May 10, 2010
Kangs Survive with Wild Extra-Inning Win
Junior Wesley Russell
connects on his game-winning eighth inning home run.
Junior Wesley Russell's controversial two-out solo home run
in the top of the eighth inning snapped a 4-4 tie and gave the Kangs a dramatic
5-4 win over Newport in a loser-out game Monday night. Russell connected on the first pitch from
Knight reliever Joey Gale and hit it a mile high down the left field line. The call, which could have gone either way,
went the way of the Kangs, as it was ruled to have hooked around the foul pole,
setting off pandemonium in the Lake Washington dugout and propelled the team to
victory.
The game was scoreless through four innings as juniors Bob
Cruikshank and Jared Fisher traded zeroes.
Newport broke through in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by
catcher Dan Altchech. He would later
score on a crazy play where he was caught off third on a pickoff attempt. The throw back to the plate caromed off his
helmet, allowing him to score the second Knight run.
LW immediately responded with four runs in the top of the
sixth inning, getting some timely hitting and taking advantage of Newport
miscues. Cruikshank helped his own cause
with a two-run single to tie the game at two.
Following a walk to Trevor Dunlap, Kangs catcher Colin Tremblay got a
bunt down which loaded the bases when Newport failed to get the lead runner at
third base. Following a strikeout,
Spencer Jackson's ground ball to first base was booted, allowing the go ahead
run to score. Courtesy runner Zach
Johnson scored the fourth run, beating Fisher to the plate on a passed ball.
The Knights came right back with two runs of their own in the
bottom half. A leadoff error and RBI
triple by Nate Anderson cut the lead to one at 4-3. Pinch hitter Joe Victor came through with a
sacrifice fly, scoring Anderson to tie the game. Both teams failed to score in the seventh,
setting up Russell's dramatics. Junior
Spencer Jackson relieved Cruikshank to start the eighth, and worked around a
leadoff hit-by-pitch to seal the win.
Cruikshank was the winner, allowing 4 hits and 4 runs (2
earned) over 7 innings of work. Junior
Kory Kohlwes was 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Kangs, who survived for at
least one more day. The KingCo
tournament continues on Tuesday for
LW, who will take on Issaquah in another loser out contest. Game time is 7:00 pm at Woodinville HS. Come on out and support the team!