EVERETT — With a district title on the line, Lynnwood senior Leyon Camantigue and Edmonds-Woodway senior Gibby Marshall-Inman went toe to toe in an epic pitcher’s duel.
Camantigue went six strong shutout innings and Marshall-Inman took a shutout into extra innings.
But in the end only one team would team would go home with a district title, and senior Mason Lane made sure that would be Lynnwood.
Lane blistered a walk-off single into the gap in right-center field and the top-seeded Royals edged the sixth-seeded Warriors 1-0 in a tense, eight-inning Class 3A District tournament championship showdown.
It’s Lynnwood’s first district title in baseball since 2015.
“I’m just extremely proud of them,” Lynnwood coach Scott Watson said. “They just don’t quit and they believe that they can do it.”
Tommy McMahon led off the bottom of the eighth with a line drive that Marshall-Inman got a glove on. The ball deflected to the second baseman but was mishandled and then bobbled again on a recovery attempt, allowing McMahon to reach first safely. Kaden Masters laid down a sacrifice bunt to move McMahon to second and set No. 3 hitter Lane up for his game-winner that sent Lynnwood (15-7) into a jubilant celebration.
“As soon as I hit it, I knew we had it,” Lane said. “The pitch before that I visualized the exact same thing, and it happened.”
It was another close win in a season that’s been filled with down-to-the wire finishes for the Royals. Lynnwood improved to 7-2 in one-run games, including five one-run wins over its past eight games.
The Royals have also spent much of their season on the road. Watson said that left field gets particularly wet at their home field when it rains. As a result, Lynnwood has played just five of their 22 games at home and even had to travel for a district quarterfinal game, which were hosted by the higher seeds, despite being the top-seeded squad in the tournament.
“I think that’s made us better,” Watson said. “Anytime you can play on the road and sneak those wins out it builds some character. That’s been an interesting dynamic for our club.”
Camantigue allowed four hits, two walks and struck out six. Sophomore Jace Hampson, a University of Oregon commit, tossed two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. He struck out two and went 1-for-2 with a triple and a walk at the plate.
“Leyon, he’s been consistent all year long,” Watson said. “He’s a senior. So, he’s very mature and knows how to handle himself. He did it again. What can I say? Hats off.”
Marshall-Inman, an Oregon State signee, pitched 7.1 innings and allowed an unearned run on five hits and four walks to go along with nine strikeouts. Jacob Gabler and Jack Beers each hit doubles for the Warriors (14-10).
Edmonds-Woodway threatened in the third after back-to-back walks by Jens Simonsen and Drew Warner to leadoff the inning. Two hard-hit balls that followed resulted in a lineout to center and an inning-ending double play.
The Royals loaded the bases in the fourth and tried to manufacture a run by stealing home with two outs, but Marshall-Inman quickly threw a pitch outside that allowed his catcher to apply the tag in time for the out.
Hampson blasted a two-out triple into left-center in the sixth and Camantigue followed with a walk. But again Marshall-Inman escaped the jam, inducing a groundout to the shortstop.
Beers lined a leadoff double into left field in the seventh that ended Camantigue’s outing. Hampson came in and set down the next three batters. He came off the mound pumping his fists in celebration after an inning-ending strikeout.
A hit by pitch with two outs put a runner on for the Warriors in the eighth. The runner stole second and then tried to score from second after a mishandled grounder by the first baseman but was thrown out.
Lane sent Lynnwood home with a win in the bottom half of the inning.
“It’s huge,” Watson said of heading into the state tournament on a win. “Momentum is a nasty mistress and it goes both ways. We’re gonna ride it. We’re going to stay humble, though. … There’s always a bigger dog around the corner. We’re just going to stay in the moment.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
