South Whidbey baseball fights off elimination

Backs against the wall, the Falcon baseball players live to play another day. South Whidbey beat Blaine 7-2 on Thursday behind a complete game by pitcher Brent Piehler.

By Ben Watanabe • May 3, 2013 6:52 pm
Falcon senior Aaron Curfman stretches for home against Mount Baker on Thursday. South Whidbey staved off elimination from the 1A District 1 baseball tournament by beating Mount Baker 7-2.
Falcon senior Aaron Curfman stretches for home against Mount Baker on Thursday. South Whidbey staved off elimination from the 1A District 1 baseball tournament by beating Mount Baker 7-2.

Backs against the wall, the Falcon baseball players live to play another day. South Whidbey beat Blaine 7-2 on Thursday behind a complete game by pitcher Brent Piehler.

Crucial hitting by a pair of Falcons guided South Whidbey to victory. Senior Jack Lewis went 2-for-2 with two RBI and sophomore Ricky Muzzy hit 3-for-3 with one RBI. Jake Sladky batted 2-for-4.

The win kept South Whidbey in the 1A District 1 baseball tournament after a late meltdown against Mount Baker on Wednesday. South Whidbey travels to Blaine to play Lynden Christian at 1 p.m. Saturday.

South Whidbey’s recipe for success went like an egg in the microwave against Mount Baker in a 16-8 district playoff loss.

The Falcons managed seven wins in the regular season thanks to low-scoring games and timely late-game runs. Against the Mountaineers, however, the task was too tall to surmount. South Whidbey led 8-7 through five innings. Mount Baker erupted for nine runs in the sixth and ran away with the 1A District 1 tournament victory.