Veteran Meadowdale baseball team edges Glacier Peak
Published 10:24 pm Saturday, May 15, 2010
MT. VERNON — The Meadowdale Mavericks baseball squad is back on top.
After a slight stumble last season, which kept the Mavericks out of the state tournament, they regained their footing and claimed the 3A District 1 championship with a 5-4 win over Glacier Peak Saturday at Sherman Anderson Field in Mount Vernon.
In a game between the top-two seeded Wesco teams, experience played a huge factor and Meadowdale’s win was partially due to strong performances by seniors Taylor Brennan and Andrew Suh.
Behind 2-0 in the third inning, Suh (3-for-4) hit the first of his two RBI triples to put Meadowdale on the scoreboard. Two innings later, Brennan smashed an RBI double into center field and Suh experienced a flash of déjà vu when he hit his second RBI triple.
“We knew if we could contain both Brennan and Suh that we could beat them,” said Glacier Peak coach Bob Blair. “We were able to contain Taylor a little bit … but we just couldn’t stop Suh. To beat Meadowdale, you’ve got to stop both and we couldn’t do it today.”
Although Meadowdale harnessed the momentum from the third inning on, there were a few tense moments when Glacier Peak had the opportunity to score. In the sixth inning, the Grizzlies managed to load the bases with no outs on a single by Lance Foster and two walks, but scored only one run.
Then Dylan Coneza began the seventh with a solo home run — his first of the season — to pull the Grizzlies within one, but the Mavericks shut down Glacier Peak’s next three batters to end the game.
“When the guy led off the seventh with a home run … that was gut wrenching,” said Meadowdale coach Bill Hummel, who was aware of Glacier Peak’s hot bats coming into the game. The Grizzlies scored a combined total of 23 runs in the first two games of the district tournament and he was pleased to keep their scoring in single digits.
Meadowdale pitcher Sam Triece settled down after allowing two runs in the first inning to pitch a steady game with five strikeouts before Tyler McCabe took over in the sixth inning.
“It starts and ends with pitching,” said Hummel. “I can’t say enough about the efforts that Triece and McCabe gave to us the whole tournament.”
With the win, Meadowdale wrapped up its third district title in four years. Last year, the Mavericks lost to a talented Shorecrest team and missed qualifying for the state tournament. In 2007 and 2008, Meadowdale not only finished first in districts but also placed fourth in the state tournament.
“Our kids are experienced and they expected to be here and they battled their butts off to get here,” said Hummel. “I really admire how hard they played and how well they competed.”
Glacier Peak and Meadowdale met twice in the regular season and split the outcomes, each with a win at home.
At Sherman Anderson Field
Championship game
Meadowdale0020300—581
Glacier Peak2000011—440
Garner, Ristoff (6) and Tuba. Triece, McCabe (6) and Ackerman.WP-Triece (5-2).LP-Garner.2B-Brennan (M).3B-Suh (M) 2. HR-Caneza (GP).
Ferndale 4, Glacier Peak 0: Glacier Peak’s season ended with a tough loss against Ferndale in a battle to earn the second berth to the 3A state tournament. “The Meadowdale game took everything out of us and we just didn’t have anything left in our tank,” said Blair. “It was just one of those days.” Sophomore Dylan Caneza hit a double, the only extra-base hit for the Grizzlies.
Ferndale1010002—480
G. Peak0000000—041
Olson. Crane, Stevie (6) and West (7).WP-Olson.LP-Crane.2B-Caneza (GP), Brundon (F), Locker (F), Schroeder (F), Atkins (F).
Ferndale 9, Shorecrest 0: At Mt. Vernon, Jeff Frost pitched a two-hitter with nine strikeouts and batted 3-for-5 with two RBI for Ferndale in the loser-out 3A District 1 playoff game.
At Sherman Anderson Field
Shorecrest0000000—027
Ferndale301050x—9141
Donner, Benbrooks (2), Johnson (5) and Derosier. Jeff Frost and Jake Frost. WP—Jeff Frost. LP—Donner. 2B—Mason (F). HR—Schroeder (F). Records—Lakewood 13-10 overall. Sehome 20-4.
