The Mount Si varsity baseball team split their games this week,
losing 12-1 at Redmond and defeating Hazen at home, 8-3.
Against Redmond, the `Cats started pitcher Bryce
Kaestner. Kaestner gave up five hits and eight runs in two innings pitched, with
six of those runs coming in the second inning. In addition, he gave up
four walks. Seeing the struggle, coach Gary McGregor brought in Jason
Donah who pitched strong, going 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and four runs,
two of which were earned. He also notched two strike-outs. Brent Clarke
and Shaun Meehan ended the pitching duties with neither giving up a run.
Leading the offensive efforts was Sean Sattler who went 2-for-2
and scoring the only Wildcat run. David Labelle recorded a double and
the game’s only RBI.
Feeling the sting of their loss against a 4A school, the Wildcats
reversed the outcome in their home opener with Hazen.
Taking to the mound and putting on a tremendous pitching
performance was Sattler who went three innings, giving up only three hits and two
runs, no walks and striking out three.
The first inning ended with the score tied at zero after each team
left runners on base. Tyler Osborne, who popped a single, then stole second
was thrown out at home after trying to score on a hit to right field. In the
top of the second, Sattler struck out two and Joey Adams caught a pop fly
to prevent any offensive efforts by Hazen.
Hazen inflicted the first scoring damage in the third, setup up by
a couple of Wildcat errors. Fielding a ball at third base, Aaron
Svarthumle threw to Steve Botulnski but the ball sailed high to the fence, allowing
the Hazen runner to get to second. Things looked good though with two outs
and a full count, as a Hazen batter popped up at home plate.
Unfortunately, catcher Matt Murphy missed the
ball. On the very next pitch, that same batter launched a home run over the
left field fence, scoring two runs for the lead.
Mount Si would get a little revenge though when Svarthumle, with
two outs, sent a rocket over the 354-foot marker in right-center field for a
solo home run. Adams and Botulinski both walked next, followed by a
poke blooper to right by Josh Serrick, scoring Adams to tie the game.
Marc Dahm took to the mound for the Wildcats in the fourth but
struggled after his first batter. After a missed pitch by Murphy, a walk by Dahm
and a base hit, the bases were loaded and things weren’t getting any better.
Finally, McGregor pulled the plug on Dahm, replacing him with the
lefty, Dan Flood. Flood struggled against his first batter, nailing him with a
pitch and sending him to base, scoring a bases-loaded run. But after the
initial jitters, Flood pitched brilliantly, not giving up any hits or runs.
The bottom of the fourth saw Mount Si tie the game on a
squeeze play by Tyler Osborne, scoring a runner from third.
Flood held Hazen in the top of the fifth and the rest of the game
belonged to Mount Si as they racked up three runs in the fifth and two more in
the sixth, a decisive victory for the young team.
Murphy and Adams recorded doubles in addition to
Svarthumle’s solo home run offensively. Mike Dahm and Shaun Meehan also
pitched in the game, with Mike only giving up one hit and Meehan not giving
up any.
Mount Si took on Sammamish on March 21. They will take on
Newport on March 23.
