Lynnwood baseball team ends lengthy state drought
Published 11:11 pm Saturday, May 16, 2009
MOUNT VERNON — Shorecrest might have won the 3A District 1 baseball championship on Saturday, but it was Lynnwood’s victory over Meadowdale in the second-place game that stole the show.
Shorecrest defeated Meadowdale 9-3 in the first-place game. That set up Meadowdale’s contest with Lynnwood for second place in the district just over an hour later, Lynnwood had defeated Everett 5-2 earlier in the day to earn its spot in the second-place game. Lynnwood eventually won, and took the second seed from District 1, 11-8 in 10 innings, but that doesn’t even begin to tell the story.
It was a game that featured five home runs, all of which either tied the score, or gave a team the lead. The final shot was hit in the 10th inning by Michael Stanley, in the form of a walk-off grand slam.
“I’m confused, I have never hit a home run in my life before,” an excited Stanley said.
He couldn’t have picked a better time, his grand slam sent Lynnwood to state for the first time since 2000 and second time since 1991.
It wasn’t easy for Lynnwood though. Meadowdale, specifically Chase Anselment, made the Royals fight. Anselment, who homered twice in the district championship game, kicked off the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning. After that, Lynnwood coach Reggie Corns didn’t expect to throw Anselment another strike.
Lynnwood tied the score in the bottom of the second inning, and took its first lead in the bottom of the third when Karl Rodriguez hit a two-run home run. It was Rodriguez’s second home run on the day. He also homered against Everett. Lynnwood added one more run before the end of the inning and led 5-1.
The Mavericks picked up one run in the top of the fifth inning and entered the seventh inning behind 5-2 and down to their final three outs.
The first batter, Nathan Ball, was hit by a pitch. Jeff Askew followed with a single. With runners on first and second, Anselment walked to the plate. The crowd was buzzing as to whether or not Anselment would be intentionally walked with no one out. Lynnwood had walked Anselment intentionally in his previous two at bats. After discussing it with his coaches, Corns decided to pitch to Anselment.
It was the wrong decision. Anselment hit a three-run blast to tie the score, 5-5.
“He was on fire today and I should have never pitched to him,” Corns said, who at that moment firmly decided Anselment would not see another strike. “If the bases had been loaded after that, I would have put him on.”
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Lynnwood’s Ryan Desimone hit a double off of Anselment, the ball looked like it had a chance to leave the ball park. Lynnwood’s rally came up empty, but Desimone’s hit was a sign of things to come.
In the top of the ninth inning, after Anselment was walked intentionally, Taylor Brennan singled to right field with Anselment running to give Meadowdale runners at first and third with one out. Roger O’Neill drove in Anselment on a suicide-squeeze bunt and reached base safely with no throw. Andrew Suh added another run when he drove in Brennan with a sacrifice-fly.
Then it was Lynnwood’s turn to come back. Jason Lotzer singled off Anselment, which brought up Desimone. Desimone drove the first pitch over the wall in right field to tie the score, 7-7.
“He’s a fastball pitcher, he doesn’t really throw anything off-speed. So, I was just looking for his fastball, and if I saw it, I am swinging,” Desimone said.
Meadowdale again took a lead in the top of the 10th inning, and after recording the first two outs in the bottom half of the inning, looked poised to take the victory. Then Rodriguez singled, Lotzer hit a ground-rule double and Desimone was walked intentionally. That set the stage for Stanley, who didn’t disappoint, taking the first pitch over the left field wall and sending the Royals to state.
“It’s huge, we just proved in this game that we can come back at anytime, a huge confidence boost,” Desimone said.
“Of all the games I have coached, this has got to be the most exciting,” Corns said.
Hard to believe that there was another game played, and that game was for the district championship.
Shorecrest’s 9-3 victory over Meadowdale had a lot to do with controlling Anselment. Anselment batted 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI, but Shorecrest did the job of keeping the people around him off base.
“That was key, with a guy like that in the line-up you just want to keep the guys in front of him off base,” Shorecrest coach Alan Bruns said.
James Robbins came through for Shorecrest in the first inning with a three-run home run, which gave Shorecrest the lead for good. Nich Desrosier provided a bigger cushion later in the fifth inning with a two-run shot.
“They were focused, they knew what had to be done. There was no doubt once we got these playoffs started that we could do something and we proved that today,” Bruns said.
Shorecrest’s players and coaches still have more they want to accomplish.
“Just because we won district doesn’t mean it’s over. We just have to keep working hard,” winning pitcher Max Bayern said.
At Sherman Anderson Field
Consolation, loser out
Everett1010000—260
Lynnwood000203x—590
Murray and Marthaller. Lotzer and Smith. WP—Lotzer (9-2). Murray. 2B—Desimone (L) 2. 3B—Andre (E). HR—Rodriguez. Records—Everett 4-19 overall.
First place, winner to state
Shorecrest3020211—991
Meadowdale2000100—351
Bayern, Robbins (6) and Desrosier. O’Neill, Solomon (3), Smith (7) and Anselment. WP—Bayern (3-4). LP—O’Neill. 2B—Leupold (S), Bickel (M). HR—Robbins (S), Anselment (M) 2, Desrosier (S). Records—Shorecrest 11-12 overall.
Second place, winner to state, loser out
Meadowdale1000103021—8122
Lynnwood0140000024—11141
McCabe, O’Neill (4), Smith (4) Anselment (6), Solomon (9) and O’Neill, Anselment (4), O’Neill (6). Mann and Smith. WP—Mann. LP—Solomon. 2B—Smith (L), Lotzer (L), Bickel (M). HR—Anselment (M) 2, Rodriguez (L) Desimone (L), Stanley (L). Records—Meadowdale 12-12 overall. Lynnwood 17-8.
