EVERETT — It took the Kamiak Knights five innings for their bats to wake up against the Jackson Timberwolves, but when they did, it was those bats that sent the Knights to the 4A state baseball tournament and Saturday’s 4A district championship game.
The Knights rallied from a 5-0 deficit to ultimately defeat Jackson 9-7 at Everett Memorial Stadium on Tuesday thanks to Chris Guinn’s three-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Timberwolves starting pitcher Cody Schmale had no problem getting through the Knights lineup in the first four innings. Schmale gave up just two hits in those four innings and his teammates gave him a five-run cushion.
But the Knights kept their heads in the game and it paid off in the fifth inning.
Matt Stief led off the inning with a walk and Eric Hovey followed with a single to left field that put runners on first and second with nobody out. After Sam Ewer struck out looking, Blake Collins came to the plate to pinch hit for Eric Erlandson. Collins doubled to left field to score Stief. The next batter, Andrew Groves, walked on four pitches to load the bases. Seth Heck hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Hovey and brought the Knights to within three runs. Guinn followed with an infield single that scored another run and he advanced to second when Timberwolves shortstop Mike Wishko’s throw got away from first baseman Anthony Flatt. With runners on second and third Jared Houghtaling singled to left field to score both runners and tie the game at 5-5.
“We’ve faced better pitching than that, so I knew we were going to get runs. It was just a matter of when,” Guinn said.
The game didn’t stay tied for long, Jackson responded with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. After a Kyle Olson single, Wishko singled to right field. Olson scored when the ball got by right fielder Sam Ewer. Wishko later scored on a Joakim Soderquist single to left field.
“It looked dark for the Knights again,” Kamiak head coach Steve Merkley said.
Again, though, the Knights responded.
Stief again led off the inning with a single, but Hovey struck out and Ewer flied out to the second baseman following the leadoff single.
Having two outs obviously didn’t bother Kamiak. Erlandson, who had re-entered the game, singled to center field and Groves followed with an infield single. Wishko replaced Mason Haugen as the pitcher for Jackson following the Groves single and quickly gave up another infield single to Heck that scored Stief and brought up Guinn.
With two strikes and two outs against him, Guinn said he knew he had to get a hit to at least tie the game, but he wasn’t trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark. But that is what almost happened. Guinn muscled a changeup off the left center field wall that scored all three runners and gave Kamiak its first lead at 9-7.
“I knew it, I knew it either had a chance to get out or it was going to be off the wall,” Guinn said after the game.
That set the stage for the Knights to put in their pitching ace, Groves, who picked up the save in the top of the seventh inning. Groves got the first batter to fly out, struck out the second batter and, after a walk, struck out Conner Plaisance swinging to end the game.
Groves was asked what he was thinking after picking up the final strikeout. “My mind was … I couldn’t think, it was priceless,” he said.
The Knights, who have played most of their games as the team that was ahead, didn’t make it easy on themselves, but they got the job done.
“These guys never quit,” Merkley said.
“I think it just proved to everyone that we can come from behind,” Guinn said.
At Everett Memorial Stadium
Jackson1020220—7102
Kamiak000054x—9111
Schmale, Haugen (5), Wishko (6). Bennett, Groves (7). WP—Bennett (7-1). LP—Wishko. S—Groves. 2B—Collins (K), Guinn (K). Records—Jackson 16-6 overall. Kamiak 18-4.
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