Wildcats headed to state one more time

Mount Si won four of five games at last week's Sea-King District Tournament in Tukwila to clinch third place, securing a state berth.

Mount Si won four of five games at last week’s Sea-King District Tournament in Tukwila to clinch third place, securing a state berth.


Mount Si makes things look easy in round one

The Wildcats opened the tournament last Thursday with a loser-out game against the Metro League’s Eastside Catholic Crusaders. Mount Si went to work with their bats bringing up 11 hitters in a seven-run fourth inning as the Wildcats emphatically kicked the Crusaders out of the postseason with a 12-0 five-inning blowout. The game was called early due to the mercy rule.

Senior pitcher Kandis Clesson fired a one-hitter as she, and the Wildcat defense behind her, dominated the game, making great plays. “It was a good game. We came out and scored a lot of runs right away. It helped a lot, took a lot of stress off, being our first game at districts,” Clesson said.

Katie Brett went 2-3 with a double and two runs scored to lead the well-balanced offensive attack.


A great win

Mount Si advanced to play Holy Names. The Wildcats and Cougars have a history: Since 2003, these teams have met one another at least once a year in the Sea-King tournament.

The two teams put on a classic duel, with clutch defense as the theme throughout what would become another extra-inning nail-biter. In the end, the international tiebreaker came into play and once again, like several other times this season, the Wildcats prevailed, this time against a team who had lost only one other time all season.

Kali Walker, who started at second base in the top of the ninth under the tiebreaker as a pinch runner for Brett, the final out of the eighth, scored on a Melissa Webster groundout to give Mount Si the lead. Clesson then held on, despite loading the bases in the bottom of the frame, to close out a big 1-0 victory over the Cougars.


One tough inning costs Wildcats

The Liberty Patriots scored twice in the first inning, then rode Michelle Ruby’s strong pitching to a 2-0 win over Mount Si in the semifinals last Friday. The win clinched a state berth for the Patriots, which, according to their coach Brian Hartman, was their 10th straight. Walker hit a triple and Clesson picked up two hits to lead the Wildcats.


Oh, what a relief

A tired group of ‘Cats clawed their way, with spectacular defense, timely offense, and big game pitching to state with a 2-1 win over Bellevue in a loser-out game.

Walker led things off in the first with a triple off Bellevue starting pitcher Alyse Zimmer. She then scored on a sacrifice flyout by Katie Morgan. Kyleen Sweepe scored the second run in the third inning. Brett made two great plays defensively to keep the Wildcats in front: First, an awesome catch in the second of a ball hit by Wolverines’ catcher Emily Evanson. Then, in the fourth, Brett literally went through the fence trying to rob Evanson of a home run. The ball was ruled a ground rule double as Brett was unable to make the play, much to the disdain of the Bellevue fans. Fortunately for Mount Si, Evanson did not end up scoring.

The Wolverines scored a run in the sixth, but could get no closer. Clesson struck out Ali Stanford for the final out in the seventh, clinching a trip to Tacoma for the Wildcats, their third berth in four years with the Idaho State-bound pitcher in the circle.

“No one expected us to be here, and I’m really very proud of the girls,” said Mount Si coach Larry White. Freshman outfielder Webster made her first state tournament in her first year with the Wildcats, and it was a very special accomplishment for her, with her grandparents watching. “It’s so cool. They drove all the way up from Arizona and it’s really cool,” Webster said. She also had this prediction about state, “We’re going all the way.”.


Getting their feet wet

Mount Si and Sammamish, both tired after each getting a pair of wins to make state, used reserve players in their contest for third place. Traci Barclay started in the circle for the Wildcats and pitched Mount Si to third place, 12-2 in six innings over the Totems. This game was called early due to the mercy rule.

The Kingco Conference, with Mount Si, Sammamish, Liberty and Issaquah, won all four district berths to state, outscoring their Metro competition 60-4 in games pitting teams from the two conferences over the two days.

Mount Si opens state play Friday in Tacoma against Kelso at 11 a.m.