LAKE STEVENS — The Lake Stevens High School baseball team’s defense is usually a fine-tuned machine, but recently there were signs of a breakdown.
Lake Stevens fielders struggled in two straight games heading into the Vikings’ huge Western Conference North Division showdown on Tuesday against the previously unbeaten Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawks. Normally reliable in the field, Lake Stevens committed four errors Friday in an extra-innings loss at M-P.
But in an intense rematch between the North’s top teams — both ranked among the state’s top six in Class 4A — Lake Stevens returned to form. Playing picture-perfect defense that included four double plays, Lake Stevens beat M-P 1-0 in the finale of an entertaining two-game series.
Starting pitcher J.T. Cox (5-0) and reliever Brandon Fiske, both juniors, combined to limit M-P’s potent lineup to five hits and no runs. Lake Stevens fielders expertly backed up Cox and Fiske, turning double plays in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
“These guys are very solid defensively,” Lake Stevens coach Rodger Anderson said, “and it gives our pitchers confidence.”
Second-place Lake Stevens (9-1 North Division, 13-1 overall) scored a run — the only one it needed, as it turned out — in the second inning. Senior Sam Parris led off with a single up the middle and later scored when M-P starting pitcher Matt Cooper’s bases-loaded walk of Brandon Hoelzel forced in Parris from third base.
Parris and Cox finished with two hits apiece, all singles, for Lake Stevens, ranked 4A No. 4 in the current Washington Baseball Poll. They helped hand sixth-ranked, league-leading M-P (11-1, 13-1) its first loss of the season.
“I’m not disappointed in my guys at all. We faced a really good Lake Stevens team and split with them,” M-P coach Kurt Koshelnik said.
On Friday, M-P beat Lake Stevens 9-5 in Marysville thanks to Garrett Davis’ game-winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Tomahawks weren’t able to generate similar hitting heroics on Tuesday. They didn’t move a runner to second base until the fifth inning, when JV Estella smashed a leadoff double to left-center field.
After Estella was tagged out sliding into third on a fielder’s choice, M-P loaded the bases against Fiske, the Lake Stevens relief pitcher, who walked Jake Hereth and allowed a single by Kyle Flanders. But then Fiske got Dane Widness to ground into an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play. It was Lake Stevens’ third of four DPs in the game.
What was the key to Lake Stevens’ defensive prowess? “I just think we’re staying focused,” said Parris, a first baseman whose glove was the ball’s final destination on every double play. “Team chemistry is big on our team. We try not to tense up and we just try to stay (ready).”
“I think it shows the signs of quality, mature baseball players,” coach Anderson said. “We let (the frustration of losing) go Friday and come back and play well and compete, and that was our goal.”
Cox, the winning pitcher, dominated until the fifth, when he left the game because of an elbow injury. He allowed just three hits and no runs in 41/3 innings.
But in the fifth Anderson noticed a change in Cox’s motion and walked to the mound. Cox said he felt something pop in his right (throwing) elbow and Anderson immediately removed Cox from the game.
“He’s a tough guy and he wanted to try to fight through it, and he was (pitching) pretty good,” said Anderson. “But I told him that, ‘You’re too young to play the macho guy.’ He’s got his whole career ahead of him.”
After the game, Anderson did not know the extent of Cox’s injury.
The other starting pitcher, M-P’s Cooper, battled through five up-and-down innings. Despite struggling with his accuracy at times, he allowed just one run on three hits and tallied seven strikeouts.
Cooper endured the first loss of his varsity career. After going 7-0 last season, he started 3-0 this spring.
At Lake Stevens H.S.
Marysville-Pilchuck0000000—051
Lake Stevens010000x—150
Cooper, Vandalen (6) and Flanders. Cox, Fiske (5) and Tyler. WP—Cox (5-0). LP—Cooper (3-1). 2B—Estella (M-P), Israel (LS). Records—Marysville-Pilchuck 11-1 in division, 13-1 overall. Lake Stevens 9-1, 13-1.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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