Schlesser scores six goals, wins scoring title.

As the Bainbridge girls’ lacrosse team ran off the field at the end of the game, Natalie Evans gave a long hug to a teammate.

“I thought I was going to cry out there,” she said afterward.

The Spartans made sure everyone left on a happy note as they defeated Tacoma 16-6 on Senior Night Wednesday.

The victory clinches the first seed out of the West Division and more importantly, gives them a first round bye in the state playoffs.

“We accomplished a lot out there,” head coach Tami Tommila said. “It (the win) is what we really wanted.”

Lucy Schlesser led the way with nine points off six goals and three assists.

The six goals give her 59 on the year which is a league high.

“We were definitely nervous,” Schlesser said. “You don’t want to come out and lose on your Senior Night.”

Sally Baumgartner had seven points off three goals and four assists while Mariah Walk had five points off of three goals and two assists.

The Bainbridge boys’ lacrosse team finished undefeated with a 17-0 win over Roosevelt.

Jordan Foster had six points off four goals and two assists.

Defender Trent Burroughs said the team knows the heat is on to win another state title.

“There’s a lot of pressure, especially from fans, just to do it again,” he said.

The boys host Lakeside Saturday at 7 p.m.

The girls host the winner of Forest Ridge/Tacoma at 7 p.m. May 15.

Fastpitchers win wild one

SEATTLE – After the Bainbridge fastpitch team raced through the regular season like a child on a jungle gym, it was only appropriate that they had to go through a game that was the equivalent of what one might see a person go through on “Ninja Warrior.”

But they did make it, as Haylee Baker’s bloop single drove in the game-tying and winning runs to put the Spartans over the Bishop Blanchet Braves 13-12 in 11 innings Thursday in a Metro League tournament semifinal game at Lower Woodland Field in Seattle.

Bainbridge (21-1) earned a bye in the district tournament and played Holy Names yesterday for the Metro League title.

The Spartans defeated Chief Sealth 16-1 in three innings on Wednesday as Chelsie Kakela hit two home runs and Baker added a three-run bomb.

The hit was made off a 1-2 pitch that Baker just got a piece of to flare it into right field, but Kristine Cortez was closing in fast.

She was a step behind, though, as the ball hit the ground a split second before Cortez could grab it with her glove, allowing Caitlin McCormick and Lauren Reichert to cross home plate.

Both Baker and head coach Liz McCloskey said they definitely saw the ball hit the ground before she could cover it.

“The hard part about that is the runners are going on contact, so you can’t stop them,” she said. “It was definitely a heart stopper, but you can’t ask for a better person to be up (in Haylee).”

For the first five innings, it was all Bainbridge, as they climbed out to a 6-0 lead off of Blanchet pitcher Hannah Shanahan.

But the Braves put three runs across in the fifth, then took advantage of four Spartan errors and a gassed Baker to take a 10-6 lead.

Lori Pearson had the big hit with a bases-clearing triple.

Clara Dunn led off the Spartans’ half of the sixth with a walk, then Baker, Cara Thompson, Kakela and Lindsay Willmann put four pitches cleanly in play to tie the game up.

With the international tiebreaker put into effect, Blanchet got its runner home with a base hit in the 10th, but Willmann doubled in the gap to score Thompson and tie it back up.

The Braves put another run on the board in the 11th and threatened to do more damage, but Willmann got some good defensive plays to get out of the inning.

In the Spartans’ half of the 11th, with one out, Reichert advanced McCormick to third on a bunt that went under the first baseman’s glove.

Pitcher Eden Smead came back to strike out Clara Dunn, but Baker got just enough of her pitch to drop it in.

As both teams waited for the call, the umpires finally ruled the ball was trapped, not caught, and Bainbridge exploded in an emotional celebration.

“We usually lose these kind of games,” Baker said. “But this year we’re getting the extra push from the freshmen and that’s bringing our team up.”

The Sea-King District 2 tournament is next week at Marymoor Park in Redmond.

Kickers stay alive for state

SEATTLE – The Bainbridge boys’ soccer team went through a first on Wednesday – being held scoreless for the first time all season.

Their 2-0 loss to Lakeside in a Metro League tournament semifinal game Wednesday left them in a loser-out contest and a sudden end to its strong season.

But behind another stellar defensive effort, the Spartans outlasted Eastside Catholic 1-0 in a Metro League tournament game Thursday at Interbay Stadium in Seattle.

Kenji Queva put in the only score of the game at the 55th minute mark off a nice assist from Jimmy Baggett.

