EVERETT — There’s little doubt that the Cedar Park Christian-Bothell and Archbishop Murphy baseball teams are the two best squads in the Cascade Conference this season.
The Eagles entered their Tuesday showdown with the Wildcats at Roman Miller Baseball Field with a 8-0 conference mark. Archbishop Murphy was right behind at 7-0. There’s a good chance that the outcome of this week’s two games between the teams (they’re scheduled to play again Thursday) will most likely decide the conference champion.
“That’s exactly the way we’re viewing it,” said Cedar Park Christian-Bothell first baseman/pitcher Michael Attalah, an Oregon State University signee. “Those guys are always on top of the league, so we know we have to pitch our best and hit our best to beat them. These games show us what we’re capable of. It’s fun to play those guys; there’s intensity.”
Cedar Park Christian-Bothell pulled out a 3-2 win Tuesday in the kind of contest that both teams’ coaches expected.
“We knew we’d play a close game,” said Eagles coach Matt Stevens. “We try not to make these games bigger than they are, but we totally respect Archbishop Murphy and what they do. It’s a tough road anytime you play them. That’s good, though, because these games will prepare us for down the road. There’s definitely a playoff atmosphere.”
The outcome of Tuesday’s contest was in doubt until the final pitch. Down 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Archbishop Murphy climbed within one run when Josh Madison drew a leadoff walk and eventually scored on a single by Connor O’Brien. But Eagles reliever Grant Gilmore retired Dirks Wilson with a runner on third base to end the game.
The Wildcats took the lead in the first inning when Austin Hauck walked and came home on a double by Collin Montez. But Cedar Park Christian-Bothell took the lead for good in the fourth inning on a run-scoring single by Luke Lampe and a two-run triple by Josiah Sergeant.
The Wildcats had a good opportunity to cut into the Eagles’ lead in the bottom of the frame when they loaded the bases with one out. But Cedar Park Christian-Bothell pitcher Jack Flynn coaxed ground-ball outs from the next two Archbishop Murphy batters to squelch the threat.
“That was a key moment,” said Wildcats coach Max Whitt. “We didn’t get the timely hitting that we needed. You have to tip your cap to them; they played solid, fundamental defense, and they pitched well.”
Whitt is confident in his squad moving forward, though. The Wildcats have pitching depth and a solid lineup anchored by NCAA Division-I recruits O’Brien (Seattle University) and Montez (Washington State University).
“We’ve pitched well, and our hitting has been fantastic. We’re averaging 10, 11 hits per game,” Whitt said. “Our baserunning has been good, and we’ve played good, fundamental defense — we’ve made only three or four errors this season.”
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