MONROE — Edmonds-Woodway already knew it could win in a blow out.
Wednesday the Warriors learned how to hold on to a slim lead.
Alex Marier singled to score senior captain Trevor Swartz with the go-ahead run and Andy Willcock added a two-run double in the fourth inning as Edmonds-Woodway held off the Monroe Bearcats 5-4 in a non-league baseball game at Marshall Field.
“We’re a young team,” Edmonds-Woodway head coach Dan Somoza said of his team, which defeated Oak Harbor 13-3 in its season opener on Tuesday. “Playing hard is going to be key — we’re going to learn as we go.”
As young as Edmonds-Woodway is, it was Swartz, one of three seniors on the Edmonds-Woodway team along with Quinn Naughtin and Mike Stepenski, who scored the go-ahead run during a three-run fourth inning to put Edmonds-Woodway in control.
“That was basically the game right there,” Somoza said of the fourth inning.
With the score tied 2-2 entering the top of the fourth, five straight Edmonds-Woodway batters had a hit or advanced runners into scoring position.
Swartz led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on Marier’s single to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead. Derek Callahan singled Marier to third before Willcock, Edmonds-Woodway’s starting pitcher, hit a two-run double, increasing Edmonds-Woodway’s lead to 5-2.
“(Willcock’s double) made a huge difference,” Somoza said, “and Alex Marier came up with a clutch hit too.”
Willcock pitched three innings, allowing two runs. Jackson Cochran started on the mound for Monroe. He pitched three innings, striking out five and allowing two runs.
After taking the lead, Edmonds-Woodway had to hang on and survive a nerve-wracking sixth inning.
Monroe’s Tyler Ihrig drew a lead-off walk and scored on Cody Reed’s double. Reed scored on Ryan Moore’s single, cutting the Warriors’ lead to 5-4.
Edmonds-Woodway retired the top of Monroe’s lineup in order in the seventh inning to seal the victory.
“We started to get a good read on their pitcher and started hitting,” Reed said of Monroe’s rally in the sixth. “It was just playing good baseball. I think it’s definitely coming together.”
Reed had three of Monroe’s six hits, adding two singles to his sixth-inning double.
Reliever Brandon Lowe, who entered the game in the fourth inning, picked up the win for the Warriors.
“Brandon doesn’t look like he’ll throw it hard and he doesn’t,” Somoza said. “But they were out in front. It was his first outing of the year, so it was cool to see him (perform well).”
At Marshall Field
E-W0113000— 5 7 0
Monroe0200020— 4 6 1
Willcock, Lowe (4), Solberg (6) and Swartz. Cochran, Petersen (4), Parker (4) and Judson. WP- Lowe. LP — Petersen. 2B —Lopresti (EW) Judson (M), Moore (M), Reed (M), Willcock (EW). Records — E-W 2-0 overall. Monroe 0-2.
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