“The biggest goal of the season,” head coach George Vukic said. “It was a beautiful ball by Jimmy and a one-touch by Kenji.

“We’ve been waiting for that goal from Kenji all season long.”

The Spartans kept the Crusaders off the board by keeping balls out of its area while Alex Oeschli turned in another good game in goal.

He finished with four saves for the shutout.

“We just had so much energy out there,” Johnny Baggett said. “We poured everything into this game to make sure it wasn’t our last.”

The Spartans play Skyline at Skyline High School Saturday at 7 p.m. in a winner to state game.

Two tumblers place high

Two members of the Bainbridge Island Girls’ Gymnastics Club placed high in several different events at the state meet in Woodinville last Sunday.

Sarah Rice placed fourth out of 34 gymnasts in her age group on vault, with a score of 9.275. She finished the day with an all-around score of 34.

Chloe Seferos placed first out of 17 gymnasts on vault with a score of 9.35. She tied for fifth on beam with a 9.1 and placed sixth on floor with a 9.05.

Seferos earned an all-around score of 34.65. Both girls competed at level 6.

Three girls from Bainbridge Island Recreational Gymnastics competed at the level 4 state meet in Kirkland on April 13.

Laura Hilst took seventh place overall in her age group with a score of 35. She also placed second on bars with a 9.05 and fifth on vault with a 9.35.

Hannah Friel placed fifth on floor with a 9.225 and earned an all-around score of 33.6.

Megan Duncan placed eighth out of 25 gymnasts in her age group on floor with a 9.175 and finished the day with a score of 34.4.

–With information supplied by BIGC’s Teresa Bruzo

Rope skippers off to nationals

The Bainbridge Island Rope Skippers competed for a chance to go to Nationals last weekend and came out big winners.

The top four jumpers in each event qualified for a trip to Orlando in June to compete at the USA Jump Rope National Championship.

Everyone on the senior team qualified in at least one event, and several qualified in many events.

Of note were several single rope freestyle routines that were free from mistakes, an especially difficult feat at competition, by Sarah Sharman, Kelsey Gonwick, Emily Applewhite, Rachel Bell and Amanda Stevenson.

Ally Clement, Sarah Sharman and Abigail Harrison were the only jumpers on any team to have a no miss in a three-person, double-dutch freestyle routine.

There were also many jumpers who had personal best scores with no misses during speed events, including Allie Martins, Anna Warga, Ari Felkey, Emy Mather, Rachel Bell, Hannah Sprague, Jessica Fay and Anna Mather.

The surprise of the day was pulled off by the team’s 12-and- under rookies, Kirsten Loechl, Anna Warga and Allie Martins, by placing second in their double -dutch freestyle routine when they have only been jumping together since January.

Despite stiff competition from several kids who are representing Team USA at the World Championship in South Africa, the team’s most senior jumpers in Ali Maier, Lizzy Sharman, Becca Doll, Chloe Dolese and Molly Harrison also clinched spots at Nationals in speed, pairs freestyle, double-dutch freestyle and single-rope freestyle events.

On May 17, the team is headed to their final competition before heading to Nationals, which take place in Orlando, Fla. on June 26-28.

For anyone who is interested in trying jump rope the senior team is hosting a Summer Camp July 7-10.

E-mail biropeskippers@hotmail.com for a registration form.

–With information supplied by Bonnie Harrison

Clark takes home title

Cheyne Clark rebroke the school record in the pole vault with a mark of 15 feet and took home a league title in the Metro League championship meet at the Southwest Complex in Seattle.

Clark also took seventh in the preliminaries of the 110 meter hurdles.

Maddy Sheldon finished second in the prelims of the 100 meter dash while Austin Hallett took third in the prelims of the 400 dash.

Ian Shiach was fourth in the prelims of the 800 run while Ryan Vogel was sixth.

Emily Farrar was second in the 3200 run.

Lauren Fleming took fifth in the high jump while Theresa Johansen was second in the discus throw.

James Herman and Zane Sackett took fourth and sixth, respectively, in the shot put.

The meet concluded yesterday.

Just two move on for tennis

Grace Porter and Dylan Skeffington were the only Bainbridge tennis players to make it to districts out of the Metro League tournament this week.

Porter lost to Holy Names’ Natalie Allen, but defeated Bishop Blanchet’s Rebekah Ellison in straight sets to take the third seed.

Skeffington won his match over West Seattle’s Eli Scott by default to take the seventh seed.

Brooke Shorett and Becky Gottlieb made it to the quarterfinals, but lost three straight matches and were eliminated.

The District 2 tournament is May 13-14 at Lower Woodland.