MARYSVILLE We beat that team.
So said a dejected Marysville Hawks player as he and his teammates watched the South Kitsap Wolfpack crowned the champions of the North Snohomish County Strawberry Bash Tournament at the Marysville-Pilchuck High School baseball fields.
Marysville entered the semifinals seeded first out of four teams, but they dropped their Aug. 12 game to the Woodinville Tigers 4-2, falling into third place. The Hawks loss sent the Tigers to the championship game where they fell 9-8 to the Wolfpack.
We thought, Were just going to cream everybody, and then in the first game they took a four-run lead and we came back with two runs and that was just it, we lost 4-2, said Hawks coach Will Reed.
The road to their semifinal loss was a noble one though.
The Hawks opened the tournament against the Tigers, Aug. 10.
Woodinville built a four-run lead against Marysville in the first four innings. Then in the fifth inning, the Hawks started to rally. With bases loaded, Marysville found itself down two runs and two outs. Then Isaac Reed had a two-run hit to tie the game, 4-4.
In the sixth inning, Marysville took the lead, thanks to some hits and a pitching error.
It was pretty exciting, coach Reed said.
The Hawks lost their second game 4-1 to the Mill Creek Marauders, but rallied to defeat the Wolfpack in a defensive game three for a tournament top seed.
The Hawks held the Wolfpack to a no-hitter for six innings before South Kitsap found some success with the bunt, getting a couple of base hits. Marysville errors allowed South Kitsap three runs, but the Hawks defense clamped down to hold onto the win.
In the seventh inning, the Wolfpack had runners at second and third with no outs. Then, explained Reed, pitcher Isaiah Brown stepped in.
He got a couple of good groundouts where we held the runners and then a strikeout, Reed said, explaining how Brown held off a Wolfpack comeback.
With rules limiting pitchers to three innings, a successful tournament run required a collaborative pitching effort. Reed praised pitchers Joel Knodel, Lucas Burns and Mitch Pearson for their contributions to the Hawks defense.
Reed said his team is strong because it is well rounded.
As far as our hitting goes, our whole team can hit. Every one of these kids can drive the ball. Our pitching is at times fabulous, he said, adding that his team has good instincts in the game.
The Hawks will close out their season with games at Skagit Valley College and a Labor Day tournament at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.