A great start turns into a sad finish

Published 10:33 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Mount Si Wildcat softball team played in its third WIAA 3A state tournament in four years last weekend in Tacoma and its first since 2004. This appearance felt like their first one in this four-year span with several new team members.

The theme this year was all about having fun and enjoying the rewards of a good season.

In the opener against Kelso, the mood quickly became positive. Two straight doubles, one by Danae Englund, the other by Kyleen Sweepe, and strong defense and pitching by senior ace Kandis Clesson led Mount Si to a surprising 1-0 win over the Hilanders.

“That was our best defensive effort all year. We played great defense and Kandis was outstanding today,” said Wildcat coach Larry White. Sweepe said mental preparedness was key. “We got our heads into it. We had no mental errors. We came out there strong and finished it strong and it was just a good mental game,” the sophomore second baseman said.

The two doubles came in the second inning, both off Kelso senior pitcher Carri O’Neil. Englund’s was first. “Well, my teammates told me that all of O’Neil’s first pitches were pretty much inside, so I just looked for that inside pitch and turned on it,” said Englund. Sweepe’s double, which nearly cleared the fence for a home run, scored Englund. “Mine was right down the middle. I just took my swing and finally got my hips into it and just drove it,” Sweepe said.

Mount Si’s reward for their big win was a contest with their Lower Valley rivals from Cedarcrest.

The game took on a special significance, as it likely was the last time the Wildcats would face the Red Wolves in athletic competition. Cedarcrest, which left Kingco 3A in 2004 to join the Cascade Conference, falls to the 2A level this fall.

It lived up to its billing, too, as Clesson and Cedarcrest’s ace, senior Whitney Oviatt, put on a clinic. The Wildcats, though, broke through in the third inning. Shortstop Traci Barclay reached first base on a Red Wolves’ error, scoring Clesson and Katie Morgan to put Mount Si up 2-0, and it appeared that a championship drive might be in sight. However, Cedarcrest cut the deficit 2-1 in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Sarah Dowd and made things interesting. The Red Wolves then tied the game at 2-2 in the sixth after Christina Tolley singled to score the tying run from second base.

The game dragged on into the international tiebreaker. Mount Si played many a tiebreaker game this season, and they got the job done. However, the Wildcats were not so lucky this time. Mount Si ,both in the ninth and 10th innings under the tiebreaker, was able to advance their runner from second to third, but both times they failed to score. Cedarcrest was ready to pounce.

In the bottom of the 10th, the Red Wolves quickly advanced their runner, Marissa Botts, from second to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Clesson got the second out, she faced Rebecca Kent, Cedarcrest’s No. 9 hitter, who had struck out in all three previous at-bats. It clearly appeared things were in Mount Si’s favor. Kent had other ideas, though, lacing a single to center to score Botts with the game winning run and giving the Red Wolves a stunning 3-2 10-inning win. Kent was ready. “It was a great pitch. It was right where I like it,” the Cedarcrest junior said.

That was the final time Clesson, as it turned out, would ever pitch at the high-school level. Barclay, who is slated to be Clesson’s replacement on the mound next season, pitched the nightcap for the Wildcats, which didn’t start until after 9 p.m. Friday night. Mount Si, presumably out of gas and likely still stunned from losing to their Lower Valley rivals, suffered one last loss at the hands of their Kingco rivals from Sammamish, 8-0. The Wildcats ended their season 19-10-1; the one tie coming in the season opener against Skyline.