In its final two games of the regular season playing in the 1A Emerald City League, the Overlake baseball team has had everything come to a head. Not only has the pitching been spectacular, with Danny Poplawski and Michael Curtis each earning a complete-game shutout, but the hitters have been tearing the cover off the ball.
On Monday at hitter-friendly Marymoor Park, the Owls scored 14 runs on 14 hits in four innings to beat the University Prep Pumas 14-0, and the very next day the Owls pounded out 16 hits in an 18-0 win against Bellevue Christian.
Five Owl batters — Poplawski, Curtis, Seth Bensussen, Josh Bensussen and Chandler Hire — all went deep against the Vikings.
Overlake senior Seth Bensussen went an unbelievable 8 for 8 in the two games with two long balls, two doubles and eight RBIs, while Danny Poplawski went 2 for 3 and drove in four runs during Tuesday’s game on the strength of a three-run blast in the first inning.
With Tuesday’s five-inning, three-hit shutout during which Curtis struck out nine and walked just one, the 6-foot-5 senior improved to 4-1 on the year and the Owls won the league by a 1/2 game over Bellevue Christian (5-3, 11-5).
The Owls finished the regular season 6-3 in league play, 11-4 overall and open up the Tri-District playoffs at 10 a.m. next Saturday, May 16, at Sammamish High School against an opponent to be determined.
BIG SECOND FOR STANGS STOPS SKYLINE
The red-hot Redmond fastpitch team reeled off their seventh straight victory on Monday at Redmond High with a 9-1 win against Skyline.
The win was fueled by a six-run second inning, highlighted by senior Maria Reisinger’s second home run of the season — a two-run drive to straightaway center field.
In the inning, Stephanie Gero and Lindsay Cristobal each hit two-run doubles as the Mustangs batted around the order.
Erika Hendron continued her dominance on the mound, going the distance and giving up just three hits and one walk while striking out 15 to win her sixth decision in a row and improve to 9-3 on the year.
Up next for the Mustangs (10-2, 12-4 overall) was a rescheduled matchup against league rival Eastlake on Thursday night after the Reporter’s deadline. The Mustangs take on the Garfield Bulldogs tonight at 4:30 p.m. at Grass Lawn Park to commemorate the opening of a new softball field.
Next week, the Mustangs have two games remaining against Crest Division opponents Newport and Issaquah to round out the regular season.
MUSTANG STREAK REACHES 67 STRAIGHT
On Wednesday, the Redmond High School girls’ golf team defeated Liberty at Maplewood Golf Course in Renton for its 67th straight win dating back nearly seven seasons and also clinched the 4A Kingco Crest Division League title, the program’s sixth consecutive league crown.
Kara Zitzman led the way for the Mustangs with a five-over-par 41.
Fresh off their 228-240 win over league rival Eastlake, the Mustangs handily defeated Interlake, 227-267, at a long and windy Tam O’Shanter Country Club in Bellevue on Monday.
Zitzman again led the charge for the Mustangs with a six-over-par 42, followed by senior Kelly O’Donnell with a 43 and sophomore Kelly Kennewick at 45.
Zitzman, O’Donnell and Maddie Curtain finished their four-year prep careers unbeaten in league play.
REDMOND TENNIS FALLS
Despite starting Monday’s meet with a convincing 7-5, 6-1 victory as Redmond’s No. 1 singles player Narumi Watanabe defeated Woodinville’s Cammi Powers, the Falcon tennis squad went on to sweep the rest of the singles matches in a 7-2 team victory against Redmond.
