PREP BASEBALL: Meadowdale achieves its goal of earning state tournament berth

Published 11:28 pm Saturday, May 10, 2008

MOUNT VERNON — Chris Johnson and his Meadowdale teammates made quick work in winning their second consecutive 3A District 1 championship Saturday as they dispatched the Everett Seagulls 3-1 in about 65 minutes at Sherman Anderson Ballpark in Mount Vernon.

Johnson, the Mavericks’ No. 3 starter during the season, struck out three and scattered six hits while allowing one run — the only run Meadowdale pitchers allowed during three district tournament games — in six innings of work.

“Awesome, just awesome,” Meadowdale coach Bill Hummel said of Johnson’s performance. “All his starts have been quality starts and he’s a strike thrower and that’s why we were out of here in 65 minutes … he just gets on the mound and deals.”

With the victory, Meadowdale advances to the 3A Region 1 Tournament at Skagit Valley College next Saturday.

“It’s a great feeling to accomplish one of our goals and get back to state and give ourselves a chance to get back to Safeco (Field),” Hummel said, referring to the site of the 3A and 4A state semifinals and finals.

On Saturday, Johnson provided the strikes and his infielders provided the defense as the Mavericks recorded 12 ground ball outs.

“Our defense came up big,” Johnson said. “This is probably the best game we’ve played defensively — no errors.”

Everett starter Jake Frauenholtz also pitched well, scattering six hits and surrendering just two earned runs while going the distance. He faltered briefly in the third when he hung a curveball to the Meadowdale’s Chase Anselment. The Mavs’ catcher launched a home run that landed well beyond the right field fence.

Meadowdale added two more runs in the fifth. Andy Lyon drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on an RBI double by Matt Gorman. Gorman advanced to third on a single by Johnson and scored when the Everett catcher overthrew the shortstop on a stolen base attempt by Johnson’s courtesy runner.

Everett got one back in the top of the sixth when an RBI groundout by David Andre scored Frauenholtz, but that was all they could muster.

Anselment pitched a perfect seventh for the save.

At Sherman Anderson Field

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Johnson, Anselment (7) and Anselment, O’Neill (7). Frauenholtz and B. Herrick. WP—Johnson. LP—Frauenholtz. S—Anselment. 2B—Schaller (E), B. Herrick (E), Gorman (M). HR—Anselment (M). Record—Meadowdale 14-9.

Ferndale 8, Everett 3: At Mt. Vernon, Everett’s second loss in a four-hour span spelled the end of the 2008 season for the Seagulls as they were eliminated in the final game of the 3A District 1 tournament.

“We hit the ball hard, (but) we hit the ball right at guys,” Everett coach Ron Burdett said. “We didn’t strike out much and you can’t ask much more than putting the ball in play and putting pressure on these guys. Ferndale’s a good team. We got the breaks the last time we played them, we didn’t get the breaks this time.”

At Sherman Anderson Field

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Gardner, Juarez (4), Murray (5) and B. Herrick. Frost and M. Hannah. WP—Frost. LP—Gardner. 2B—Frauenholtz (E), Andre (E), S. Hannah (F). HR—Herrick (E), Schaller (E). Records—Ferndale 19-3. Everett 7-17.

Ferndale 12, Shorecrest 9: At Mount Vernon, Casey Locker doubled, homered and got the win on the mound as the Golden Eagles ended the Scots’ season with the victory in a loser-out contest of the 3A District 1 tournament. Shorecrest’s James Robbins hit a sixth-inning grand slam.

At Sherman Anderson Field

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Robbins, Davies (5) and Desrosier. Locker and Hannah. WP—Locker. LP—Davies (2-7). 2B—Hannah (F), Carr (F), Rechkoff (S), Benbrooks (S). HR—Locker (F), Robbins (S). Record—Shorecrest 7-17.