Today’s game vs. O’Dea is a must-win affair if Bainbridge hopes to advance.

All the cliches are in place.

It’s do or die. Their backs are against the wall. It’s a one-game season.

The Bainbridge Spartans baseball team are staring all of those well-worn sayings down after dropping a critical game to O’Dea on Monday 5-2 at Bainbridge.

The game was moved to the island due to the immigration rally that started at Judkins Park, where O’Dea plays their games.

The loss puts them a game out of fourth place and the final playoff spot in the Metro League Mountain Division.

Jason Hallerman threw a complete game for the Fighting Irish, using his curve to strike out 15 Spartan batters.

“That’s one of the best curveballs we’ve seen all year,” head coach Jayson Gore said of the senior currently being recruited by the University of Washington. “I thought he did an outstanding job.”

Centerfielder Cameron Wagner gave starter Tal Glass some help in the first inning when he made a superb running catch on a fly ball just before he hit the fence.

But O’Dea got to him in the second, as they scored on a base hit.

The Spartans got on the board in the fifth, when second baseman Matt Frazee drove a pitch into the left centerfield gap for a double.

He scored when third baseman Brenden Gent sent a flyball into center that got by the fielder, allowing Gent to reach second.

After first baseman Robbie Stevenson reached on catcher interference, designated hitter C.J. Hall struck out and Gent was thrown out at third trying to advance.

Leftfielder Michael Heald then stroked one into right, scoring Stevenson when the ball went under the rightfielder’s glove.

Bainbridge had an opportunity to score more runs in the fifth when Kauika Peloti reached on an error and Frazee was intentionally walked, but Gent struck out.

In the sixth, Glass ran out of steam, as he allowed a walk, a single and a double which tied the game.

Gore brought in shortstop Zach Peach to relieve Glass, but after he notched a strikeout for the second out, he gave up a two RBI single to put O’Dea up for good.

The Irish added an insurance run in the seventh, and Hallerman allowed just one more hit as he kept the Spartans guessing all day.

“It’s hard to win a game when 15 outs (are) just handed to them,” Frazee said. “But he’s a great pitcher. You have to tip your cap to him.”

The Spartans hope to rebound today when Hall takes the hill to try and keep their season going.

They got some help Monday when Bishop Blanchet defeated third place Lakeside 9-8 in 11 innings for the Lions’ sixth loss of the year, which puts Lakeside into a tie with O’Dea for the third spot.

Which makes today’s game at O’Dea simple: Win and they’re in. Lose, and they’re out – unless Blanchet helps them out and can defeat Lakeside again, enabling Bainbridge to sneak in the back door.

“We saved our horse,” Frazee said. “It’s the last game of the season. There’s no other way to come out more pumped up.”

Stevenson said they need to bring their bats if they want to move onto the postseason.

“We need to get the hitting going,” he said. “When we get the hitting going, it’s just unstoppable.”

The loss was Glass’ first of the season.

Game time is at 4 p.m.

It’s tourney time for racqueteers

The team that hugs together, succeeds together.

After the last home match of the season against Seattle Prep on Monday, the Bainbridge tennis team came together for a group hug before they left the court – some of them for the last time.

“It’s emotional,” senior co-captain Sean Brachvogel said. “I’ve been doing this for four years and I know all these players. We’ve had a lot of fun this year and we’ve improved a lot from last year.”

Although they dropped the match to the Panthers by the score of 7-4, many of them are still moving on to the Metro League tournament.

For the boys, Spencer Cheng and Brachvogel are on the tournament list on the singles side, along with the doubles team of Nash Reijnen and Darton Gibbons and Taylor Lea and Erik Saska.

Lea and Saska defeated the Prep doubles team of Garrett Vincent and Richard Maloney 6-4, 6-2.

On the girls side, Molly Donohue and Lauren Trageser made it to the tournament.

Trageser was the only Spartan on either team to finish the season undefeated, going 14-0 with her 6-4, 6-0 win over Panther Caitlin Carr despite being down 3-0 in the first set.

“I’ve noticed with me that tennis is all a mind game,” she said. “So you just have to stick with it and don’t (get down on yourself).”

The doubles team of Taylor Raquer and Jamie Slonaker are headed to the tournament along with Ali Loechl and Becky Gottlieb.

Raquer and Slonaker were victorious over the Prep doubles team of Christi Elling and Simone Lucas 6-0, 6-2.

The mixed doubles team of Brooke Shorett and Luke Freedman were the only other winners on the day, as they won by injury default.

Shorett and her partner, Greg Nance, are headed to the tournament along with Greg Potter and a player to be named.

The Spartans finish the regular season in third with a record of 8-4 overall, 6-4 in league play.

The Metro tournament is Saturday at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle.

A seeding meeting will be held today.

Sailors miss out on district title

Both the Bainbridge and the Orcas sailing teams took it to the wire last weekend at the district double-handed championship regatta in Friday Harbor at Jackson Beach.

The Spartans and the Vikings performed ably, but Orcas finished first by one point to win the district title, wresting it away from the defending champs.

Through the two days, all six teams had to deal with challenging conditions from shifting winds and waters. Low tides were a problem as well.

Captains Pat Layton and Carl Shorett sailed well for the Spartans, along with Emma Hartmann, Adrian Mason, Dylan Sievertson, Madeline Jackson, Glen Stellmacher and Andy Freeman.

Twenty four races were held in the championship division which were divided into two sections.

Bainbridge scored 26 points in the A section and 31 in the B section, while Orcas scored 27 points in the A section and 29 in the B section.

In the developmental fleet, Bainbridge performed well in the standings.

Haley Lane, Amy Alen and Sarah Clarke were the top performers, along with Kyle Grosten and Pat Dight.

The double-handed championship is one of two events that are used to qualify for the national championships.

Bainbridge will compete in the team race competition this weekend at Port Townsend, with the winner to move onto the national championship in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. on Memorial Day Weekend.

JV hardballers scoring at will

The Bainbridge JV baseball team is currently competing for the Metro championship as they finished the season on a seven game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 70-3 in those games.

In their regular season finale against Eastside Catholic on Friday, Willie Green and Colin Feldtman combined to hold the Crusaders to just one run and three hits. Green struck out two.

Feldtman also had two hits and Ian Powell drove in two runs.

Gary French started the game against O’Dea Monday at Sands Field.

Divers do well at U.S. nationals

Bainbridge Island Diving Club members Stephanie Whalen and Olaf Olson made their best showing ever at the U.S. Diving Junior Olympic national championships at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center last weekend.

Whalen was 28th on the 3-meter board with a score of 293.35 and 24th on the 1-meter board with a score of 279.70.

Olson placed 15th on the 1-meter board with a score of 356.30 and scored a 12th place medal on the 3-meter springboard with a score of 383.30.

They travel to Victoria, B.C. to take part in the British Columbia Provincial Championships May 26-28.