5/2/26
#7 Highline Pirates – 1/0/1
#6 Interlake Saints – 11/11/1
(Bellevue, WA) Last year, the KingCo 3A Baseball Tournament was a wild one, with all eight games being within five runs and three games ending with a walkoff hit. Highline and Interlake started things a year ago, with Interlake winning a close one 5-2. This year, Interlake swept the regular season series with wins of 12-2 and 6-4. In the third iteration of the season series, the season was on the line in this loser-out matchup between the two squads.
In the first inning, Highline got things started with Jeevan Parail drawing a walk. Parail stole a base to reach second. On a wild pitch, Parail took third base, and on another wild pitch, he scored to make it 1-0 in the top of the first. Interlake would storm back in the bottom of the first, as Sam Haufe drew a leadoff walk. Ben Haufe singled, and then Brady Didrickson tied the game with an RBI single. Devin Wallace followed up with a walk to load up the bases. Ty Marcum had a sacrifice flyout to right field to give Interlake a 2-1 lead. After a sacrifice bunt from Derin Tortop, the Interlake base runners advanced to second and third with two outs. Connor Cooper drove in two more runs with a two-RBI single to make it 4-1 after the first. In the second, Shawn Davidson led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. He moved up to second base but was left stranded there. Interlake struck again with Sam Haufe singling and getting driven in by Brady Didrickson on an RBI single. Highline attempted to pickoff Didrickson at first, but the ball got away, and Didrickson made his way around the bases and scored to make it a 6-1 game.
In the third inning, Caleb Mason drew a two-out walk for Highline, but was left at first. Interlake would add three more runs in the bottom of the inning as Connor Cooper got on with a two-out single. Peyton Scott followed up with a single, and Justin Hudacsko was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sam Haufe sent the trio home with a three-RBI double to make it a 9-1 game. Jaylon Rith led off the fourth inning by getting hit by a pitch. Shawn Davidson drew a walk, but Interlake was able to turn two on a ground ball up the middle. Andres Vargas drew a walk to put runners on the corners with two out. Vargas and Rith weren’t able to score as Interlake worked out of the jam with Connor Cooper recording a strikeout to end the scoring threat. Highline held Interlake scoreless in the bottom of the fourth but was held scoreless in the top of the fifth, despite Josiah Barron and Caleb Mason each reaching base. Payton Scott led off the bottom of the fifth with a double and was driven in two batters later by Sam Haufe on an RBI single to make it 10-1. Two batters later, Brady Didrickson would win the game with an RBI single for an Interlake victory, 11-1 in five innings.
The Sumner Holiday Inn Express Game MVP went to Interlake’s Sam Haufe. Haufe went 3-3, had four RBI, scored three times, had two singles, a double, and drew a walk while playing nice defense as well. The Saints pitchers of Devin Wallace and Conner Cooper combined for a no-hitter, and Brady Didrickson had a pair of RBI singles.
Interlake is moving on to the KingCo 3A Quarterfinals, where they will face the three-seeded Bellevue Wolverines on Wednesday at 4:00 PM on ESN. The Saints’ record improves to 5-13 on the season.
Highline’s season comes to an end with a 2-16 record.
Click here to watch the full game replay (Subscription Required).
Game Highlights
Highline’s Jeevan Parail Scores The First Run
Interlake’s Connor Cooper’s Two-RBI Single
Interlake’s Sam Haufe Drills Three-RBI Double
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