Snoqualmie Valley Sports Journal Archive Edition

Editor’s note: Updated with quotes from Mount Si coach Elliott Cribby.

Mount Si baseball’s run through state has been very dramatic. Today, the Wildcats played for the right to compete for the state title, and once again, it came down to one heart-stopping play. And once again, the Wildcats were on the right side of it, sending them to the state championship game tomorrow.

A double play which ended with a play at the plate helped Mount Si escape with a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Kamiakin Braves from Kennewick in a game that will be remembered for a number of strange incidents, both on and off the field. In addition to all the big plays in the field, there were three delays in the contest – one for a bat issue and two others for fan conduct problems with Mount Si fans.

The game was billed as a duel between two top aces, and it turned out to be that, but not until after the Wildcats struck first in the first inning. With Robb Lane on after having been hit by a pitch, Tim Proudfoot launched an offering from Braves pitcher Garrett Anderson down the left field line which cleared the fence for a home run, giving Mount Si the 2-0 lead. The homer was Proudfoot’s ninth of the season and Mount Si’s 20^th overall this spring.

The Braves countered in the fifth, scoring a run on a passed ball on what was going to be the third out of the inning. Jonny Allen scored the run as Joey Jansen reached first on the play, giving Kamiakin an extra out to work with. The next hitter, A.J. Griffiths, grounded to second, and Mount Si forced Jansen there to get out of trouble.

The Wildcats scored in the sixth on another strange play. Proudfoot, at third, raced home after Kamiakin catcher Joey Flores flubbed a toss back to Anderson. The Braves came right back in the bottom of the frame, with a double by Justin Berneski which scored Blake Raekes.

Mount Si could not muster anything in the seventh off Anderson, and he finished having given up just four hits while striking out nine. It was up to the Braves bats, and they started off right away with a single by Allen. Flores grounded out to advance Allen to second, then the senior utilityman raced to third on a wild pitch by Wildcat starter Trevor Lane. With the count 3-1, Jansen hit a fly ball to left field, which was caught by Daniel Besmer. Besmer, it appeared, was playing well enough back to which the Braves should have scored the tying run on that fly out, but Besmer had other ideas. He fired an absolute strike to home plate, with the ball reaching catcher Robb Lane well before Allen reached the plate. Allen barreled into Lane to try to jar the ball loose, and apparently did, but Allen was still called out, because umpires ruled he had come in standing up with the intent of prying the ball loose, he was out. This play will likely be remembered for years, it was that huge of a play. “He made a really nice play,” Mount Si coach Elliott Cribby said.

Mount Si fans celebrated while Braves fans were likely left shocked by what they had just witnessed. And the Wildcats earned the right to play Shorewood for the title tomorrow. “It’s been awesome and it’s been a great run and we’re not done yet,” Cribby said.

Proudfoot finished 2-3 with two runs and two RBI’s to lead the Wildcats, while Trevor Lane pitched a complete game, giving up six hits, striking out five and walking one. He won his seventh game of the season.