Everett Seagulls roll over Bruins

Published 11:17 pm Tuesday, April 22, 2008

EVERETT — Forget bats and gloves. Toilet paper is the Everett Seagulls’ secret weapon.

Earlier this month members of the Everett High School softball team pulled an April Fools’ Day prank on their head coach, Kyle Peacocke. After planning the joke for weeks, the girls sneaked into Peacocke’s yard and decorated the outside of his house with rolls of toilet paper.

“Everyone was just so goofy that night and just being themselves. It definitely brought us together a lot,” said Everett senior Ally Pappas.

Remembering the lighthearted bonding experience helped the Seagulls bounce back from a recent rough patch in which they lost two of three games, said Pappas, who had two hits and drove in two runs Tuesday in Everett’s 5-0 victory against the Cascade Bruins.

Everett pitcher Cory Mattson tallied 15 strikeouts and gave up just three hits in a complete-game performance, helping the Seagulls pull into a tie with Cascade for second place in the Western Conference North Division. Both teams are 7-3 against league foes.

Everett (10-3 overall) is trying to lock up Wesco’s top seed for the upcoming Class 3A District 1 tournament. Cascade (9-4) seeks a favorable spot in the 4A District 1 tourney.

In recent games, Everett struggled with defensive errors and inconsistent hitting. But on Tuesday it succeeded in both areas: The Seagulls played error-free defense and piled up 10 hits.

“Playing solid defense is always a key to winning. We’ve had a few games (this season) where we’ve made some mistakes but our goal is to keep getting better,” Peacocke said.

Good preparation leads to good defense said Pappas, Everett’s shortstop: “It’s definitely a mental thing — taking grounders and not goofing around before the game, knowing that you’re going to field everything that comes to you and knowing where to throw before the ball comes to you.”

Of course, Everett’s defense was rarely challenged because Mattson kept getting strikeouts. Only one Cascade player, Taylor Pilkenton, advanced to third base all game.

In the sixth inning Pilkenton, a catcher, smashed a single to left field, stole second base and got to third on a wild pitch by Mattson. That was the closest the Bruins came to scoring.

For the second consecutive game Cascade, which hadn’t lost since March 25 (6-0 vs. Everett), didn’t have its leading hitter, team captain Morgan Klemm. The senior shortstop has been out since suffering a concussion last week during a collision with an Oak Harbor baserunner, Cascade coach Wendy Close said.

Klemm has a batting average of about .500 and has driven in a team-high 14 runs.

“That’s a big blow,” said Close. “You take something like that out of your lineup and it makes a big difference.”

Klemm could be back in the lineup Thursday when Cascade plays host to Stanwood (5-5, 7-5), Close said.

Picked to finish near the bottom of the division in The Herald’s preseason coaches’ poll, Cascade has been the North’s most surprising team. The Bruins on Monday rallied to beat Marysville-Pilchuck after scoring eight runs in their final at-bat, and on April 1 they dealt division-leading Monroe (10-1, 11-1) its only defeat.

“They’ve been playing really well. You’re never comfortable (against Cascade),” Peacocke said.

Everett got off to a fast start and had five runs through four innings. The Seagulls took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Pappas lined a single to right field that drove in Valerie Stahl (2-for-4, one double, two runs, one steal) and Lauren Hope (2-for-4).

“Scoring those two runs in the first inning definitely gave the team a boost and energy that lasted throughout the whole game,” said Pappas, who had two hits in three at-bats and stole a base.

At Lincoln Park

Cascade0000000— 032

Everett202100x—5100

Rutter and Pilkenton. Mattson and An. Hudson. WP-Mattson (9-3). LP-Rutter (6-2). 2B-Stahl (E) 1. Records-Cascade 7-3 in division, 9-4 overall. Everett 7-3, 10-3.

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.