With their entire season on the line every game since their opening round Kingco loss to Inglemoor back on May 7, the Redmond High School baseball responded every time, with lopsided loser-out victories over Issaquah and Skyline, as well as a 6-2 defeat of the Vikings in a pivotal rematch.
On Monday, playing in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Hartman Park, the Mustangs again fired on all cylinders, dispatching the Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawks in the Kingco-Wesco winner-to-state, loser-out playoff game, 10-0, to punch their return ticket to the Big Dance.
The win improved the Mustangs to 18-7 on the season, and the team will open up the 4A state tournament with a regional game against Olympia (17-6) at Heidelberg Park in Tacoma on Saturday at 10 a.m.
THREE-TOOL WIN
The visiting Tomahawks were desperately searching for the chink in Redmond’s armor as the game got underway.
Problem was, there wasn’t any.
Starting pitcher Zach Abbruzza dazzled once again on the mound, pitching six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out eight, a season high.
The team’s signature offense contributed from top to bottom, as every starter reached base and the Mustangs banged out 12 hits in total.
Finally, the Mustangs flashed leather, creating their own highlight reel certainly worthy of ESPN’s Web Gems while frustrating Marysville-Pilchuck’s hitters.
“That’s as good as we’ve played defensively all season,” said head coach Dan Pudwill. “The outfield made some great plays… guys were leaving their feet. You could tell that they wanted it. They weren’t going to leave any effort but on the field.”
In the first inning, second baseman Cody Beliel made a spectacular diving stop on a ball in the hole with a runner on first, smothering the ball and firing to first, with third baseman Patrick McGrath making a similar play to end the first-inning threat.
In the fourth, left fielder Connor Bozman laid out for a diving catch to rob Tomahawks’ cleanup hitter Ross Lyons, and on the very next swing, center fielder Dylan Davis hit the turf himself, snaring a short fly to center.
“I love knowing that they’re back there,” said Abbruzza on the defense behind him. “I trust them, it’s great to see them making plays for me. It was a team effort.”
Offensively, the Mustangs were stymied the first time through the lineup against Tomahawks’ starter Jake Johnson, but the second time through was the charm.
In the third inning, all with two outs, Davis, McGrath, T.J. Whidby and Nick Rothermel each slammed doubles, as the Mustangs batted around for five runs. In total, seven consecutive hitters reached base in the inning.
“When we have two outs, it’s hard to get us back onto the field, we’re still up there with the sticks in our hands,” Pudwill said. “That’s been fun to see, getting those big, clutch hits with two outs. It swings the momentum the other way and breaks the back of the other team a little bit.”
In the next inning, cleanup hitter Peter Hendron continued his hot streak, belting a two-run shot to left-center to give the Mustangs an insurmountable lead.
“I’ve been a lot more patient at the plate, just waiting for my pitch,” said Hendron, adding that the home run shot was on an outside fastball. “Even if that means getting to two strikes, seeing the ball in and not swinging at bad pitches.”
GOOD VIBRATIONS
The Mustangs enter the state tournament on a hot streak, having dismantled their last four opponents by a scoring margin of 38-5. In contrast, their first-round state opponent, Olympia, suffered a 3-0 shutout loss to Puyallup in their most recent game.
The Mustangs’ playoff mantra, “We Will,” seems to be working as the team looks to ride the wave all the way to Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, home of the Rainiers, for the state semifinals.
“This is as well as we’ve played, and I imagine that would breed and build confidence,” Pudwill noted. “They feel pretty good about themselves, especially because we’re not relying on three sticks. A pitcher can’t relax when he gets to our four spot because right now, our four spot is our best hitter.”
Hendron, who is leading the team in the playoffs with a .524 batting average (11-for-21) said that the team has been feeding off each other ever since their backs were put against the wall, realizing it was now, or never.
“When everyone’s contributing, there’s a really good vibe in the dugout and out on the field,” he said. “That’s what it’s going to take for us to go deep at state.”
Added Abbruzza, who himself led 4A Kingco in batting average during league games at .488, “That’s the way we want to win games, hitting up and down the lineup. Everyone should fear us.”
Having suffered the stinging disappointment of losing in the quarterfinals last year, the Mustangs seem to be peaking at the right time and ready to respond to the pressure.
After all, having a pair of aces in the hole, in Abbruzza and Oregon State-bound Davis, is always a good starting hand.
“We’ve won four straight loser-out games, and that’s what the state tournament is,” Pudwill said. “We understand what that pressure’s about, and a lot of these guys faced it last year. We know what we’re up against, and we know what we want to do.”
Photographer Matt Campbell has many great action photos available from this game available to view and for purchase. Visit Campbell’s website at http://www.sportspixs.com/051611_rhs_baseball
