The Sehome Mariners pose for a team photo after winning their Regional at Auburn High School. Photo: Greg Malo
State Baseball: Sehome Advances to Semifinals
May 19, 2019
After winning 2 regional games at Auburn High School on Saturday, Sehome baseball has locked in Memorial Day weekend plans. The Mariners are heading to Yakima and the 2A state semifinals.
Sehome (18-9) won their regional in Auburn by edging Port Angeles 3-to-2 and downing Columbia River 6-to-2. The Mariners will now play Fife on Friday in a 4:00pm game at Yakima Count Stadium. Archbishop Murphy and Selah are the other two squads in the 2A final four.
SEHOME 3 PORT ANGELES 2
Makana Grondin was the hero of the first win. Trailing Port Angeles 2-1 in the top of the 6th, the senior hit a 2-run homerun to put Sehome on top. The Roughriders (19-5) responded by getting the tying run into scoring position in both the 6th and 7 innings, but pitcher Jacob Kaepernick and some solid defense behind him got the Mariners out of both jams to secure the victory.
Grondin went 2-for-3 with a run scored and accounted for all 3 RBI's. In all, Sehome registered 9 hits with Trevor Seaholm, James Meador and Kaepernick collecting two each.
Kaepernick picked up the complete game victory on the mound. The sophomore struck out 5 batters, while giving up just 1 earned run on 7 hits and 1 base on balls.
Sehome rode a huge first inning to their victory over Columbia River. The Mariners turned 7 hits and a walk into all 6 runs in the top of the first. James Meador drove in 2 runs while Trevor Seaholm, Lukas DeLisle, Tim Malo and Michale McLin each had RBI's in the first frame.
While the Chieftains picked up 2 runs in the bottom of the second, that would be it off Sehome starter Patrick Miskovsky and Seaholm to close it out.
Miskovsky went 6 innings giving up just 5 hits while striking out 3 batters and walking just one. Seaholm needed just 9 pitches in the 7th to wrap things up. The senior induced a groundout to shortstop Brooks Frere and the on field celebration for the Mariners began.
Sehome is hunting for their 4th baseball state championship and their first since the 2007-08 season. It's the Mariners first trip back to the final four since the 2010-2011 season when they finished 2nd, losing to Burlington in the championship game.
Two other Whatcom County squads saw their state runs come to a close in their openers in the regional round on Saturday. Lynden fell to Fife 7-to-2 at Daniels Field in Anacortes and Meridian lost to Seattle Christian 7-to-4 at Castle Rock High School.
FIFE 7 LYNDEN 2
Fife used strong pitching and broke out their offense in the 3rd and 5th innings to down Lynden. The Trojans tallied 7 of their 9 total hits, scoring 6 of their 7 runs in those two frames to secure the win.
Judah Grahm and Gavin Knapp combined to go 3-for-6 with 4 RBI's. Brian Ours added a 3-RBI double in the 5th to stretch things out for Fife.
Graham got the pitching victory striking out 9 batters and giving up jus 4 hits and 2 walks over 5 innings of work. Baker Henry racked up 4 strikeouts in the final two innings to wrap up the win.
The Lions were held scoreless until the 6th inning when Devin Holmstrom hit an inside the park home run to left field scoring Carter Parcher. Brendan Kleindel and Parcher tallied 2 hits each to top the offense for Lynden.
The Lions end the year with a record of 18-and-6. Fife (21-3) would go on to beat Liberty in the regional final 5-to-4. The Trojans will play Sehome in the 2A state semifinal on Friday.
SEATTLE CHRISTIAN 7 MERIDIAN 4
Seattle Christian got off to an early start offensively in their 7-4 win over Meridian that ended the Trojans season. The Warriors struck for 4 runs in the 3rd inning and held Meridian scoreless through the first 5 fames.
The Trojans rallied late, but suffered some missed opportunities. They left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 5th and trailing by 3, left runners on first and third in the 7th.
Meridian, who made their 9th trip to state in the last 10 years, ends the season with a record of 11-and-12. Seattle Christian (18-5) won their second regional game topping Montesano 4-3 to advance to 1A state semifinals in Yakima next weekend.
- Doug Lange
Sehome pitcher Patrick Miskovsky on the mound with shortstop Trevor Seaholm in the background. PHOTO: Greg Malo
Sehome celebrates their 6-2 victory over Columbia River at Auburn High School. PHOTO: Greg Malo
Clockwise from upper left: The Lynden team in a pregame meeting. Meridian coach Steve Slesk, Lynden's Carter Parcher on first base and Meridian's Bryce Johnson at the plate with Corey Hemenway on deck. PHOTOS: Ted House & Bryant Michelson.
