Mount Si baseball advances to semifinal round in state playoffs
May 25, 2011
By Dan Catchpole
The Wildcats’ Dustin Breshears reaches around Enumclaw catcher D.J. Hitch to avoid the tag and score in Mount Si’s 6-2 win in the state playoffs. Trevor Lane (2) watches the play up close. By Dan Catchpole
Mount Si High School was one out away from advancing to the semifinals in the 3A state baseball playoffs when D.J. Hitch stepped up to bat for Enumclaw. The Hornets had a runner on first base, but the Wildcats led 6-2.
On the second pitch of the at-bat, Hitch connected. When Mount Si shortstop Tim Proudfoot saw the ball come off the bat, he said he had one thought, “I am going to catch this ball no matter what.”
Sprinting to his right and back, the lanky infielder dove and landed with the ball securely in his mitt.
Proudfoot’s catch was another example of the pitching and defense that the Wildcats have ridden to the semifinals under the leadership of first-year Coach Elliott Cribby and his new staff.
Earlier that day, fifth-ranked Mount Si (20-3) beat Timberline, of Lacey, 4-2, in the first round of the playoffs.
Timberline (20-4) and Enumclaw each scored first, but Mount Si shut down the opposing offenses and responded with timely hitting.
On the pitching mound, Trevor Lane and Reece Karalus each threw complete games for the Wildcats.
Karalus efficiently retired third-ranked Enumclaw’s powerful offense, which struggled against his velocity and command. For the second consecutive start, the senior did not walk one batter.
“There wasn’t a point when I felt I could back off,” he said.
Karalus tried to keep the ball inside to Enumclaw batters, who have trouble pulling the ball.
“They didn’t dominate us by any stretch of the imagination, but he hit spots,” Enumclaw Coach Eric Fiedler said.
The Hornets got on the board quickly, scoring on a one-out double in the first inning that left runners on second and third.
But as he has in other tight situations this season, Karalus settled down and struck out the next two batters on eight pitches to retire the side.
The Wildcats went to work in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs. The second run came with controversy, though.
With two outs, Mount Si centerfielder Max Brown hit a ball to the shortstop, who’s throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. Mount Si’s Robb Lane came home from third, but his run didn’t count, as Brown was initially called out.
Both teams cleared the field, but Cribby protested the call. The umpires conferred and reversed the call, allowing the run to stand.
With that play, momentum switched to Mount Si, which never let go of it.
Playing in Bellevue’s expansive Bannerwood Park, Mount Si’s batters couldn’t rely on the long ball, which they have used effectively this season.
Instead they showed their ability to play small ball by steadily advancing runners with timely hitting and aggressive base running.
Early that day, Lane shut down sixth-ranked Timberline, notching 10 strikeouts. He had a heavy workload, though, throwing 120 pitches overall as he struggled with his location early on.
But he settled down by the third inning, and challenged Timberline’s batters.
“I’ll throw my fastball until they can prove they can hit it, and they didn’t prove they could hit it,” Lane said.
Mount Si went into the third inning trailing 2-0, when Ryan Atkinson connected for his first career home run to tie the game.
With one out and a runner on first base, Atkinson was focused on making good contact. He was looking for a first pitch fastball, which he got.
“The ball just went further than I expected,” he said.
Comments
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
