By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Highline's Bears don't like to go down without a fight.

They proved it Friday, when they took the Pilchuck Pioneers down to the final pitch in a 4-3 semiprofessional baseball loss.

The Bears had the tying run on third base and the winning run on first with two outs when Drew Lorea lofted a fly ball into the night sky over Mel Olson Stadium at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center that was caught in deep center field.

"They played well all the way through to the last pitch of the game," said Highline head coach Rich Lindros. "These guys know if they get to play the game it's a priviledge. If they put the effort in, the results don't matter. That's what they did tonight and what they've done every night."

The Bears took a 3-0 lead on the Pilchuck team Friday, facing Patrick Stanton, the son of Seattle Mariners CEO John Stanton -- who was in the stands.

Highline opened the scoring with one run in the second as Lorea singled, came around on a wild pitch and a Garrett Terrell grounder, then scored on a base hit by Ben Fitzhugh.

Left fielder Isaiah Terry padded the lead on the Pioneers in the fourth, launching a solo home run to left field.

Terry is from Kent originally and is going to go to Concordia University this fall after two years at Tacoma Community College.

"There's a lot of college presence on this team," Terry said. "It's great. We've got a lot of fan support and we play a lot of games."
Terry and his teammates sign autographs for youngsters after Friday and Saturday games, which cost $5 for adults to attend with children under age 12 admitted free.

"There's nothing better than a Friday or a Saturday night under the lights with the kids looking up at guys who still consider themselves kids," said Bears general manager Justin Moser, a graduate of Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines whose team is playing slightly under .500 ball. "The guys are looking to fulfill their dreams of Division I or Division II college ball or even the Major Leagues."

Also among the attendees Friday we're players from the South Highline National Intermediate Little League baseball all-star team that took second in the state last week.

"The best part is the players are getting involved in the community, going to Little League games," Moser said. "In Burien we were also in the Fourth of July parade."

The Bears ran to one more run in the fifth against Pilchuck as catcher Parker Coffee singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a base hit by Angel Valencia.

Pitcher Brandon Mozzone was cruising along with a three-hit shutout for the Bears until the Pioneers got to him in the seventh.

Ethan Sather walked and Duncan Skerritt followed with a two-run home run to dead center to chase Mozzone from the mound.

"I left my starting pitcher in one pitch too many," said Lindros.

Pilchuck tacked on two more runs before the inning was over to take the 4-3 lead it never relinquished despite the Bears' best efforts.

"It was a very good baseball game," said Lindros, whose team has 7:05 p.m. home games scheduled for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday of this week.