EvCC baseball team captures NWAACC North crown
Published 10:42 pm Sunday, May 22, 2011
BELLEVUE — Gunnar Swanson pitched 81/3 innings in Everett Community College’s first 42 games this season.
But in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges North Region baseball title game Sunday against Bellevue, the Trojans — who were playing their fifth game in three days –
– turned to the freshman right-hander from Cedarcrest High School.
Swanson — making his first start of the season — did not allow a hit until the fifth inning as Everett defeated Bellevue 6-1 to secure the North title and the region’s top seed in the NWAACC tournament, which begins Thursday
in Longview.
Swanson pitched six innings, allowing one run on four hits, striking out three and walking three as he picked up his first victory of the season.
The Trojans lost their first game of the double-elimination region tournament Friday and had to win four straight — including beating Bellevue twice Sunday — to claim the title. The Trojans (34-9) entered the tournament ranked second in the 28-team NWAACC poll. Bellevue (33-13) was ranked first.
In Sunday’s first game the Trojans scored four runs in the top of the ninth to break a 5-5 tie en route to a 9-5 victory, forcing a second game. Nate Mullins (Snohomish) — who had homered earlier in the game — hit an RBI double, JV Estella (Marysville Pilchuck) a two-run single and Cody Reed (Monroe) an RBI single in EvCC’s four-run ninth. EvCC’s Dave Amberson (Cascade) hit a solo home run in the fifth, his third homer of the tournament. Right-hander Braden Allen (Snohomish) pitched 22/3 innings of shutout relief to earn the win.
In Sunday’s second game the Trojans gave Swanson all the support he needed by jumping to a 2-0 first-inning lead, scoring on an RBI single by Estella and a sacrifice fly by Max Foster (Snohomish). Estella went 3-for-3 in the game.
EvCC plays Lane Community College (24-18) at 9:35 a.m. Thursday in its first game of the NWAACC’s eight-team, double-elimination tournament.
