Panthers finally get by Kamiak
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, May 5, 2007
SNOHOMISH – Third time’s a charm for the Snohomish Panthers.
For the third year in a row the Snohomish Panthers and Kamiak Knights did battle in the first round of the 4A District 1 tournament.
For the first time in three years the Panthers came out of the first round with a victory.
The Wesco North No. 1 seed, Snohomish, defeated Kamiak, the South No. 3, 4-3 in a first-round 4A District 1 game at Earl Torgeson Field on the campus of Snohomish High School Saturday afternoon.
“Hey we needed this,” Snohomish head coach Kim Hammons said.
“We’re trying to even the score on them. It’s just another great Snohomish-Kamiak battle. Just tooth-and-nail the whole way,” Hammons added.
In a battle of left-handed pitchers, Snohomish’s Derek Jones (5-1) outlasted Kamiak’s Alex Soloski (5-3), going 62/3 innings, striking out eight, walking three and giving up three runs on six hits.
Jones also came through at the plate, keeping alive the Panthers’ sixth inning with a clutch two-out single.
“He kept us in the ballgame, had a base hit to put us in a situation where we could get that final walk that gave us a victory,” Hammons said.
Soloski went 52/3 innings and was effective throughout the first five innings before running into problems with his control in the sixth.
“(Soloski) threw pretty well. He kept us off balance and we couldn’t really get into a rhythm,” Jones said of his counterpart.
The Kamiak southpaw had three of his six walks in the bottom of the sixth, including walking in the go-ahead run, allowing the Panthers to take the 4-3 lead.
With the score knotted at 3-3, Snohomish’s Braden Allen worked Soloski for a two-out walk.
Jones followed with a single and a stolen base, prompting Kamiak to walk Panthers’ first baseman Nick Hammons. Hammons walked three times, two of which were intentional.
Soloski then walked Snohomish centerfielder Brian Wolfe, allowing Allen to walk home with what turned into the winning run.
Kamiak coach Steve Merkley, who had argued a called ball during Hammons at-bat, was tossed from the game after Wolfe’s at-bat after again arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.
Jones pitched into the seventh before Hammons relieved him with Aaron West, with runners at first and second and two outs.
“Great performance from Jones, then West came in and got the last out for the save, pitching in the clutch,” Hammons said.
Kamiak jumped on Jones early, scoring two runs in the first inning.
“We came out and got the lead but couldn’t hold on. Our games are always close,” Merkley said.
Riley Henricks tripled in Jake Britton with one-out in the first and Mike Malland (2-for-4) drove in Henricks with a single to center on a 1-2 pitch.
“The first inning I was getting ahead of hitters but I was missing on my 1-2, 0-2 pitches. They did what they’re supposed to do and hit it well,” Jones said.
Jones settled down, allowing just one run on three hits – one a pinch-hit RBI single by Chris Spencer that scored Riley Tompkins – through his final five innings.
At Earl Torgeson Field
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Soloski, Tarver (6) and Ashbrenner. Jones, West (7) and Chandler. WP-Jones (5-1). LP-Soloski (5-2). S-West. 2B-West (S), Allen (S). 3B-Henricks (J). Records-Kamiak 10-11 overall. Snohomish 17-4.
