Sparts’ errors costs them a win

Bainbridge drops Metro title game to Holy Names Friday.

SEATTLE – Lindsay Willmann and Farleigh Winters, the respective aces of the Bainbridge and Holy Names fastpitch teams, turned in nearly equivalent stat lines Friday night.

Both pitched seven innings and were nearly equal in strikeouts, walks and hits.

But it was in one category that Willmann didn’t have much control over – errors – that was the Spartans’ downfall in its 5-2 loss to the Cougars in the Metro League championship game Saturday night at Lower Woodland Field.

Three costly misplays on balls in play put Bainbridge behind the eight ball in a close game where every mistake is magnified tenfold.

“We made mistakes,” head coach Liz McCloskey said. “We made mistakes in the field, we made mental mistakes, we made errors in the field – it turns into a mental game (at times) and as soon as you make a mistake, it makes it very difficult.”

The Spartans scored first in the third inning as Lauren Reichert got on board via a walk.

She was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Clara Dunn, then Haylee Baker drove her in with a bloop single to centerfield.

Cara Thompson followed with another base hit to score Baker.

But Holy Names countered in the fourth as the first two hitters reached base on singles.

Willmann came back to get a groundout and a lineout to her, but Keilan Sweeney blooped a double into left field to score both runs.

In the fifth inning, Laura Sullivan singled, then worked her way to third and scored on an error by Baker.

Bainbridge put runners on in the fifth, sixth and seventh, but Winters got out unscathed with a strikeout or a double play.

But Willmann said hitting off Winters isn’t the problem – it’s them.

“I think people’s nerves got to them before the game,” she said. “Everyone’s like ‘Oh my God, it’s Holy Names.’ We’ve only beat them once in the past five years so it’s kind of intimidating.”

In the seventh, the Cougars got a walk and three consecutive base hits to put two insurance runs on the board.

With one out in the seventh, Reichert reached base on a walk, but Dunn struck out and Baker flied out to center to end the game.

Even though it was another tough loss to its arch rival, Willmann said they’ll be fine.

“Losing this game really isn’t a bad thing,” she said. “It doesn’t put us anywhere different (for districts).

“Losing motivates us to work harder,” she continued. “We got second place, which hasn’t happened (in a while). It’s something to be proud of.

“We just need to work hard for districts, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

With the second seed out of the Metro League, the Spartans get a bye in the Sea-King 3A district tournament Thursday and Friday at Marymoor Park in Redmond.

Bainbridge plays the winner of the Chief Sealth/Skyline game at 2 p.m.

“We will be ready to play that game,” Willmann vowed.

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