BELLINGHAM – A pair of wins on Saturday gave you an automatic bid into the regional portion of the 1A state tournament. Meridian, Lynden Christian and Nooksack Valley each had it’s chances, and all three teams split their games. The result? Now the Trojans, Lyncs and Pioneers will battle it out with South Whidbey for the third and final spot.
Click HERE to see the entire bracket, courtesy of the WPA Network.
Game Recaps:
Game 1: Cedar Park Christian 4, Nooksack Valley 3 – A bases loaded walk by freshman catcher Cole Fazio in the bottom of the seventh won the game for the Eagles. Cedar Park Christian jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning, and the Pioneers tied it up in the fifth inning when Tyler Weed and Ty Rawls each scored on a throwing error. Michael Doyle of the Eagles scored in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by George Reidy, and the Pioneers tied it up again in the sixth when Weed was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Casey Bauman. Ryan Maxwell picked up the win in relief.
Game 2: Lynden Christian 3, Overlake 1 – Lynden Christian’s Peyton Robertson lived up to his place on the Lync’s totem pole. Coach Dan Vander Kooi made the decision earlier in the week to start his ace on the mound in game one of the regional round, and Robertson did not disappoint. The senior pitched six and 2/3 innings, giving up only one run on three hits, and a very helpful 10 strikeouts. To add to his mound performance, Robertson also went 2-for-3 at the plate, helping his cause with a run batted in. Simon Anker added a run batted in on a sacrifice fly, while the Lyncs totaled seven hits.
Game 3: University Prep 4, South Whidbey 2 – Pumas lefty Gus Coluccio went 2-for-4 at the plate, and pitched six innings, striking out 10, to help his team win in the first round. First baseman Mahir Piyarali was 3-for-3, and UP also picked up hits from Keenan Van Deusen, Jackson Wurzer, Owen Morgan and Cole Webster. Webster’s hit was a triple. Senior Taylor Brown led the Falcons with a 2-for-3 performance.
Game 4: Meridian 10, King’s 0 – Senior ace Simon Burkett was dominant, throwing only fastballs, as he went the complete game, striking out eight, while allowing only three hits. Many of the Trojans contributed offensively with Bryson Hickok, Cole Weidkamp, Ryan Johnson and Warren Utchisnki each picking up a pair of hits. Henry Skaggs and Art Madrigal each reached base four times and Johnson scored three runs.
Game 5: Nooksack Valley 2, Overlake 0 – Senior pitcher Kyle Veldman wouldn’t allow this to be his final baseball game of the season. Throwing 100 pitches, he shut Overlake out, giving up just four hits, and striking out three. Junior short stop Evan Neitling went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Easton Zylstra and Tyler Weed each scored a run.
Game 6: South Whidbey 11, King’s 8 – In a slugfest, the Falcons ended the Knights’ season. Freshman Brent Batchelor was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead South Whidbey offensively. Koby Newman, Drew Fry and Luke Rookstool each scored two runs while sophomore pitcher Ethan Petty picked up the victory. Tyler Durbin and Ethan Elias each had a pair of hits for King’s, while A.J. Knorr knocked in three runs.
Game 7: Cedar Park Christian 6, Lynden Christian 5 – The Lyncs lost a heart breaker to the Eagles, but the season will continue. Freshman Shale Whittern came through in the clutch with RBI singles in both the sixth and seventh inning, but the rally came up just short. Senior Tanner Jansen came two outs away from pitching a complete game, and was relieved by Luke Johnson in the seventh. CPC freshman Cole Fazio’s two-run double in the top of the seventh was too much for LC. Shane Whittern scored two runs, and Cole Langstraat and Jared Smit each picked up a pair of hits.
Game 8: University Prep 6, Meridian 4 – The Trojans just couldn’t keep their momentum from the King’s win, as the left-handed filled Puma lineup came up with timely hits, scoring five of their six runs in the fourth inning. Nicholas Romano got the win on the mound, and Warren Utchinski was dealt the loss. Cole Weidkamp’s hot hitting continued, as he was the only Meridian player to pick up a pair of hits. Henry Skaggs also finished the day reaching base all seven times that he was at bat.
What does it all mean? It means that Meridian and Nooksack Valley will face each other at Joe Martin Field on Saturday at 12:30 in a loser-out game. South Whidbey will take on Lynden Christian at the exact time at Sehome High School in another loser out game. The winners will face each other at Sehome High School at 2:30 to determine the final team to make it to the regional portion of the State 1A Playoffs. Cedar Park Christian and University Prep will face each other for the Bi-District Championship at Joe Martin Field on Saturday at 2:30. Both teams will advance to regionals.
