Prep baseball: Warriors light up Mavericks 11-3

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Meadowdale Elliot Reece delivers a pitch against Edmonds-Woodway Saturday afternoon at Mountlake Terrace High School. (Photo by TK Johnson)

By TK Johnson/For Lynnwood Today

In a high school baseball game that was moved to Mountlake Terrace due to poor Meadowdale field conditions, Edmonds-Woodway probably wouldn’t want to change a thing. Everything went the Warriors’ way — including a grand slam by Tate Bucknick in the 5th inning — as they beat the Mavericks 11-3 in a non-league match-up.

The Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning senior following a Joey Rees single that scored Jason Smarr. Pitcher Tate Budnick then singled to left center, putting Rees on second. Rees advanced to third and sophomore Brady Edwards, pinch (courtesy) running for Budnick, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mac McLachlan. With two outs and a 2-2 count, Garrison Krohn hit a grounder to left center, scoring both Rees and Edwards and giving the Warriors a 3-0 lead. Meadowdale pitcher Elliot Reece picked off Brett Stoneman, at first base courtesy running for Krohn, to end the inning.

Budnick preserved the Warriors’ lead as the Mavs went three up, three down in the bottom of the first two innings, and the score would remain 3-0 E-W until the top of the fifth. With new pitcher Moises Valadezon the mound for Meadowdale, Edmonds-Woodway’s Matt Gerhardt hit a pop fly that was dropped in center field, allowing Gerhardt to advance to first base. Smarr and Rees both added bunt singles to load the bases with no outs, setting the stage for Budnick.  On a 3-1 count, Budnick hit a line drive over the left field wall for a grand slam and a 7-0 Warrior lead.

But E-W wasn’t done. McLachlan hit a single to first, and stole second. The Warriors’ Chantz Justice then hit a double to the left center field gap, scoring McLachlan and making it 8-0. The Warriors added another run in the 5th on back-to-back singles by freshmen Garrison Krohn and Brandon Mitchell, with Mitchell picking up the RBI.

After getting three consecutive outs to end the inning, the Mavs tried to make a comeback against the Warriors in the bottom of the fifth. With (new pitcher, sophomore Brady Edwards on the mound) sophomore pitcher Edwards on the mound, the Mavs would score three runs, (only to give two back to E-W in the top of the sixth. Joey Rees led off with a single, then Budnick drove him in with a triple and McLachlan brought Budnick home with a sacrifice fly to close out the Warrior scoring.

Brady Edwards finished off the Mavericks with two scoreless innings for a 11-3 Warrior win.

Even though Budnick had the grand slam and RBI, he referred to the victory as a team effort.

“The team got a really good win today,” Budnick said. “ We were more aggressive at the plate, which is always awesome and it’s always fun coming out playing and competing with our buddies from Meadowdale.”

 

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