Softball
Wildcats fail to close deal in final inning
By Rhett Workman
Contributing Writer
RENTON – With the Mount Si Wildcats clinging to a 5-2 lead, Liberty High School pitcher Brittany Morgan laced a pitch into left field with two outs and the bases loaded to cap off a huge four-run last-inning comeback that saw the Patriots rally to a 6-5 Kingco 3A Conference season-opening victory.
“They’re a very good softball team. They hit the ball when they needed to and we didn’t execute a few times on some plays that we needed to make and couldn’t close the deal,” said Wildcat coach Larry White.
The Wildcats’ bats started out strong against Morgan and the Patriots as all nine Mount Si hitters came up in the first inning. Aided by strong hitting and Liberty defensive miscues, the Wildcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead.
Mount Si pitcher Kandis Clesson struggled in the bottom of the first, giving up one run. Two strike outs helped Clesson avoid serious trouble, escaping with a 4-1 lead.
Clesson’s outing turned sour as she gave up six runs on eight hits, walking five and hitting two Patriot batters, including one with the bases loaded, which tied the game at 5-5 in the seventh inning. In the process Clesson struck out seven Liberty hitters.
Junior Ashley Svarthumle’s steal of home in the third inning gave the Wildcats an additional run. Liberty got that run back in the bottom of the third, and the game was 5-2 until the fateful seventh inning.
Mount Si had chances in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to add more runs, but baserunning mistakes cost the Wildcats. Among them, sophomore Katie Morgan got caught stealing in the fourth to end a potential rally before it started, then in the sixth, junior Kayla Jayne got called out for leaving the bag too early, killing another potential rally. Softball, unlike baseball, does not allow runners to leave the base until a pitch has been thrown.
Clesson got into trouble in the sixth, loading the bases before getting out of trouble with no runs, but clearly the Patriots were gaining momentum.
White says his young team will learn from this loss.
“This is probably a very good thing for us right here to get a little lump on the way. [It] shows them they’ve got some things to work on and I appreciate that,” said the coach.
Commenting on her team’s youth, junior shortstop Amy Trenkamp says that it’s the little things on which the team needs to focus.
“I think that it’s going to mean paying attention to detail in practice, a lot more detail. In order to get the big picture done you have to have all the little hings in place. I think that that’s what were going to have work on in our [future] practices, is just working on everything coming together,” said Trenkamp.
Baseball
‘Cats open season with win
By Rhett Workman
Contributing Writer
SEATTLE – The Mount Si Wildcats baseball team opened its season last Wednesday with a 5-1 victory against the Ingraham Rams of the Metro League. Due to darkness, the contest only went five innings.
Senior outfielder/pitcher Alex Smart went 3-for-3. He scored a run and chipped in three RBIs to lead the Wildcats to victory. Fellow senior utility man Evan Hillburn went 3-for-4 to pace the Mount Si attack.
Pitching was strong as well, with the lone Rams’ run coming unearned with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Seniors Smart, Ian Opsal, and Jordan Lettau, and junior Adam Dentz, combined to two-hit the Rams, while striking out nine.
“It was a great start to the new season. We hit the ball well and out pitchers did a very good job on the mound,” said the Wildcats’ coach, Gary McGregor.
Mount Si opens its home schedule with a game Thursday against the Sammamish Totems. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Mount Si High School.
Tennis
Wildcats defeat Liberty
In a great preseason match, the Mount Si tennis team defeated Liberty 7-2. In singles play, Jaclyn Boals, Stephanie Hart, Tennyson Salopek and Nicole Vanourek all defeated their opponents.
In doubles play, the team of Hart and Salopek and Alina Plavsky and Meghann Manson defeated their opponents.
JV team defeats Liberty
The Mount Si JV girls tennis team played a preseason match against Liberty last week and came away with the win 11-1. Winning their singles matches were Kailene Curnow, Nena Gonazles, Rebecca Coffey, Gina Zanella, Sarah Lentgis and Daisy Ponce. Winning their doubles matches were Curnow and Zanella, Erin Middleton and Janelle Campbell, Carly Nelson and Kathryn McFarland, Amanda Magnussen and Bethany Proudfoot and Corrin Kruse and Brynn Hall.
Soccer
Team whallops Port Townsend
The Mount Si soccer team geared up for a preseason game and thumped Port Townsend 9-2. Goals were scored by Yosef Yetneberg who had four, Dan Talevich, who had two, Gibson Bardsley, who had one, Nick Swanson ,who had one and Marshall Davis, who had one. Pat Davis, Dan Talevich, Bardsley and Andrew Talevich each had one assist.
