EDMONDS — When he first looked at the schedule, Edmonds-Woodway baseball coach Dan Somoza figured the Wesco 4A South title might be decided by the season-ending series between the Warriors and Cascade.
Turns out he was right.
Alex Hull hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Warriors (11-2 league, 14-4 overall) took control of the Wesco 4A South race with a 4-3 win over Cascade (10-3, 14-4) on Friday.
“It was playoff baseball all the way today,” said Warriors head coach Dan Somoza. “Great game, playoff atmosphere and a big crowd.”
Hull’s hit scored Chantz Justice after the Warriors had loaded the bases with two outs. Hull finished the game 3-for-3 with a run scored.
Edmonds-Woodway had plenty of opportunities to score, but stranded 14 baserunners. It nearly cost the Warriors, who trailed 3-1 going into the seventh, but Mac MacLachlan forced extra innings with a two-run single.
“Mac has been hitting great all year,” said Warriors head coach Dan Somoza. “He was 0-for-3 going into that at-bat and had struck out the last two times, but just because you’re 0-for-3 it doesn’t mean you’re going to go 0-for-4.”
Cascade also could not take advantage with runners on. The Bruins left 10 on base and hit into double plays to end the second, fourth and eighth innings. Still, Cascade tied the game on Michael Mazza’s RBI fielder’s choice in the fifth and took advantage of a Warriors’ error in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Ryan Lukas added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the final Bruins’ run.
After being tied with Cascade entering Friday’s game, the Warriors now need just one more victory to clinch a second consecutive South title. The Warriors and Bruins play two more times to conclude the regular season.
“We’ve seen this Cascade team coming, most are juniors and it’s their third year starting,” said Somoza. “We knew they’d be good…when I saw we were playing them in the final series, (I) expected it to come down to this.”
At Edmonds-Woodway H.S.
Cascade00001110—362
Edmonds-Woodway00100021—472
Austin Pinorini, Josh Staveskie (4), Ky Dye (7) and Michael Mazza, Ryan Lukas (7). Jorgen Arnesen, Brady Edwards (6), Tate Budnick (8) and Tate Budnick, Cody Edwards (8). WP—Budnick (3-2). LP—Dye. 2B—Troy Rheinford (EW). Records—Cascade 10-3 league, 14-4 overall. Edmonds-Woodway 11-2, 14-4.
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