MOUNTLAKE TERRACE Though Mountlake Terrace was frequently on base, the M-P defense held the Hawks to just two runs, winning 4-2 in the May 8 game.
Their good luck didnt hold though, as Stanwood defeated the Tomahawks 14-2 in five innings May 9 to end the M-P baseball season.
The Tuesday game followed a 6-3 loss in playoff action to Edmonds-Woodway on May 5, putting the Tomahawks state appearance hopes on the line in each of their remaining loser-out games.
Senior Ricky Holm started and ended on the mound against Mountlake Terrace. Clearly jazzed to be in the game, Holm had a couple spells of erratic pitching, giving up four walks in the seventh inning and throwing eight straight balls to begin the same period.
Still, his confidence never flagged, and Holm struck out a batter for a seventh-inning out and grabbed the games last out, catching a low hit below his knees.
Ricky pitched pretty well, although he struggled with control at times. He walked nine guys, but he got us out of it, said head coach Josh Rosenbach. We got the win, which allowed us to move on to the next day.
The Tomahawks first run of the day almost didnt happen. Facing two strikes in the count, senior outfielder Shane McKinley slugged his third pitch toward second base. The Hawk fielder scooped up the ball but hesitated, double pumping the ball toward first, and McKinley beat the throw.
The next M-P batter, senior Kyle Mallory, liked his first pitch. The RBI double flew to the right field fence. Mallorys hit was converted on the next pitch by a single from Holm over the head of the Hawks second baseman and into center field.
First baseman Riley Gilbertson answered a fourth-inning Hawks run with an RBI-single to bring in senior Jake Newman.
A fifth-inning RBI from senior third baseman Sean Moser made it 4-1.
Though in position to come back in the seventh, the Hawks scored only one run, putting M-P in the next days game against Wesco North rival Stanwood.
Though the Tomahawks took an early 2-0 lead against the Spartans, Stanwood scored its game-winning third run in the second inning. For good measure, they added eight more in the third inning, four coming from a grand slam by Stanwood senior Jordan Northrup.
It was a tough game. We didnt pitch especially well, we didnt play defense especially well, said Rosenbach of his last game as M-Ps head coach. Nothing really went our way, which was a tough way to end the year after all the time and effort that everyone put in during the year.
Rosenbach, who is leaving the post to become a principal at one of the new learning communities launching at Marysville-Pilchuck High School next year, added that though the team is also losing 11 seniors, it returns seven varsity players from the junior class and can recruit from a strong junior varsity team.
After six seasons in the office, Rosenbach said, he will miss watching the players growth.
Well we had 11 seniors, he said. The leadership between the 11 of them really was the catalyst for the entire season. There were some who had a really successful year. Brandon Kizer had a good year on the mound. Kyle Bottin, Ricky Holm and Kyle Mallory had a really good season in their own way.
Seeing the seniors and reflecting back upon when they were freshman and sophomores, to see their growth over the three or four years that Ive had them has always been the most rewarding part.

At Mountlake Terrace H.S. (May 8)

M.T. 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
M-P 0 0 2 1 1 0 x 4

At Everett Memorial Stadium (May 9)

Stanwood 0 3 8 2 1 x x 14
M-P 2 0 0 0 0 x x 2