LYNNWOOD — Glacier Peak’s Chris Watkins made the most of his two singles.
The Grizzlies junior outfielder knocked in two runs with a single to take the lead in the sixth and drove in the game-winning run in the top of the eighth after Meadowdale had tied the game and Glacier Peak beat the Mavericks 6-5.
With the win the Grizzlies extend their win streak to five and solidified their hold on second place in the Wesco 3A South behind undefeated Shorewood (12-0 league 15-0 overall).
Watkins’ first hit came in the top of the sixth after a hit batter and a walk. Sean Elledge bunted the runners into scoring position, but Meadowdale reliever Chace Diemond got the next batter to pop out. Watkins came up and lined a 2-2 pitch to center field to score both runs and make it 5-4.
That might have been enough, but Meadowdale was able to tie it after Tyler McGuire reached base on a two-out error and scored standing up on a Kenley Ackerman double.
The Mavericks — who left 14 runners on base over the course of the game and left the bases loaded in the seventh and the eigth — had a chance to end it in the home seventh. GP pitcher Casey Welch loaded the bases with one out but induced a pop up from Chris Tanner for the second out. Meadowdale’s McGuire hit what would have been a game-ending line drive right back up the middle, but Welch was able to snag it to end the inning.
Watkins drove in the eventual game-winner with two outs in the eigth when he singled to score Josh May, who led the inning off with a double.
“He’s got a good eye so he’s really selective,” said Glacier Peak head coach Bob Blair of Watkins. “Both times he took the pitcher deep into the count. He was able to get a good pitch to hit.
“He’s coming into his own at this point. Finding a good spot for himself.”
For the Grizzlies, the idea that Watkins and some of the other players are maturing and getting comfortable is certainly welcome.
“I think we’re peaking at the right time, which is what we wanted to do as a team.”
Unfortunately for Meadowdale things are not so bright. The loss was Meadowdale’s fifth in a row after starting its league season 6-0.
“We threatened in every inning. We left 14 on base. This was just comical,” said Mavericks head coach Bill Hummel.
“We’re just kind of in a bad way right now. We had a lot of opportunities to score at the end of this game before it went to extra innings. It just didn’t happen. … In four of the last five innings we had a runner at third and just could not get that runner home.”
At Meadowdale H.S.
Glacier Peak01200201—681
Meadowdale02200100—591
Dylan Peterson, Mitch Eatmon (4), Casey Welch (6) and Mitch Pohrman. Reid Naughtin, Chace Diemond (5), Colin Costello (7) and Brian Marty. WP—Welch. LP—Costello. 2B—Josh May (GP) 2, Sean Elledge (GP), Kenley Ackerman (M). Records—Glacier Peak 9-4 league, 11-5 overall. Meadowdale 6-5, 7-7.
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