Small comes up big as Shorecrest makes state

MOUNT VERNON

The Shorecrest baseball team almost let another one get away, but in the end Grady Small ensured the Scots would make their first trip to state since 1995.

Small ripped a one-out single to left past a drawn-in Mount Vernon infield in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Pierce Rankin as Shorecrest beat the Bulldogs 4-3 May 12 to earn the second 3A District 1 berth to state.

Shorecrest will play Eastside Catholic at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 19 at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue in the first round at state.

“We get to go to that next level,” Rankin said. “It feels good.”

Shorecrest found itself in the winner-to-state, loser-out game after blowing a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth against Meadowdale in the district championship earlier in the day. They lost that game 4-3.

“I felt like we gave the game away the first game,” said Rankin, who was the losing pitcher against Meadowdale. “I thought we deserved to win. In baseball it doesn’t go your way sometimes. And wow, you got to give the guys a lot of credit coming back and winning after we lost a tough game.”

The Scots nearly blew the second game as well, losing a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh against the Bulldogs. Pitcher Bobby White, who threw four mostly solid innings of relief, surrendered two singles but coaxed a pop-up for the second out. The Bulldogs’ Cory Larson hit a grounder to second and hustled down the line, forcing second baseman Jake Schario to make a hurried, off-target throw. A run scored, leaving the tying run at third. Josh Etringer followed with a grounder up the middle, which Schario moving to his right, got a glove on but couldn’t corral and the game was tied.

The score remained tied until the ninth, when Rankin hit a one-out single to left, Willie Davies drew an intentional walk, and both runners advanced on a passed ball.

Then it was Small’s turn to repeat his performance of May 5 when the Scots beat the Bulldogs on his deep fly ball to left-center.

Before the inning, Rankin said he was so certain the Scots would get it done in the ninth that he told his teammates, “pack your bags we’re going home.”

Starter Riley Reynolds, who went three scoreless innings; White, who went four and gave up only one earned run; and Anthony Jochim, who got the win, all pitched well in a tough spot, Shorecrest coach Alan Bruns said.

“I really liked the work of all three guys,” Bruns said. Reynolds’ innings were limited because he threw six innings earlier in the week.

Small said now that the Scots have arrived at state, their pitchers will have to throw strikes and defense will have to tighten up. In short, the inconsistency that has plagued them this season will have to end if they are to advance.

“We can’t let teams back in games,” he said.

Unfortunately for the Scots, they did just that in the district championship against Meadowdale.

Shorecrest took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth when Chad Morrison’s RBI single scored Bobby White, who was moved over by a sacrifice by Schario. Rankin followed with a RBI double. Reynolds made it 3-0 in the sixth when he led off with a triple to right-center and scored on a wild pitch by Meadowdale starter Ricky Denham.

Rankin, the starter, cruised through the first five innings, allowing only one hit and striking out six. But in the sixth, things unraveled. Taylor Brennan led off with a walk and Rankin hit Bryan Hogue. He fell behind Matt Gorman, who he intentionally walked. Denham hit a slow roller to first but White’s throw to freshman catcher Nick Desrosier was low and Brennan scored. Rankin then hit Chase Anselment to force in Hogue. Chris Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score Gorman with the tying run. With runners at second and third after moving up after the fly ball, Rankin struck out Teagan Dooley.

Then it was Roger O’Neill’s turn.

The catcher ripped a single on a 2-2 fastball to left to score Denham with what proved to be the winning run.

“He has a pretty nice curveball (so) you have hit the fastball,” O’Neill said. “I saw it and put a pretty good hack on it.”

Anselment got thrown out trying to score but the damage was done.

Shorecrest put runners on second and third with two out but Anselment, on in relief, struck out Reynolds looking with a wicked curve to end the game.

Notes…The Scots were hoping to have sophomore James Robbins, who broke his arm earlier in the season, available to play first base or fill in as a designated hitter against Eastside Catholic. But Bruns said Wednesday Robbins, who started out as the team’s ace pitcher, had some discomfort while swinging a bat so his return appears to be in doubt…Shorecrest is 9-2 in its last 11 games and two of the reasons are the hot bats of Rankin and Anthony Jochim. Rankin hit .171 through the first 13 games of the season, but he’s batted .595 since for a season average of .372. Jochim was hitting only .125 through the first 13 games but has hit .519 in the last 11 with three home runs and 16 RBI. His season average is also .372. Chad Morrison (.361 on the season) also has been steady.