Bishop Blanchet players huddle during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
EDMONDS — The Mountlake Terrace High School baseball team was sitting right on the edge of a state semifinal appearance on Saturday.
The fourth-seeded Hawks rose to the occasion in the first segment of their Class 3A state regional at Edmonds-Woodway High School, engineering a 12-7 win over the No. 20 Bishop Blanchet Bears in the round of 16 Saturday morning. However, Mountlake Terrace’s comeback attempt against fifth-seeded West Seattle in the afternoon’s quarterfinal came up one run short, as the Hawks saw their season end with a 10-9 loss to the Wildcats.
West Seattle (20-5) advanced to face Eastside Catholic in the semifinals Friday in Pasco. Mountlake Terrace, fresh off being crowned District 1 champion for the first time since 2012, finished its season 19-5.
Talan Zenk drove in seven runs of Mountlake Terrace’s nine runs in the loss.
“We were looking at things as one game at a time,” Mountlake Terrace coach Ryan Sells said of the Hawks’ postseason run. “We didn’t want to change anything going into that second game (and) we wanted to keeping attacking.
“(This season) was a success, at least how I look at it,” Sells added. “Last season we got walked-off in the district title game and bounced early at state. To make it this far. … I can’t say enough about this class and what they’ve done.”
Against West Seattle, the Hawks hung up a four-run frame in the top of the third inning to take a 4-1 lead, and Mountlake Terrace carried a 5-3 lead into the sixth.
That’s when things got dicey for the Hawks.
In the early stages of the game Terrace held West Seattle’s two-way star and University of Washington commit Matthew Henning in check, both at the plate and on the mound. Henning, who started on the mound, was chased after allowing five earned runs through five innings, and he came up empty in his first two at bats.
But in the sixth Henning battled against Hawks reliever Jack Gripentrog for an eight-pitch walk to get himself off the schneid. He later dived across home plate with the bases loaded, securing the Wildcats’ go-ahead run as they headed into the final inning leading 7-5. Henning was involved again in the seventh, hitting an RBI single and later coming around to score as West Seattle stretched its lead to five.
“We came into it knowing that West Seattle can really hit,” Sells said. “One-through-four over there, they can all hit it. … Our goal was to get them to their reliever, and we did that. It was just that sixth inning that got us. … I’ll tip my hat to Henning, he was getting bounced around in the first couple innings.”
Terrace kept it interesting in the bottom of the seventh. After Ryan Sturgill (3-for-4) loaded up the bases with a line-drive single, the Hawks still had some hope at last-minute comeback. Zenk then stepped up to the plate and smashed a grand slam to left field, pulling Terrace to within a single run. However, a pair of groundouts followed and the Hawks were eliminated.
Earlier in the day. Mountlake Terrace overcame a four-run first-inning deficit by going 17-for-34 in knocking off Bishop Blanchet (12-15). Zenk and Ethan Swenson each went 3-for-5, and seven different Hawks having multi-hit performances.
Bishop Blanchet’s (32) is deemed out during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Bishop Blanchet’s Blake Jensen (10) pitches during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Robert Swan (12) slides back to second during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Bishop Blanchet’s Noah Duenas (12) slides into third during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Bishop Blanchet’s JJ Kane (6) snags the ball during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
A Mountlake Terrace player scores during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Ethan Swenson (34) pitches during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace players cheer in the dugout during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Bishop Blanchet players fight for the ball during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Nolan Valdivia (5) steals third during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Bishop Blanchet’s Will Skibitzke (4) throws the ball during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Talan Zenk (10) scrambles for third during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Bishop Blanchet’s Will Skibitzke (4) catches the ball during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and Bishop Blanchet at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace won, 12-7.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace players celebrate a home run during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and West Seattle at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace lost, 9-10.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
West Seattle players celebrate during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and West Seattle at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace lost, 9-10.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace’s Griffin Potter (11) runs to first during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and West Seattle at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace lost, 9-10.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Fans cheer during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and West Seattle at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace lost, 9-10.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
A West Seattle player scores during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and West Seattle at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace lost, 9-10.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace players huddle during a baseball game between Mountlake Terrace and West Seattle at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Mountlake Terrace lost, 9-10.(Annie Barker / The Herald)
Our trio takes a crack at picking the winners for this week’s gridiron games.
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