The Red Wolves won 4-1 over the Falcons on Wednesday, but they had to work for it.
Although Cedarcrest showed unstinting generosity in raising money to help Colton Wilson’s wish to upgrade the high school baseball field, it didn’t mean they were willing to lay down and lose the game.
With Jason Shoudy going the distance for South Whidbey, the score stayed at 0-0 until the Red Wolves caught the “Big Mo” and blasted four runs in the final inning.
“Offensively for the Falcons, it was a day of mental mistakes, all of which proved costly,” said Falcon Coach Dave Guetlin.
Danny Parra hit 2-for-3, Joey Smith 2-for-4 and Lakota Holder had a nice double. But converting hits to RBIs proved impossible.
Falcon runners, 11 in all, were left stranded on base through the seven-inning affair. Key base hits were hard to find as the Falcons once had runners on second and third with no outs and couldn’t push a run across.
“Jason pitched his heart out but we couldn’t back him up and then ran out of time,” Guetlin said.
In the Falcon seventh inning the boys scored their only run after a lead-off walk to Pat Smith, a single by Aaron Mannie and Parra’s RBI single.
Despite the earlier emotional pre-game ceremony, the boys could not find the sweet spot and their frustration built upon itself.
With bases loaded in the final inning and just a single, the boys had every chance to at least tie it up. The winning score was on the plate but the Falcons were unable to connect.
“The guys really want to get a win and end the season on a high note before districts,” Wilson said. “They have the tools to do it, they just need the will.”
The Falcons are now tied for second place with Lakewood in the Cascade League; both have 10-7 records.
If Lakewood loses and South Whidbey beats Cedarcrest, the Falcons will take the second spot since South Whidbey beat Lakewood twice already.
Provided the stars (and bats) are lined up right, district tournament games begin at noon Saturday, May 5 in Anacortes.
Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-53000 or sports@south
whidbeyrecord.com.
