Snohomish capitalizes on miscues, beats MP 4-3 in 8 innings

SNOHOMISH — The Marysville Pilchuck baseball team was in position to earn a pivotal league win against a top-notch pitcher.

But the visiting Tomahawks gifted Snohomish extra chances with sloppy defense, and the opportunistic Panthers made them pay.

Zach Boswell keyed a late rally with a game-tying single in the seventh inning and Kyle Sandifer connected for a walk-off single in the eighth as Snohomish capitalized on three Pilchuck errors to earn a 4-3 eight-inning win Tuesday in a Wesco 3A North showdown.

“We found a way,” said Snohomish coach Kim Hammons, whose team managed only four hits but lined several well-struck balls right at Pilchuck outfielders. “You have to find a way to do it without the benefit of the hit, so that was pretty sweet. … Total team effort. Everybody contributed.”

With the Panthers (9-4 overall, 8-3 Wesco 3A) trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Sandifer reached base on an error and was replaced by courtesy runner Jaden McClure, who advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt and took third on a two-out passed ball.

Then after Chase Christian battled back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk, Pilchuck (8-5, 8-3) intentionally walked Snohomish leadoff hitter Josh Johnston to load the bases. Boswell followed by driving in the tying run on a deep infield single to the right of shortstop.

Pilchuck escaped further damage to force extra innings, but the Tomahawks committed another costly defensive blunder in the eighth when Snohomish senior Brandon Jodock reached base on an error.

Then after Wyatt Wilson replaced Jodock as a courtesy runner and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, Sandifer lined a one-out single into right field. The ensuing relay home was bobbled by the first baseman, and Wilson scored easily to give the Panthers a thrilling comeback win and set off an emphatic postgame celebration.

“I was just hoping they wouldn’t pigpile me,” Sandifer said afterward with a laugh. “Just hoping that I wasn’t going to get killed.”

Sandifer, a standout senior pitcher who no-hit Everett last week, struck out nine Pilchuck batters while allowing two earned runs on six hits in six innings pitched.

Pilchuck junior Tyler Devries allowed no earned runs and only three hits in seven innings pitched, but was hurt by his team’s shaky defense. All four of Snohomish’s runs were unearned.

“We gave it to them,” Pilchuck coach James Day said. “They’d put the ball in play and we’d make an error. That’s the only way they scored runs. Our guys struggled playing catch. … Our pitcher battled and kept us in the game, and the defense has got to (make plays) at that point.”

Snohomish’s defense also committed three errors, but the Panthers balanced their miscues with run-preventing plays. Snohomish outfielders Christian Hill and Boswell each threw out a runner at the plate, and catcher Logan Gates caught two runners stealing to help stymie Pilchuck scoring chances.

Johnston gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead in the third after lining a double down the left-field line and scoring on a first-and-third steal play.

In the sixth, Pilchuck senior Jacob Watts lined a two-run single into left field to put the Tomahawks ahead 3-2. But Pilchuck’s two late-game errors proved costly, as Snohomish rallied to victory and moved into a tie with the Tomahawks for second place in the Wesco 3A North.

The teams are scheduled to conclude the two-game series Wednesday afternoon at Marysville Pilchuck High School.