The Mount Si Wildcats’ baseball team fell to Liberty Bell last Monday. Despite strong efforts from both Ryan Utesch and Ian Atkinson, the Wildcats fell 5-3 to the Patriots. Pitcher Beau Davis pitched a complete game, giving up four earned runs on 10 hits, striking out five.

Utesch and Atkinson each went 2-for-3 and Utesch also picked up two RBIs.

Despite giving up an early home run to Issaquah’s Joe Fike last week, Wildcat pitcher Keegan Riley pitched a great game and Mount Si pulled off an upset victory at home over the Eagles.

Atkinson went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI as the Wildcats won, 5-1. “Issaquah’s a young team. They’ve been playing real well lately. Coming into the game, we all thought we were capable of beating them. We had to play well and we did,” said Mount Si coach Gary McGregor. “The Eagles didn’t hit well, and a lot of that has to do with Keegan. He kept them off balance,” he added.

Riley went seven innings, giving up just five hits and two walks. He struck out four. The junior threw 88 pitches, 55 of which were strikes. The key to Riley’s success was being different. “I was throwing a curveball, then a slider, and I’d come with my fastball with two strikes, kind of opposite to what everyone else does,” Riley said.

Catcher Blake Hepner’s efforts behind the plate were very important to Riley’s success. Hepner’s strategy was to take advantage of what was working for Riley. “I found out early in the game that his ‘junk” his curveball and slider – were getting over the plate really well, almost every time, throwing a lot of strikes. So after every inning, I just kept on going in and telling him to keep on throwing strikes and getting batters out. He didn’t get very many batters on base, which was good. He threw a great game,” Hepner said.

Riley gave up one home run to Fike. The Eagles’ senior first baseman hit a long, 400-plus foot blast in the second to put Issaquah in the lead to start. “Well, it was the first fastball of the game and I messed up. I hit the inside corner when I should’ve hit the outside corner,” Riley said.

Fortunately for Riley, the Wildcats’ offense bailed him out. Mount Si scored twice each in the third and fourth innings, then added another run in the fifth, all off Eagles’ senior starting pitcher Hunter Herrin.

Utesch had another strong day, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

The Wildcats went to Bannerwood Park last Friday and fell in a wild contest to the Interlake Saints, 12-7. Davis went 3-for-4 with a home run, but it was not enough. Despite the loss, Mount Si is still two games up on both Sammamish and Mercer Island for the last Kingco playoff spot.

The Wildcats either need to win one of their games this week – they wrap up Wednesday at home against Bellevue or the Totems and Islanders both have to lose one.

Wednesday is “Senior Day,” when Mount Si will honor the contributions of several seniors for up to four years to the Wildcat program. Those seniors are Erik Alexander, Remo Castagno, Davis, Dane Fenton, Chase Korsmo, Corey Lindberg and Zach Solomon.

Mount Si fans can also get their last look at the Wolverines’ Stephen Englund. The college-bound senior is considered to be the top player in Kingco 3A. He may have a shot at being drafted in the upcoming major league draft. Game time is 4 p.m.