5/7/26

#5 Sammamish Redhawks –     0/4/0
#4 Liberty (Renton) Patriots – 4/6/2

(Bellevue, WA) For the second year in a row, Sammamish and Liberty met in the KingCo 3A Baseball Tournament in a loser-out game. Last year, Liberty defeated Sammamish after both teams fell in the Semifinals. This year, the teams split the season series, including Sammamish ending a nine-game losing streak with a win at home. For the third installment of the season series, the ice breaker had a spot in the KingCo Semifinals on the line, with the one-seed and defending league champs, Inglemoor, waiting.

Ozzy Turner led off the game with a single for Sammamish, but two batters later, Liberty’s catcher, Caleb Chin, grabbed a pop fly in foul territory for the second out. Carson McCarry at second base sprinted to cover first base, and Chin threw it to him to get the double play and end the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Matty Bligh was hit by a pitch, and Sam Bell drew a walk. Connor Mayer singled to load up the bases, and Colton Hollerbach delivered the first runs of the game, driving in Bligh and Bell on a two-RBI single to put Liberty in front 2-0. Caleb Chin singled, but Sammamish worked themselves out of the jam. Sammamish was retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the top of the second, while Griffin Ellsworth for Liberty was hit by a pitch and stole a base to get in scoring position in the bottom of the inning. Sam Bell drove him in on an RBI single, and Liberty led 3-0 after two innings of action.

After Cole Thompson singled to lead off the third, Lincoln Castillo got on with a fielder’s choice. Ozzy Turner reached with an error, and there were runners at second and third with two outs, but Liberty’s pitcher, Connor Mayer, forced a groundout to maintain a three-run lead. Colton Hollerbach singled for the second time in the game and was brought home by Carson McCarry on an RBI single as Liberty led 4-0 through three. Both teams only brought three batters to the plate in the fourth and in the fifth, Sammamish’s Grady Bunselmeyer singled, while Lincoln Castillo drew a walk to put runners at first and second with two outs. Mayer would get his sixth strikeout of the game to shut down another Sammamish scoring threat. Sam Bell was hit by a pitch, and Connor Mayer drew a walk as Liberty put runners at second and third, but Josh Perez struck out the next two batters he faced to end the fifth. The sixth inning once again saw a total of six batters as Liberty led 4-0 going into the seventh. With two outs, Cole Thompson singled, and Grady Bunselmeyer got on with an error as the Redhawks looked for an extremely late rally to keep their season going. Connor Mayer recorded his third strikeout of the inning and 10th of the game to end the inning, and the game as Liberty would win 4-0.

The Sumner Holiday Inn Express Game MVP went to Liberty’s Connor Mayer. Mayer was a machine on the mound, tossing 10 strikeouts, allowing just four hits in a complete game, shutout victory. Mayer also singled and drew a walk at the plate to add to his already sensational Quarterfinal performance.

Liberty improves to 15-6 on the season, and the Patriots are riding a six-game winning streak. Liberty faces the one-seed and defending KingCo Champions, Inglemoor, on Saturday at 7:00 PM on ESN.

Sammamish’s season comes to an end with a record of 8-13.

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Game Highlights

Liberty’s Connor Mayer Closes Things Out With His 10th Strikeout Of The Game

Liberty’s Colton Hollerbach With Two-RBI Single

Sammamish’s Barrett Castillo With Long Throw Across The Diamond

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