It’s Friday the 13th. We preview and pick today’s playoff games for you now.
Today will be real busy, as Mount Si baseball and softball both aim for league crowns. We’ll start with baseball, then do softball for you as well. Hopefully no frightful occurrences today for any of the Wildcat teams.
KINGCO 3A BASEBALL
KINGCO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
MOUNT SI WILDCATS VS. LAKE WASHINGTON KANGAROOS
FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2011 – BANNERWOOD PARK , BELLEVUE – 7:00 P.M.
Mount Si comes in off a 5-0 win last night over MI, while LW comes in off a 10-1 win over Sammamish. We were hoping to see the offense come back to life, and it most certainly did, with nine hits and five runs. For Mount Si to win against this very good LW squad (MS beat the Kangs on a walk-off hit in their only meeting of the season; the second was canceled due to rain) the offense will have to deliver once again tonight.
Ace pitcher Trevor Lane shut down MI last night, which means either Reece Karalus or Trevor Taylor get the call tonight. Both juniors are very good pitchers, and Karalus shut down the Kangs bats on just five hits in that game, April 15. Because of that, we look for Taylor (5-0, 3.09 ERA) to get the call, since coach Elliott Cribby will want to make sure the LW hitters stay off-balance.
Team speed will need to be key tonight; no stolen bases last night, so the baserunners will have to be busy. But once again, it all comes back to one thing: offense, offense, offense. We think that things are now looking up for the group, and they will get a chance to show it off at state.
MOUNT SI 5, LAKE WASHINGTON 1
Now to softball.
KINGCO 3A SOFTBALL
KINGCO TOURNAMENT
MOUNT SI WILDCATS VS. BELLEVUE WOLVERINES
MOUNT SI HS – FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2011 – 3:00 P.M.
Mount Si’s offense went into overdrive and blasted the Lake Washington Kangaroos 12-2 yesterday to advance to this game and also clinch the eighth district tournament slot in ten years under coach Larry White. And it is this offense which is expected to shine again today, as they have had success in the past against Bellevue’s starting pitcher, senior Emily Fleischman. Fleischman gave up eight runs to the Wildcats in that 10-8 Wolverine barnburner last Tuesday, and Mount Si’s bats have had success at other times against her as well.
Leading the charge today is senior Carly Weidenbach. Weidenbach, who caught yesterday in place of the injured Danielle Massengill (more on her in a moment), homered to start the Mount Si onslaught, which finished with, you guessed it, a homer, this time by freshman Rachael Picchena.
The freshmen and sophomores did a nice job for the most part, but among the few negatives out of yesterday’s game was baserunning mistakes; three times, two by freshman Celine Fowler, Mount Si runners were nailed on the basepaths in pickoff plays. Fowler’s speed allows her a lot of flexibility to experiment, so hopefully yesterday’s struggles don’t cause her to change her approach. As it was, Fowler went 3-3 with a walk, so if she continues to get it done at the plate, things will be fine.
Another player who had a career day was senior Kassidy Maddux. 4-4 with three runs, hitting in the #2 slot in the order, not a normal spot for her in the lineup. Maddux’s efforts were MVP-like yesterday; if she has another great day at the plate, it could be good news for the Wildcats.
Pitcher Kendra Lee once again pitched steady yesterday, but will need to kick it up a notch today if Mount Si has an opportunity in this game; the junior got hammered for 10 runs by the Bellevue bats in that game last Tuesday, including two homers. Lee will need to pitch tough today, that’s for sure.
Today’s game for Mount Si against Bellevue also has an intangible which MI’s baseball team had against the Wildcats last night: third time this season the two teams have played, with the last meeting being one that one team wishes didn’t get away. In baseball, it was the Islanders; here, it’s scarlet and gray. With that, this offense’s success against Fleischman, and the third-try aspect, we like Mount Si here.
MOUNT SI 8, BELLEVUE 5
So now, it’s the league title game.
KINGCO 3A SOFTBALL
KINGCO CHAMPIONSHIP
MOUNT SI WILDCATS VS. JUANITA REBELS
FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2011 – MOUNT SI HS – 5:00 P.M.
This one’s a little more certain. Juanita swept Mount Si this season, outscoring the Wildcats 20-5, and has been by far the best team in this league, led primarily by their ace pitcher, junior Allison Rhodes, who we have heard has already committed, as a D-I to Notre Dame. Rhodes, folks, is good. Real good. Mount Si hitters have had a tough time against her this spring, so the key today is to just look for mistakes and take advantage. Rhodes is one who won’t make too many of those, so when she does, Mount Si has to be ready.
Rhodes continues a recent tradition of solid pitching coming out of the Juanita program; last year’s ace, Kylie Sparks, just wrapped up her freshman season at D-I Maine (5-5, 3.67 ERA) and Sabrina Lloyd, who pitched for the Rebels several years ago, played D-I ball as well, both at Boston College and Texas A&M.
Juanita looks like a solid contender for a state berth out of SeaKing, and Rhodes is the main reason for that, although hitters such as the Faist sisters, Lexy and Dani, deserve a little credit as well. Mount Si may have something to say about all of that today, but they will need to be ready.
JUANITA 8 , MOUNT SI 0
