The Mount Si softball team is off to districts after a strong run at the league tournament, held last week in Kenmore.
Mount Si took care of Sammamish, 3-1, for the second time in a week on Friday, May 15, to reach the title game. One big inning and solid pitching by sophomore Alex Johnson were key for the win.
Action culminated in the fifth inning, when Johnson got a walk, then stole second base. Maura Murphy singled, scoring Johnson to tie the game at 1-1.
Next, Kelsey Walker bunted her way on base. During that play, Sammamish made a key throwing error, allowing Murphy to score and Walker to advance to third, putting Mount Si up, 2-1. Walker scored on a sacrifice bunt by Megan Stone.
Johnson shut the Totems down the rest of the way to get Mount Si into the title game, where they were blown out by Juanita, 16-2.
Johnson gave up six hits while walking just one against Sammamish.
In the Juanita game, Sara Rice started on the mound, but fielding errors doomed the Wildcats early. The Rebels scored eight runs in the second inning, many of which were unearned on account of all the errors — five total in that inning. Carly Weidenbach’s triple in the first scored two runs and was the big hit of the game.
In other action, Johnson shut down Bellevue on Thursday, May 14, striking out six in a 5-2 Mount Si win. Stone went 2-3 with two runs scored and Weidenbach went 1-4 with an RBI.
The victory gave the team the sixth berth to districts in their eight years under head coach Larry White. In three of those trips — 2003, 2004 and 2006 — Mount Si made state.
The Wildcats will play the Metro #8 team, likely Seattle Prep or Chief Sealth, 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21, in a loser-out game. The district contests this season will be at Lower Woodland fields in Seattle.
Games are scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, and noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Friday, May 22. Admission is $7.
Mount Si will need to beat several good Metro teams from a group that includes Bainbridge, Bishop Blanchet, West Seattle and Holy Names, in order to make state. Look for the Wildcats to make a solid run through the tournament.
