MOUNT VERNON — It’s tough to win a baseball game when you only muster three hits.
It’s even harder when you allow the opposition six extra base-runners.
The Glacier Peak Grizzlies saw their season come to an end as the Lakeside Lions topped them 6-0 before several hundred fans at Sherman Anderson Field in the first round of the Class 3A state tournament.
Glacier Peak (16-8) committed six errors behind starter Sam Wyatt and remains in search of its first regional victory after four appearances.
“We made some mistakes when we couldn’t afford to make mistakes,” Glacier Peak Bob Blair said.
Wyatt lasted into the fifth inning before he was lifted for reliever Jaxsen Sweum. By then the Lions had all the runs they needed.
Much of the Lakeside offense came courtesy of freshman leadoff hitter Corbin Carroll. The left fielder scored the Lions’ first run after leading off the game with a single, and his two-run home run gave Lakeside a 3-0 advantage in the fourth.
“We couldn’t get that kid out all day long,” Blair said. “He’s a good baseball player and there was nothing we could do to keep him off the bases.”
Carroll finished 4-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI, accounting in some form or fashion for all but one of Lakeside’s runs.
Lions starter Ben Hinthorne held the Grizzlies to three hits while throwing the complete-game shutout. He struck out three and walked four while improving to 10-0 on the season.
Hinthorne stranded two Grizzlies runners in the second, fourth and fifth innings for Lakeside, which was making its second-ever regional tournament appearance.
“He definitely is a talented player and pitcher,” Blair said. “That’s just the way it goes sometimes playing baseball. Some teams hit and some teams don’t.”
The first three Lions reached to open the game and Lakeside’s Matt Dietz drove in Carroll with an RBI single. But a forceout at third and two Wyatt strikeouts ended the threat.
The Lions extended their lead in the fourth. Zane Baker reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on the errant throw. Carroll followed with a two-run home run to right field to make it 3-0.
But the Lions weren’t done.
Hinthorne and Ryan Shaw singled. With two outs, Zander Bailey appeared to hit into an inning-ending groundout. But the umpire ruled the Glacier Peak first baseman had pulled his foot, allowing a fourth run to come home.
Lakeside added two more in the fifth thanks to another error and RBI base hits from Baker and Carroll.
The district-champion Grizzlies lose eight seniors to graduation, but return a number of starters from the 2016 team. Glacier Peak moves up to Class 4A next season.
“It’s not going to be an anomaly,” Blair said. “We’ll try to build on it and try to make it an expectation instead of a goal. You achieve those goals and raise them a little higher.”
Lakeside 6, Glacier Peak 0
Individual hightlights: Lakeside—Corbin Carroll (4-for-4, HR, 3RBI, 2R), Zane Baker (2-for-4, RBI, 2R), Ben Hinthorne (Shutout, 3H, 4BB, 3K). Glacier Peak—Riley Parker (1-for-3), Geoff Rogers (2-for-3).
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