Monroe powers past Everett

Published 12:07 am Saturday, April 12, 2008

EVERETT — For seven innings the Monroe High School softball team’s bats were as frigid as the temperature — after the sun had ducked below the horizon.

But once extra frames arrived, it was as if someone had taken those bats and stuck them in the microwave. As a result, the Bearcats put themselves in pole position in the Western Conference North Division.

Monroe erupted for four runs in the top of the eighth to break a scoreless deadlock, and the Bearcats went on to defeat the Everett Seagulls 4-0 Friday night at Lincoln Park.

Tessa Degel’s ground-rule double drove in the game’s opening run. Later in the inning, Catherine Brakke added a two-run homer — the first of the freshman’s career — as Monroe broke open what had been a pitcher’s duel between the Bearcats’ Jordan Birch and Everett’s Cory Mattson.

“We were hitting randomly throughout the entire game and it just all came together in that last inning when we needed it,” said Birch, who opened the rally with a double.

Now Monroe (6-1 league, 7-1 overall) finds itself in sole possession of first place in the Wesco North. The Bearcats also swept both of their games against Everett (5-2, 8-2), which came into the game tied for first.

“It was a huge deal,” Degel said of the victory. “Now we’re ranked first in our division and it really meant a lot to us. We wanted this game a lot.”

It looked as though the game was headed late into the night as Birch and Mattson continued to put zeroes on the board.

Through seven innings Monroe had managed a measly two singles. But it all changed in the eighth. It began when Birch led off by lining a double to the wall in right-center, this after twice having foul pops elude Everett fielders.

One out later, Degel laced a line drive over the head of the left fielder, the ball bouncing over the fence for an RBI double and a 1-0 lead.

“I was just up there relaxed and let it fly,” Degel said. “Birch got an awesome double and I finished it up.”

But Monroe wasn’t done. With two outs, Haley McCutchan dropped a bloop single into left to score a second run. Then Brakke followed by belting a two-run shot to center to make it 4-0.

That was more than enough for Birch. The reigning Herald All-Area Player of the Year finished with a two-hit shutout, striking out 17.

“It was really fun, I just felt in a groove,” Birch said. “It felt really fun that once you’re up on a batter you feel like you’ve got them.”

Meanwhile, the Seagulls were left lamenting missed opportunities, both on offense and defense. Everett had a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh when Birch had a rare lapse, walking a pair to give the Seagulls two runners on with one out. However, Birch bore down and struck out back-to-back batters to end the threat.

Then when defensive plays, though difficult, were there to be made in the eighth, Everett was unable to convert.

“I thought it was a great game for seven innings,” Everett coach Kyle Peacocke said. “But our defense was not good in the eighth inning and I thought that was the difference in the game.

“Jordan’s obviously a good pitcher, but the last three times we’ve played them it’s come down to defensive errors.”

Mattson was nearly Birch’s equal through seven innings, though she had to pitch herself out of jams in the first and sixth. Mattson finished with a six-hitter, striking out 14.

Though the Seagulls now find themselves looking up at the Bearcats in the standings, they’re not conceding the division title just yet.

“We know that to be league champs you have to go through Monroe one way or another,” Peacocke said. “But they did get beat a week ago (a 1-0 loss to Cascade on April 1), and I’m not going to say a league title is out of the question because we still have a long way to go.”

At Lincoln Park

Monroe00000004—461

Everett00000000—022

Birch and Stanley. Mattson and An. Hudson. WP—Birch. LP—Mattson. 2B—Birch (M), Degel (M), An. Hudson (E). HR—Brakke (M). Records—Monroe 6-1 in division, 7-1 overall; Everett 5-2, 8-2.