Fastpitchers take fourth
TUKWILA – After an emotionally and mentally draining day on Thursday, the Bainbridge fastpitch team didn’t have much left in the tank on Friday.
They lost 7-2 to Metro League rival Bishop Blanchet in the semifinal game, then dropped a 2-0 decision to Liberty in the third/fourth place game of the 3A Sea-King District 2 tournament at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.
“We came out flat,” head coach Liz McCloskey said. “Overall, at some point the season is going to take a toll on any team.
“I think the (emotional and physical) toll from yesterday and the experience and the hype from (Thursday) took a toll on us.”
Against Blanchet, the Spartans took a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Braves came back to tie it, then took the lead in the second as Bainbridge made three errors all game, but it seemed like there were “a million errors,” to McCloskey.
“We know we can beat them, but we came in flat,” catcher Brittany Wisner said. “We gave up too many unearned runs on too many errors. That’s what killed us.”
Against Liberty, Bainbridge was shut down by Bree Bartholomew for the first six innings.
Haylee Baker gave up two runs on a double and a bloop single, but got settled in and got some great defensive plays to keep the Patriots at bay for the rest of the game.
Bainbridge broke the no-no up in the seventh on a leadoff single from Chelsie Kakela, but Bartholomew retired the next three batters for the win.
Despite the losses, Wisner said they’ll gladly take the fourth seed to state.
“There’s still two teams that are (going to be) sitting at home – West Seattle and Holy Names,” she said, referring to their rivals who were eliminated at districts. “We’re just happy to be going.”
Bainbridge plays Timberline at 9 a.m. at the 3A state tournament Friday at the SERA fields in Tacoma.
Boys 4×400 wins title
WEST SEATTLE – It was their race after the first handoff and it only got better from there.
The Bainbridge boys 4×400 quartet of Austin Hallet, Patrick Wauters, Greg Nance and Bevan Taylor won the relay with a time of 3:24.08 to take the district title at the 3A Sea-King District 2 meet at the Southwest Complex in West Seattle Friday.
“It’s great,” Taylor, the anchor, said of the win. “We were all really relaxed.
“We knew that if we ran well, we were going to win and we did.”
Also heading to state for the boys is Quinton Agosta with his second place finish in the discus and fourth place finish in the triple jump.
Cheyne Clark took third in the pole vault while Taylor qualified in the 1600 by finishing fourth.
For the girls, Emily Farrar made it with her second place finish in the 1600, losing to Holy Names’ Chelsea Burns by mere seconds.
“I kept pace with the (top) three and then with 200 (meters) left I’d thought I’d give it a shot,” she said. “(I) almost got it but she’s (Burns) a good sprinter.”
Tess Sadowsky also made it to state as she finished fourth in the 300 hurdles.
It’s her first trip to state after just missing out at districts the last two years.
“It’s so exciting,” she said. “It’s such an accomplishment. I’ve really been working hard for it.
Lauren Fleming finished third in the high jump while Theresa Johansen made it with her third place finish in the discus.
Star Track is this weekend in Pasco at Edgar Brown Stadium.
Rower makes it to nationals
Mikey McGuire, a junior on the Bainbridge rowing team, qualified for nationals at the Northwest Junior Rowing Championships last weekend at Vancouver Lake in Vancouver, Wash.
McGuire won her heat in the women’s varsity single heat, then placed third in the final.
The varsity men’s doubles team of Sam Hobbs and Andrew Powers took fourth when they finished second in their heat, but high winds canceled their final.
39 athletes from Bainbridge took part in the races.
The National High School Championships are June 8-10 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
