In a back-and-forth battle, Sehome used a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the ninth inning to secure a 4-3 Northwest Conference win over rival Bellingham at home on Wednesday.
Sehome coach Dane Siegfried said it was a rewarding and crucial league victory for his young team.
It was a big rivalry game and we have a lot of respect for those guys,” said Siegfried, who is in his second season coaching the Mariners. “It was a good pitchers’ duel.”
Sehome senior pitcher Jason Gillig, who finished with 12 strikeouts, struck out the side in the first inning.
“I feel like my confidence and my swagger brings energy to the game,” said Gillig. “I’ve always been a clutch player. I’m used to it.”
Bellingham junior pitcher Jake Troost then answered with three straight strikeouts of his own, sending the Bayhawks back to the plate.
The Mariners threatened to score in the bottom of the third, but a diving catch by Bayhawk freshman infielder Kai Nelson ended the inning.
After four no-hit innings, the Mariners picked up steam with a single to first base by senior Carson Neff, who then proceeded to steal second base. However, a flyout kept the score at 0-0.
The Bayhawks’ momentum picked up at the bottom of the fifth with a walk by junior Jesse Harward, a stolen base by junior Joseph Toof and a two-run double by Nelson giving the Bayhawks a 1-0 lead.
The Bayhawks loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, but Gillig escaped the jam by striking out Jesse Harward.
Sehome finally caught up in the bottom of the seventh, tying it up at 1-1, after freshman Hudson Neff hit an RBI single.
Bellingham retook the lead at 2-1 with Harward’s RBI single to score junior Reece Ficklin. Sehome answered right back when senior Riley Malloy stole second base before junior Campbell Robbins drove him home to tie it back up at 2-2.
Bellingham went back up 3-2 after Jesse Armstrong drove in a run in the top of the eighth.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, Hudson Neff connected on an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.
“I’m glad our team put it together and showed a lot of fight,” Hudson Neff said. “It was back-and-forth the whole game. I took it to heart. When I was on deck and my brother [Carson] said ‘It could all come down to you,’ I didn’t want to let my team down.”
After holding Bellingham scoreless in the top of the ninth, the Mariners again loaded the bases before Robbins was hit by a pitch, sending Salvador Backman home for the winning run.
Siegfried said he was looking for tenacity out of his players, and that’s what he got.
“We stayed resilient today,” Siegfried said. “There were moments that we could have folded, but we didn’t. We battled and scrapped for a couple of runs there at the end.”
Siegfried attributes the Mariners’ mental toughness to the leadership and chemistry of his senior players.
“These guys have been grinding and believing in each other for a while now,” Siegfried said.
Bellingham (6-9, 3-8 NWC) will host Lynden Christian (4-6, 5-8 NWC) at 7 p.m., Friday, April 21.
Sehome (3-11, 3-8 NWC) will host Burlington-Edison (6-4, 8-5 NWC) at 6 p.m., Friday, April 21.
