The Redmond High baseball team got another outstanding start from staff ace Zach Abbruzza and offensive production from all over the lineup in a 4-1 win over Bothell in the 4A Kingco Tournament semifinals Monday afternoon.

The win sets up a 7 p.m. winner-to-state showdown with the surprising Skyline Spartans in the Kingco championship game Thursday night at Woodinville. The Spartans (11-10) beat No. 2 seed Issaquah, 3-1, on Monday to earn a spot in the league title game.

Just two days after Ryan Beliel pitched masterfully, giving up only one run through five innings to send the Mustangs to the semifinals, Abbruzza did his job and will pass the torch to Dylan Davis for Thursday’s crucial contest.

“I went right after (Bothell), and I got our team in the finals,” Abbruzza said of his dominating three-hit, eight-strikeout performance. “It’s time for me to hand the ball over to Dylan.”

The win was the Mustangs’ fifth straight and snapped red-hot Bothell’s seven-game winning streak going back to April 16, Skyline beat the Cougars, 7-2.

If Redmond beats Skyline, it will advance to the state tournament for the third time in the last four years. If the Mustangs lose to Skyline, they will play host to the No. 2 team from the Greater St. Helens League in a winner-to-state, loser-out game May 15.

Last season, the Mustangs missed state and were bounced from the Kingco playoffs after a 17-3 regular season.

“We took a lot of lessons from last year, but the main thing we learned is that we need to be playing our best baseball (in the postseason),” said head coach Dan Pudwill. “This year we’ve done that and have put all three phases of the game together, and it’s been showing the last four or five games.”

SUPER SOPH COMES THROUGH

The Mustangs’ resolve got tested early as they left the bases loaded in the first inning, and then minutes later Cougar shortstop Jon Mercer laced an RBI double to right to give his team the early 1-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Redmond sophomore infielder Patrick McGrath, batting ninth in the lineup, came to the plate with runners on first and second and two outs, with his team trailing 1-0.

The odds were stacked against him as one of only two sophomores on the squad, and he was facing Bothell starter Brian McAfee, who entered Monday’s game with a 5-0 record.

Working the count to 3-1, McGrath delivered a double to deep-right center, clearing the bases for what ended up being the game-winning hit.

“I was looking for a good pitch to hit, and I got a pitch on the outside and was able to go with it,” McGrath recalled. “It felt really good.”

Added Pudwill, “(McGrath) is getting better and better. We talked about peaking at the end of the year and he’s certainly one of those kids. Not only that, he’s been solid defensively for us.”

McGrath ended the night 2-for-3, with Abbruzza helping his own cause in a big way, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a double. Cleanup hitter Dylan Davis also notched two hits.

For Bothell, Ryan Morgan tripled to lead off the fourth, but Abbruzza threw him out at the plate trying to score on a comebacker to the pitcher’s mound.

SKYLINE SHOWDOWN

The fact that the Spartans have advanced to the championship game after having the worst record of all eight tournament teams affirms Pudwill’s belief that regular-season records don’t mean anything once the postseason starts.

“We’ve just got to do what we’ve been doing,” commented Pudwill on what it will take to beat Skyline, adding that his team has only given up two runs in two postseason games. “We’ve also been real sound catching the ball, I think we’ve made one error in two games. And we’ve got a good plate approach, we’re swinging at good pitches and putting the ball in play.”

Looking around at the smiles and camaraderie around the Redmond clubhouse, it’s clear that the players themselves know that with the special group they have assembled this year, the fate of a state berth is clearly theirs for the taking on Thursday.

“We just gotta come out, keep playing good defense and having good at-bats,” Abbruzza said. “Dylan is going to throw well for us.”

Added McGrath, “It’s really great because we’re playing our best baseball right now, and it’s exciting that we’re putting it all together.”