Seagulls miss title, but return to state

SEDRO-WOOLLEY – It took them one more game than they wanted it to, but the Everett Seagulls are going back to state.

Wesco No. 1 seed Everett bounced back from a 2-1 winner-to-state loss against Northwest No. 1 seed Mount Vernon to defeat Shorecrest 5-2 Saturday at Janicki Fields and clinch their third straight trip to state. After two forays to the 4A tournament, the Seagulls advanced to the 3A event to be held next Friday and Saturday at the Sound End Recereation Area in Tacoma.

“I told the team that we needed to forget about the loss and that if we win one more, we go back to state,” said Everett head coach Kyle Peacocke.

His team did just that.

Everett starting pitcher Cory Mattson pitched her second complete game of the day, struck out eight Shorecrest batters and allowed only two runs on six hits.

“Cory’s been great for us all year. She pitched 14 great innings today,” said Peacocke.

Mattson’s second-game performance wiped away the brief memory of giving up a game-winning, two-run home run against Mount Vernon.

“We just had to re-focus and get our momentum going again,” said Mattson, who had 14 strikeouts on the day. “The defense really played well behind me.”

While the Seagulls bats were quiet in the Mount Vernon game -scoring only one run on seven hits – Everett No. 9 hitter Valerie Stahl woke them up in the second game.

Stahl hit a fourth-inning home run that cleared the left field fence by a good 30 feet to give Everett a comfortable 4-0 lead.

“It felt great,” said Stahl, who also had two hits and an RBI in the first game.

“I’m glad I could keep the team going and get us back to the top of the lineup.”

And the top of the lineup redeemed themselves in the second game as well.

After Mattson and Shorecrest starting pitcher Emma Snow traded goose eggs for the first two innings, Everett’s Lauren Hope led off the bottom of the third with a single. After a wild pitch, Stahl sacrificed her to third and No. 2 hitter Ally Pappas drove her in and gave Everett a 1-0 lead.

No. 3 hitter Alexandra Hudson then singled to drive in Pappas and Mattson, batting cleanup, aided her cause with an RBI single, making the score 3-0.

Stahl’s fourth-inning home run and a fifth-inning RBI single by Elizabeth Reed put Everett in front 5-0.

On the day, Hudson had a single and a double; Pappas had a single, double and an RBI, and Jessica Carey added two singles and a double for Everett.

“We got the bats going and hit pretty well this game,” said Peacocke. “(Stahl’s) home run definitely put a smile on some faces.”

In the seventh inning, it looked like those same smiles might disappear.

Following singles by Shorecrest’s Caroline Towles and Elisabeth Hoffman, freshman Annie Collins popped a one-out, two-run double that closed the gap to 5-2.

Mattson then retired the final two batters to ensure her team’s spot in its third straight state tournament.

“Since we’ve been there before, I think we have a little more confidence and know what we need to do,” Mattson said.

While Everett did not place at state in 2005 or 2006, the past experiences and memories have prepared a now seasoned Seagull squad for a push deep into this year’s tournament.

“We’ve been in this spot for three years now, the girls know what to expect,” Peacocke said.

“Every team down there (at state) wants to win it, so for now our goal is to be playing in the final four.”

At Janicki Fields

Everett0001000-170

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Mattson and Welly. Crawford, Walker (5) and Barnett. WP-Walker. LP-Mattson. 2B-Ritchie (E), Pappas (E), Carey (E).

Shorecrest0000002-262

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Mattson and Welly. Snow and Towles. WP-Mattson. LP-Snow.