Sports Roundup - Fastpitchers move onto the second season/Hardballers watch season slip away/Raqueteers head into Metro fray

Spartans place third in division, will meet Nathan Hale in post-season action.

The Bainbridge fastpitch team celebrated their success this season with what else – a cake fight after they handed out gifts to their departing seniors on Wednesday.

Head coach Liz McCloskey is happy with how much the players have improved.

“We did a lot better this year than we did last year,” she said. “We’re making strides as a program and as a team, and when we hit the Metro tournament, I think we’re going to be tough to beat.”

They’ll have a tough road in the playoffs, facing Holy Names in the second round if they get past their first-round opponent Nathan Hale.

The Cougars defeated the Spartans 5-2 on Monday in

Seattle, then spoiled their senior salute day with an 8-0 whitewash on Wednesday.

Pitcher Lindsay Willmann started both games and took the loss both times.

She didn’t give up an earned run on Monday, as the defense committed four errors.

On Wednesday, she struck out 11 and only walked one, but Holy Names caught up to her in the last two innings, scoring three runs in the sixth and the seventh.

Meanwhile, freshman Farleigh Winters shut down Bainbridge, striking out eight and allowing just two hits – both singles – to Chelsie Kakela.

The Spartans had 10 hits on Monday, but scored just two runs on singles by Willmann and Cara Thompson.

“Monday’s game we pretty much gave away,” McCloskey said. “I would have liked to see us beat them and go out a little stronger, but we have a chance to take them out and give them their first loss.”

If the Spartans are to move on and defeat Holy Names, they’ll do it with the help of the talented newcomers who have contributed all season long.

Anna Lyons and Marci Morford both feel Thompson and Willmann are in the running for Metro League MVP.

Thompson hit .561 this season, while Willmann had a 1.98 ERA with 73 strikeouts on the mound.

“Cara can hit the ball and field so well,” Lyons said. “She rarely misses anything. If she misses (fielding a ground ball), I’m shocked.

“Lindsay is so fast (when she throws). She’s amazing.”

Morford enjoyed watching them on the field and getting to know them off the field as well.

“All the new girls that came up not only have talent, they have the biggest personalities on the planet,” she said. “This is the most fun season (I’ve ever had).”

Bainbridge plays at Nathan Hale at 3 p.m. next Wednesday.

Hardballers watch season slip away

Brenden Gent still couldn’t believe what had happened.

“We were up (by) one run and I was like, ‘Oh, we’ve got the momentum going for us,’” the Spartan senior said, following the hardballers’ one-run, season-ending loss. “Then they got that slap hit and I was like, ‘Oh, I can’t believe it.’”

It’s a reality they never thought they would face, but the Bainbridge baseball team is on the outside looking in as they lost to O’Dea 6-5 at Judkins Park on Wednesday.

That loss, coupled with a Lakeside victory over Bishop Blanchet, ends the Spartans’ run for the playoffs.

Head coach Jayson Gore felt his team was defeated by a better squad.

“We played well,” he said. “They just beat us. They made the plays and we didn’t.”

Bainbridge scored first on a bases-loaded walk in the first inning, then increased their lead to 3-0 in the third on a two-RBI double by Adam Beck.

O’Dea worked their way back in their half of the frame against starter C.J. Hall, scoring two runs on two Bainbridge errors and a single.

They took the lead in the sixth on an RBI groundout and another single.

In the seventh, the Spartans rallied, as Matt Frazee singled and Gent walked.

Robbie Stevenson popped out, but Hall singled to score Frazee. Michael Heald then laid a bunt down the first base line to score Gent for the go-ahead run.

But the lead wouldn’t last, as Hall got the first out on a comebacker to the mound, then walked the next two batters.

He got the next batter to fly out, but the two batters after that singled to score the game tying and game winning runs.

“We just couldn’t finish,” said Gent, who pointed out that their two biggest problems – a lack of hitting and their depth at pitching – cost them in the long run.

“I think we had a little more pressure on us,” he continued. “Last year we were not expected to do as well as we did. I think more so this year we went in with too much confidence. We were too high on ourselves going into the season, and it hurt us.”

But Gore doesn’t want the loss to mar what they’ve accomplished in their time at Bainbridge.

“These seniors had a great career,” he said. “They won a Metro League championship and they’ve been very successful here.”

The Spartans finished with a season record of 9-7.

Raqueteers head into Metro fray

The Bainbridge tennis team has their schedule set for today’s Metro League tournament at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle.

On the boys’ side, singles player Spencer Cheng and the doubles team of Darton Gibbons and Nash Reijnen earn first round byes.

Cheng gets the winner of the match between Seattle Prep’s Rich Maloney and Cleveland’s Narin Lityouyong at 3:30 p.m.

Gibbons and Reijnen play the O’Dea tandem of Arpin and DeRocco at 5 p.m.

If Cheng, Gibbons and Reijnen win, they play Monday at 2 p.m.

Sean Brachvogel and Jonathan Potter drew the mid-morning matches, as Brachvogel plays Blanchet’s Spencer Goll at 11 a.m., while Potter plays Lakeside’s Malcom Chan at 9:30 a.m.

Victory earns Brachvogel another match at 3:30 p.m. the same day, while Potter gets Lakeside’s Davis Mangham at 2 p.m.

Taylor Lea and Erik Saska meet the O’Dea duo of Young and Blair at 12:30 p.m.

If they win, they get to face the Lakeside team of Augustine and Larus-Stone later in the day at 5 p.m.

For the girls, singles players Molly Donohue and Lauren Trageser and the doubles team of Taylor Raquer and Jamie Slonaker all earn first round byes.

Donohue gets the winner of the match between Eastside Catholic’s Katie Heflin and Rainier Beach’s Jeanny Laid at 2 p.m., while Lauren Trageser plays Cleveland’s Huong Hua at 2 p.m.

Raquer and Slonaker play the winner of the Cleveland-Eastside Catholic’s doubles team at 3:30 p.m.

If all three make it past their opponents, they’ll play Monday at 12:30 p.m.

Hayley Trageser plays Holy Names’ Kathleen Carter at 9:30 a.m., while the doubles team of Becky Gottlieb and Ali Loechi take on Hyland and Kumar of Ingraham at 8 a.m.

If Hayley Trageser can get past Carter, she’ll play at 2 p.m. If Gottlieb and Loechl advance, they’ll take on the number one seeded Lakeside duo of Titcomb and Whatley at 3:30 p.m.

In the mixed doubles field, the team of Brooke Shorett and Greg Nance play Eastside Catholic’s Kaiser and Skoog, while Sara Silva and Russell Transue take on Blanchet’s Little and McNamara.

Both matches are at 8 a.m. If either or both advance, they’ll play at 2 p.m.

All matches are single elimination.

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