Mountlake Terrace wins district softball title
Published 11:32 pm Thursday, May 21, 2009
MONROE — With the caliber of pitching on the field in the 4A District 1 championship game and third-place winner-to-state game, it was a wonder anyone scored.
Both games were the kind that needed just one person to step up, and that would be enough. For Mountlake Terrace, it was Kenzie Dessin leading the Hawks to a 3-0 victory over Cascade in the district championship. Stanwood’s hero was Jordan Nemo, who batted Stanwood into the state tournament in a 2-1 victory over Arlington.
Mountlake Terrace and Cascade put zero’s in the score line until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Hawks finally got to Cascade pitcher Sam Munger.
Kori Seidlitz led off the inning with a walk. After Amanda Barry entered the game as a courtesy runner for Seidlitz, Natarah Balderson and Vanessa Jones followed with singles to load the bases for Dessin.
“Kori’s at bat was huge, having the patience to get that walk,” Mountlake Terrace coach Kim Stewart said when reflecting on the inning.
Dessin finished off what Seidlitz started, clearing the bases with a double and providing the game’s only runs. Dessin batted 3-for-4 in the game with three RBI and a stolen base.
Coming to district the past few years, Dessin said she had dreamed of the Hawks winning the championship.
“It feels really good to know that I played a huge part in getting there,” Dessin said.
The more scoreless innings went by, it became apparent someone was going to have to step up. Dessin just didn’t know it was going to be her.
“No, I didn’t think it would be me personally,” Dessin said. “It was a lot of fun it could have been anyone.”
For Seidlitz, a senior who has been on the team since her freshman year, the Hawks’ district championship has been a long time coming.
“It just pretty much feels like the cherry on top,” Seidlitz said of Thursday’s championship victory. “It feels like all the other years were worth it and we were just building up to this.”
The closest Seidlitz had been to state was losing the third-place game 1-0 to Monroe at districts last year.
“It’s so hard to even wrap your brain around what we just accomplished,” Seidlitz said.
Just ask Stewart, who is in his final year as Mountlake Terrace’s head coach.
“You couldn’t write a better script,” Stewart said. “I am fortunate enough to be blessed with some pretty doggone good talent this year.”
Stewart also was happy to go up against his old friend, Cascade coach Wendy Close.
“The biggest part of this game for me was just coaching against Wendy for Cascade. I have coached against her for 14 years and have a lot of respect for her,” Stewart said.
Stanwood was one team that figured to have a shot at the district championship going into the tournament. The Spartans’ loss to Mountlake Terrace Wednesday eliminated those chances, but they stayed alive in the consolation bracket Thursday by beating Shorewood 10-0 in five innings. That set the table for another game against Wesco North rival Arlington, and another great pitching duel between Arlington’s Christina Rayner and Stanwood’s Brittany Jeans.
Neither pitcher gave up a run until the top half of the sixth inning when Arlington’s Lisa Allen singled and scored Kalie Basher.
Arlington took that lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, and Stanwood was down to its final three outs.
Jeans led off the inning with a single. Rayner and the Eagles then recorded two outs, putting Arlington just one out from victory.
Freshman Shawna Hochstetler gave the Spartans new life when she singled in the runner, who had moved to second base on a ground out.
That set the stage for Nemo who doubled, scoring Hochstetler and sending the Spartans to state.
“Oh my god, I can’t even describe it. I usually don’t get those hits, I don’t get in those situations,” Nemo said. “People always said that we give our parents heart attacks cause we wait till the end.”
“It has been their goal all season long and they weren’t going to let it die,” Stanwood coach Cherlyn Schander said. “With these girls, you just know that they won’t give up so you just keep hanging in there.”
At Sky River Park
Consolation semifinals, losers out
Marysville-Pilchuck0000200—271
Arlington002050x—783
Fritz, Rosie (4) and Perrine. Rayner and Herrington. WP—Rayner. LP—Fritz. 2B—Perrine (M-P), Lyon (A). Records—Marysville-Pilchuck 12-12 overall.
Shorewood00000—011
Stanwood70003—10100
Jacobs and Edinger. Jeans and Bingham. WP—Jeans. LP—Jacobs. 2B—Hochstetler (S). 3B—Bingham (S). Records—Shorewood 15-8 overall.
Third-place, winner to state, loser out
Arlington0000010—162
Stanwood0000002—271
Rayner and Herrington. Jeans and Bingham. WP—Jeans (17-2). LP—Rayner (16-6). 2B—Milless (A), Nemo (S), Hochstetler (S) Records—Arlington 17-7 overall. Stanwood 20-3.
Championship
Cascade0000000—031
Mountlake Terrace000003x—371
Munger and Pilkenton. Kori Seidlitz and Watson. WP—Kori Seidlitz (18-4). LP—Munger (12-8). 2B—T. Miller (C), Dessin (MT) Records—Cascade 13-10 overall. Mountlake Terrace 18-4.
