eastlake sat idle with a bye and the Garfield-Skyline matchup was postponed. If anything, the day only tightened the races rather than clearing anything up.

Woodinville 8 @ Bothell 5 - Alex Worthington struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings of relief to spark Woodinville to the Crest Division victory. Worthington, a junior left-hander, entered the game with the bases loaded, no outs, and two runs already in in the bottom of the first inning but minimized the damage there and worked around trouble all night, giving up only two runs. Woodinville catcher Lee Wunderlich broke a 5-5 tie in the fourth inning with a run-scoring single and finished with three hits and three RBI. Trevor Cook hit two doubles, drove in two runs, and struck out two batters to wiggle out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh. Peyton Cordova-Smith and Colby Nealy drove in two runs apiece for Bothell. The loss drops Bothell to second in the Crest Division as Woodinville jumps into a tie with Inglemoor for the 4th spot.

 

Inglemoor 2 @ Redmond 5 - The Mustangs' Kyle Francis turned in another dazzling performance on the mound in six innings of one run ball. He also helped himself with an RBI in the first to set the tone offensively. It was senior Daniel Bies, however, who had the big blow for the Mustangs as he laced a bases loaded two out single through the left side of the infield which pushed the Mustang lead to 3-0. All told, eight Mustang starters had a hit on the day. For Inglemoor, senior Curtis Bafus had two of the four Viking hits. The win runs Redmond's streak to eight games in a row and a one game lead over Bothell in the Crest Division standings.

 

Newport 3 @ Issaquah 5 - Issaquah lefty Ryan Peart tossed six innings, keeping the Newport hitters off-balance for most of the day. However, the Knights never gave in, battling back with a run in the 4th and 6th. In the 7th, Newport had cut the lead to two with runners at second and third. That is when Eagle reliever David Van Halm beared down and got the ground ball he needed to end the game. For Newport, Jace Goforth had two hits while Issaquah's Nic Sutherland had two as well. The win bumps Issaquah into a second place tie with Newport at 6-5. Both teams are a half game behind Skyline.

 

Ballard 4 @ Roosevelt 1 - Ballard made its five hits stand up as they inched closer to the 4th and final playoff spot with a victory at Lower Woodland. The big hit, a two out, two RBI double in the third off the bat of senior John Peterson, was all the Beavers would need. Ballard starting pitcher Zach Ehrlich went the distance allowing a single run on four hits. Ballard is now 4-7 while Roosevelt sits a game ahead at 5-6.

 

 

Final Day in Crossover Play

Monday was the last time teams from the Crest and Crown would meet until the playoffs. In the Crest, the playoff picture is gaining some clarity with Bothell and Redmond at 8-2, three games ahead of Eastlake (5-5) and Inglemoor (5-5) and four ahead of Woodinville (4-6). In the Crown, the top four are jumbled with one game separating the leaders Skyline (6-4) and Newport (6-4) from Roosevelt (5-5) and Issaquah (5-5). Ballard, still in the discussion, sits at 3-7.

Newport 3 @ Bothell 10 - Cam Gale was 3-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI to lead Bothell to the crossover victory.  Gale, a senior catcher, hit a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth to break a 3-3 tie and added a two-run single in the sixth as the Cougars pulled away.  Tyler Wharf added two hits and three RBI, and Daniel Fredrickson was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases for Bothell. Senior right-hander Colby Nealy picked up the victory as he gave up only one earned run in six innings, striking out six.  Ethan Paul had a double and a run-scoring triple for Newport, and Paul Wells was 2-for-2.

Issaquah 5 @ Eastlake 2 - Issaquah jumped on Eastlake ace Mick Vorhof early with two runs in the first and one in the second. Junior Luke Watanabe was the big star for the Eagles with a three hit day. Seniors Derek Chapman and Mitch Morimoto eached chipped in a triple. With Issaquah's pitching a bit depleted after three games in four days, junior Tyler Huling stepped up to toss five solid innings. For Eastlake, sophomore Mark Whitley had two hits.

Ballard 2 @ Redmond 12 - The Mustangs stayed red hot as seniors Brandon Burditt and Lucas Eliason led the offensive charge on this day. Burditt, for his part, blasted an 0-2 pitch in the 4th inning over the centerfield fence for a two run homerun. Eliason, not to be outdone, hit a two run homerun in the first and a three run walk-off homerun in the 5th. On the mound, Jacob Brady earned the victory with five innings of work, allowing four hits and two runs. Ballard's Taylor Hanson had one of those hits, a double on which he would eventually score.

Roosevelt 0 @ Woodinville 10 - Woodinville erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the 5th to walk off with a 10-0 win. Leadoff hitter Brett Donlan had two hits and three RBI for the Falcons while cleanup man, Davis Bailie, had a homerun and triple. Senior Will Jack delivered five strong innings of two hit ball on the mound for the victory.

Garfield 2 @ Inglemoor 6 - Inglemoor put up three runs in the bottom of the 6th to break open a previously close game. Sophomore Grant Harris got the start and win for the Vikings through five innings of two run ball.  The southpaw struck out four. Though Garfield out hit Inglemoor 6-4, the Vikings made theirs count, primarily Inglemoor senior Curtis Bafus who had two RBI on the day. For the Bulldogs, sophomore Eli Wilson and senior Derek Billey each had two hits.