EVERETT — As a part of Mountlake Terrace’s impressive youth movement, Josh Fitch is a big reason why the Hawks won their second district baseball title in three years.
Fitch is one of five sophomores who start for the surging Mountlake Terrace High School baseball team. After making a stellar defensive play from his position at third base that helped keep the score tied at 3-3 in the fifth inning, Fitch smacked a run-scoring double to deep right field in the eighth inning that was the difference in Mountlake Terrace’s 4-3 triumph over the Kamiak Knights on May 15 in the Class 4A District 1 tournament championship at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Two other sophomores — left fielder Austin Johnson (2-for-4, a double, one RBI) and middle infielder Chris Hall (two RBI) — made big offensive contributions for Mountlake Terrace, which overcame a 3-0 deficit and edged their Western Conference South Division rival. Senior Andrew Woeck relieved starter Aaron Brooks on the mound in the fifth inning and earned the pitching victory for Terrace (17-6), which snared the District 1 No. 1 seed for the upcoming state tournament.
The Hawks are headed back to state after missing out last year. They won the district title in 2008.
“They’re all sweet,” Mountlake Terrace coach Andrew Watters said of district championships, “but this one’s been just thoroughly enjoyable because of the kids. This group has been a total pleasure to coach and they’ve come together as a team, and they’ve improved and come so far in such a quick time.”
“Lots of young players had clutch moments,” Watters added. “And watching our senior pitchers (Brooks and Woeck) do what they are doing — it’s all coming together. It’s a lot of fun.”
Mountlake Terrace plays Central Kitsap at 10 a.m. on May 22 at Everett Memorial. Terrace earned the chance to play close to home again, in large part, because of Fitch, who drilled a fastball from Kamiak pitcher Andrew Groves over the head of right fielder Tyler Lambert with one out in the top of the eighth inning. Fitch’s hit drove in senior Ryan Fickle, who got on base with a single and stole second base before Fitch’s clutch double.
In the bottom of the eighth, Woeck (7-3) — who threw a two-hit shutout in a district semifinal win over Marysville-Pilchuck on Tuesday — gave up a single and a walk but struck out Kamiak designated hitter Blake Collins to end it.
Just like on Tuesday, on the same field, Woeck’s teammates mobbed him on the mound after the final out.
“It means everything,” Fitch said of winning the district title. “We didn’t expect it.”
The previously unbeaten Groves (9-1), Kamiak’s starting pitcher, was uncharacteristically wild (four walks, three hit batsmen) but battled and kept his team in the game. Seniors Chris Guinn, Jared Houghtaling (two RBI) and Jake Sortor (one double) all had two hits for the Knights, who are headed to state as the District 1 No. 2 seed. Kamiak (18-5) plays Federal Way at 1 p.m. on May 22 at Memorial Park in Kent.
“Kamiak’s such a good team. They’re going to do well in state,” said coach Watters. “I would say Kamiak has a good possibility to get themselves to (Safeco Field, site of the state semifinals and finals on May 28-29). They’re as good as anybody.”
Kamiak was trying for the program’s first district championship. It also lost in its previous title-game appearance in 2003, according to Kamiak coach Steve Merkley. Despite his disappointment, Merkley appreciated the high quality and entertainment of Saturday’s game.
“That was fun, pitch by pitch,” he said. “It was a great atmosphere. It just ended wrong.”
District 1’s other 4A state-bound team is Shorewood, which beat Jackson 14-10 on Saturday in the third-place game at Snohomish High. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Everett Memorial, before the Mountlake Terrace-Kamiak game, but was moved because of extremely soggy conditions in the outfield and along the warning track caused by a sprinkler system mishap. The start of the Terrace-Kamiak game was delayed an hour while a crew prepped the waterlogged areas at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Mike Cane writes for the Herald in Everett.
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