Kamiak earns trip to 4A state baseball tournament

Published 10:35 pm Saturday, May 16, 2009

EVERETT — What a time for a pitcher to get his first save.

With a trip to the state tournament on the line and the tying run at third base in the final inning, Kamiak High School relief pitcher Marshall Pennock faced quite a task: Get an out or risk enduring an unusually painful end to the season.

Showing the composure and confidence of a veteran, Pennock got the final three outs of the game, including a strikeout that ended it. It launched the Kamiak baseball team to a 7-6 triumph over the Monroe Bearcats Saturday in a winner-to-state, loser-out Class 4A District 1 tournament clash.

Kamiak (15-8), the Western Conference South Division No. 3 seed, rallied from a 4-0 deficit and qualified for the state championships for the first time since 2002. The Knights scored four runs in the fifth inning and three runs in the sixth before holding on against Wesco North No. 3 seed Monroe (13-10).

“It’s been awhile. It feels good to go back,” said Kamiak head coach Steve Merkley, whose team earned the District 1 No. 3 seed. The Knights will play the District 5/6/8 No. 1 seed Saturday at Richland High.

With just four seniors on its roster, Kamiak is a junior-dominated squad that is somewhat of a surprise state qualifier.

“It feels really good,” said winning pitcher Chris Guinn. “We were expected to get sixth in league and now we’re the only Wesco South team to keep going.”

The district’s other 4A state-bound teams are Marysville-Pilchuck and Snohomish, both from the Wesco North.

Kamiak’s Guinn, a junior right-hander, threw six-plus innings against Monroe. He said he was still tired from throwing 110 pitches Tuesday in a loss against Snohomish. But somehow Guinn found enough strength in his drained arm to keep the Knights in contention. He had four strikeouts and walked four (one intentionally).

“It’s pretty tough to do,” said Guinn, who has battled arm tightness all spring, “but I wanted the game really bad.”

Kamiak took the lead for good in the sixth. It scored three runs, including a run-scoring double by Guinn that tied it at 5-5. Guinn later scored Kamiak’s seventh run on Andrew Lauletta’s sacrifice fly.

Monroe scored once in its final at-bat but stranded a runner on third when Andrew Ralph struck out looking on Pennock’s inside fastball.

“My mind was just blank,” Pennock said. “I wasn’t thinking anything. I knew (the ball) was going to go where it was supposed to.”

Jared Houghtaling (one double, two RBI) and Seth Heck had two hits for Kamiak. Lauletta drove in two runs.

For Monroe, Cody Reed was 3-for-4 (two doubles), Trevor Judson had two RBI and Danny Griesmer hit a solo home run.

At Everett Memorial Stadium

Third place (winner to state, loser out)

Kamiak0000430—783

Monroe0022101—682

Guinn, Pennock (7) and Houghtaling. Cochran, Parker (5), Ihrig (6) and Judson. WP-Guinn (2-1). LP-Ihrig. S-Pennock (K). 2B-Houghtaling (K), A. Schmidt (K), Lauletta (K), Guinn (K), Reed (M) 2, Parker (M), Hastings (M). HR-Griesmer (M). Records-Kamiak 15-8. Monroe 13-10.