Redmond head baseball coach Dan Pudwill said that he could never have envisioned this kind of storybook season for his young Mustang team come the first day of practice.

The streaking Mustangs closed out their 4A Kingco campaign with a bang, winning 3-2 in dramatic fashion against Issaquah at Hartman Park Tuesday night. Senior shortstop Brian Grina’s walk-off double in the gap lifted Redmond to its 10th straight win.

The Mustangs defended their Kingco crown with a 14-2 league record, 17-3 overall. Since an opening day loss, Redmond has won 17 of 19 games.

“We lost that first game, and then ever since then we found a way to win, just like tonight,” said Pudwill, referring to his team’s 6-5 nonleague loss to Juanita in the season opener. “This season has been way beyond expectations.”

SUPER SENIORS

Before the game, the team’s four seniors, Grina, center fielder Nolan Thomas, catcher Drew Fosnes and starting pitcher Mac Acker, were recognized in a special pregame ceremony commemerating Senior Night, and they made sure to put on a show in their final league game.

Acker pitched a solid game, giving up two runs on four hits in a five-inning, 94-pitch outing.

“Mac pitched really, really well, and going into the playoffs we’re excited to see it,” Pudwill said. “All season long he’s been consistent, steady and a workhorse for us.”

Sophomore Zach Abbruzza pitched two scoreless innings of relief to set the stage for the ‘Stangs in the decisive seventh inning.

After Thomas struck out in a seven-pitch at-bat, sophomore T.J. Whidby coaxed a one-out walk. Fosnes came on to pinch-run and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice.

With two outs and the game on the line, in stepped Grina, who came through in the clutch.

Issaquah’s left-handed freshman pitching sensation Ethan Kalin readied himself, and Grina lined a first-pitch double in the right-center gap to score Fosnes as his teammates mobbed him at second base.

“I was really excited,” said Grina of his clutch hit. “I was just trying to put the ball in play and score Drew at second.”

Grina jokingly added, “The sophomores have been getting all the hype, so the seniors gotta do something, right?”

When Pudwill reflected back on the eventful evening, all he could do was smile.

“It was so appropriate on Senior night to have a senior pitcher take charge and have our senior shortstop hit a ball in the gap to win the game, and score another senior, Drew Fosnes, on the play,” he said.

Issaquah’s starter Spencer Rogers pitched well, going 6 2/3 innings and striking out nine. Mustang starters Abbruzza, Grina and third baseman Michael Conforto each had two hits in the win.

THE LONG ROAD AHEAD

Although 2009 has been nothing short of a dream year so far for the Mustangs, the squad knows that the slate is wiped clean starting on Saturday, when the Mustangs play their first Kingco playoff game against Inglemoor (8-7, 11-8) at Woodinville High School.

“To be honest, I knew we had some talent but the varsity experience thing was big and we were lacking that,” Pudwill said. “Apparently with this group it didn’t matter, but it’s over with now. We’ll take the day off tomorrow, and then we’re 0-0 again.”

Grina, who broke a 10-year-old Redmond High School record for doubles in a season with 11, also wasn’t certain about the amount of success the Mustangs would have with just four seniors on the squad.

“I could have sworn that this would be a building year for us,” he said. “I knew we had talented sophomores so I knew we’d have a good season, but I didn’t expect to be first place in Kingco.”

Playing as well as ever, the Mustangs head into the postseason on a wave of confidence that they hope to ride all the way to Safeco Field and the 4A state championships later this month.

“We’re playing with some confidence, and that’s a great thing —winning 10 in a row will do that for a club,” Pudwill said. “But we’re not overconfident either, because we know that all the teams in the Kingco playoffs are as good as us, if not better.”

Moments after the players and coaching staff let out a celebratory cheer in honor of their great league season, Acker may have summed up the winning feeling in the Mustang clubhouse the best.

“I don’t think we can have more confidence,” said the senior southpaw. “At this point it’s going to be tough to beat us.”