<< Previous   of   Next >> For The Enterprise/MARK MULLIGAN  (click to enlarge) Shorewood shortstop J.K. Dykes tags Lynnwood's Mike Stanley out at second base during the Thunderbirds' 4-1 win April 29 at Shorewood High School. For The Enterprise/MARK MULLIGAN  (click to enlarge) Lynnwood third baseman Ryan Desimone watches his seventh inning home run sail over the right field fence. For The Enterprise/MARK MULLIGAN  (click to enlarge) Shorewood's Trevor Mitsvi congratulates Shorewood pitcher Bobby LeCount after LeCount got the final out in Shorewood's 4-1 win over Lynnwood.

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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, News editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

Shorewood beats Lynnwood in baseball showdown

The Thunderbirds defeat the Royals 4-1 in a battle of first-place teams in the Wesco South

By Alex Bosworth
For The Enterprise

SHORELINE

Losing to Lynnwood the day before was evidently hard for Shorewood's Trevor Mitsui and Bobby LeCount to accept.

Both made sure it didn't happen again. LeCount struck out 12 batters while pitching a near-dominant complete game, Mitsui hit a three-run home run and Shorewood defeated Lynnwood 4-1 in a Wesco South baseball contest April 29 at Shorewood High School. With the win, the Thunderbirds broke a tie atop the standings between the two teams and reassumed control of first place.

A day earlier, Lynnwood trounced Shorewood 15-1 in five innings, creating a tie atop the ultra-competitive Wesco South with both teams at 11-4 in league play. That didn't sit well with Shorewood.

"We wanted to come out and annihilate them," LeCount said of how much his team wanted a second chance at Lynnwood. "(Tuesday) was embarrassing."

"These guys are pretty resilient," Shorewood head coach Wyatt Tonkin added about his team. "… We brought in a bottle of shampoo - If you have a bad game you just wash it out."

Nothing is decided, but the race for the Wesco South title has become very simple: If Shorewood wins its next two games against Edmonds-Woodway, the Thunderbirds will become league champions for the first time since 2001. Shorewood gained a 4A District 1 playoff berth Wednesday with its victory over Lynnwood and Jackson's loss to Meadowdale.

Shorewood now controls its own South title destiny thanks largely to LeCount's pitching and Mitsui's hitting against the Royals.

LeCount put on an impressive display, holding Lynnwood to just two hits before surrendering a solo home run and a single in the seventh.

For the game, LeCount held Lynnwood to four hits, while striking out 12 batters and issuing one walk in 115 pitches. After the first inning, he never faced more than four batters.

"Bobby pitched great," Mitsui said. "We didn't walk many guys, we kept them off the bases, and when you do that (good things will happen)."

"Pitching and defense will take you a long way," said Tonkin, who added that Shorewood had gradually been increasing LeCount's time on the mound to keep him fresh for the end of season.

With LeCount on top of his game, Mitsui provided Shorewood with all the offense it would need by smacking a three-run home run in the first inning.

Mitsui finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and scored Shorewood's fourth and final run in the sixth off an RBI single by Geordan Medalia.

"He's a big horse," Tonkin said of Mitsui. "We just put him in there and ride him."

Lynnwood senior Ryan Desimone hit a solo home run to open the top of the seventh and pull Lynnwood within 4-1, but the Royals couldn't advance runners into scoring position, and Steve Llewellyn flew out to end the game.

John Mann started for Lynnwood and picked up the loss despite walking just one batter in a complete game.

The Royals, who boast nine seniors, have surprised many this year with their strong play after producing mediocre records over the previous few years. Lynnwood last went to 3A state in 2000.

"I'm proud of my kids," Lynnwood head coach Reggie Corns said. "When you're battling for first place it's pretty hard to be upset."

Tonkin said he felt this Shorewood team, which lost a winner-to-state 4A district playoff game to Mountlake Terrace last year, has the potential to be the best he has coached in his 11-year career.

"It feels great," Tonkin said after the win. "We've got two big games (but) we can play our game … and everyone else has to catch us."



Alex Bosworth writes for The Herald in Everett.