by MARIO LOTMORE
A chilly Friday evening didn’t keep parents of both Lynnwood and Shorecrest high schools away from an incredible edge-of-your-seat game.
A hit to inner left field by No. 30 Joshua Latimer in the 4th inning, began the Lynnwood Royals’ path to victory, defeating the Shorecrest Scouts 7-6 by the 7th inning.
At the top of the 4th, Shorecrest’s No. 8 Ben Lockwood stole home plate after a bunt by fellow teammate Andrew Pellham to inner right field. The Scouts No. 16 Carwyn Corcoran-Sipe scored the second point of the game after a hit to outfield by teammate Aris Goss. By the bottom of the 4th inning, the Royals were down 0-2. The cheerleading by parents refocused the Royals for an impressive four runs by the end of the inning.
No. 35 Gabe Newson scored the Royals’ first run for the game, thanks to teammate Latimer’s hit to left field. With a hit by Nick Holms to center left outfield, Carson Speegle came home to tie the game 2-2. With Holmes on 2nd and Latimer on 3rd, No. 14 Jordan Glover didn’t cave into pressure with a hit to center left field for the Royals to take the lead 4-2 by the end of the inning.
With bases loaded and no outs, the Scouts were poised to retake the lead in the 5th inning. Royals Coach Andrew Knudsen, in an unorthodox move, swapped pitcher Daniel Smith with freshman pitcher Logan Papernik. Papernik remained calm and squashed the Scouts’ hopes with three consecutive stikeouts.
Momentum was on the Royals’ side at the bottom of the 5th inning. After successfully preventing the Scouts from scoring, a hit straight through center field by No. 21 Speegle brought teammate Blake Tablazon home. Tablazon had earlier stolen 2nd base to advance his chances to score.
It was power play after power play from the Royals. No. 30 Latimer brought home Newson and No. 24 Smith brought home Speegle. The Royals increased their lead 7-2 by the end of the 5th inning.
In an impressive comeback, the Scouts quickly scored two runs in the 6th inning. Then another hit by Scouts Pellham brought two more guys home, cutting the Royals’ lead from five to one. With players on 1st and 2nd and two outs, parents were tense on both teams. The Scouts again poised retake the lead, but were unsuccessful when the Royals freshman pitcher Papernik caught Scouts Alex Culver’s hit for their 3rd out.
Entering the last inning, Coach Knudsen swapped Papernik with Speegle to pitch. Speegle sealed the deal with three consecutive stikeouts resulting in a 7-6 Royals victory!
When asked of his team’s performance, Coach Knudsen said, “We started off slow but we stayed with it and made a comeback.” He further added that Smith was pitch limited, so he had to swap him out in the 5th inning with freshman pitcher Papernik.
Knudsen complimented the opposing team and Scouts Coach Adam Bruns, saying the Scouts are, “Well coached.” However, he added, “We took advantage of their errors to win the game.” Knudsen said he will keep the pressure on his team to, “Score early” for the next game.
Scout Coach Bruns, “Liked their fight.” He added the Scouts, “Did not play clean defense and couldn’t come through when bases were loaded.” However, “Offensively we came through and adjusted midgame and executed a series of small balls (bunts).” He agreed that the Royals capitalized on their mistakes to win the game and ended saying, “We will work on situational hitting for the next game.” The Royals next game is 11am April 20th at Shorecrest High School, where they play against Archbishop Murphy. Come and support the team!
Author: Mario Lotmore
