By Ed Shepherd
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

One bad inning.

The Highline Pirates, who played well, leading, 3-1, going into the sixth inning against Sammamish in its opening West Central District 2A district playoff game, fell apart.

Fielding errors from the Totems' switch to small ball late in the game hurt in a 5-4 loss, sending the Pirates into a loser-out game next at Russell Road Park in Kent Saturday.

The Pirates, after the Totems' loss, would, later that day, go on to face the White River Hornets, getting stung, 10-0, ending the Burien high school team's baseball season. The Pirates finished 9-7 for the season, having a nice year of winning the Seamount League in 2A.

But, what happened in the first game to the Pirates, against the Totems, effected what happened in the second game, and Pirates' coach, Casey Rice, summarily, stated that fact.

"We shot ourselves in the foot in the first game (Totems), gave them some runs," said Rice. "We were still beat up mentally from the first game when we played the second game."

Against the Totems, in that first game, the Pirates came out strong, getting on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. They showed themselves fired up and ready to play this postseason quality competition, including the Totems, who, incidentally, the Pirates beat, 5-4, in a non-league game this past regular season.

So, after Pirates' starting pitcher, Viktor Brose, mowed down the Totems' side in the top of the first inning, the Pirates' Danny Perkins led off his team's first inning at-bats with a double. And, next up, Jordan Welcome, collected an RBI single, so, just like that it was 1-0 Pirates.

The Totems, though, showed toughness, as, they came back for a run in the top of the second on a single, a hit batter, and an RBI single, so it was 1-1. Then, still, in the first, the Totems looked poised to do some real damage, as Brose walked the next two batters to load the bases. But, then, facing the Totems No. 1 and No. 2 batters in the lineup, Brose struck them out back-to-back, clutching up and ending that threat.

In the bottom of two for the Pirates, more offensive prowess shown, as, Jacob Hines drew a walk and Tony Brookbank singled. After those two runners went to second and third on a wild pitch, Perkins' 2-RBI single made it 3-0 Pirates.
"That was a great game," said Brose, a Pirates' senior captain along with Perkins, with wetness on his face, tears, almost, showing, after the Pirates had just lost its second game of districts, to the Hornets, eliminating the team's postseason.

So, it was a great game, so far, against the Totems, for the Pirates, up three runs, to this point. And it stayed great, as Brose retired the next 11 Totems' batters in a row. He struck out two in that time while his defense, behind him, did the rest. Shortstop Perkins and second baseman Jacob Hines, another senior, corralled any ball hit their way, either catching it, or, gloving it, and, tossing it over to Ryan Moormeier, on first base, for outs.

It wasn't until the Totems' top of the sixth inning that everything went horribly wrong for the Pirates. After Brose induced the first batter into a Hines to Moormeier ground out, the game misfired.

And, give Totems' coaching credit for causing the pain, as their team couldn't get anything going against Pirates' pitcher, Brose, in the third, fourth, fifth innings -- all outs -- so the Totems' coaching staff adjusted, turning to manufacturing runs with bunts, called "small ball."

In the Totems' sixth inning, Nathan Aebi singled for them. Then, a bunt single by Noah Shaw was placed nicely for a hit, and, then, he went to second on a pick-off throw getting by first base. So, runners were at second and third base. The next batter, Gunner Styer, hit a 2-RBI double and it was a new ballgame, tied, 3-3.

Then, a bunt by the next batter was a good chance for an out but the fielder threw it by first base, and Styer scored, having the Totems take a lead, 4-3.

The Pirates' showed heart getting a run back, as Matt Horejsi led off the bottom of the sixth, making contact and on a third baseman fielding error was on first. Then Tyler TerLouw helped out matters with a a single and the Pirates', all said and done, were right back in it, tied up, 4-4, going into the seventh inning.

And, in the seventh, the Totems, unfortunately, scored the game-winning run, on a couple singles.

The second game, against the Hornets, was close for three innings, as, Perkins pitched strong, only allowing a couple runs, but it was the offense that didn't do it's part. No doubt a couple, three runs, in that time scored by his teammates could have put the pressure on the Hornets, of White River, near Enumclaw.

"We came out flat," said Rice.

So, that mentally draining, tough, last-inning, loss, to the Totems, just as Rice said, in so many words, was flattening, an, affected the Pirates' ability to come out strong, too, against the Hornets, put the pressure on the foe, as, the Pirates had nicely done against the Totems.

The opportunity to grab momentum was there, even, early, not much scoring, by the Pirates or Hornets, a run for the Hornets in the first and third innings, gave them a small, 2-0, lead, in a game that clipped through the first three inning at a quick 35 minutes, as Danny Perkins threw solid enough for the Pirates and Gus France threw well for the Hornets.

And, quickly, to recount those two runs, early, by the Hornets, it was a home run in the first frame. Then, in the third, Perkins induced a batter to hit the ball to center field. It was hit deep, a few feet from the wall, but, playable. The center fielder, backpedaled, calmly, and, put out the glove to make a one-handed catch. And, the ball went into his mitt, and, popped out. That pop-fly, fielding, error was followed by a single, as, the ball bounced, choppily, between third base and shortstop that was bobbled, too. But, even, if the ball was handled cleanly on that play, the runner still, probably, , gets to first base. So, regardless, that scenario meant the Hornets were with two runners on base, first and third. And, when the runner on first went to steal second, the Pirates had a good play opportunity to get the out, but, a mistake. The Pirates made it look like their second baseman would be on the bag to catch ball and apply the tag on the runner stealing second base. But, instead, the ball would not go to second, cut off, instead, by shortstop, who would throw home to get the third base runner, thinking he could get home. It was, almost, a successful play by the Pirates but that runner on third got a good jump, for heading home, on Pirates' catcher, Whitman, throwing toward second base.

So, from there, that 2-0 lead became more and more, starting with the Hornets' top of four. That inning started with a nice catch by Pirates' left fielder, TerLouw. But, then, that defense was followed by a walk, a single, a hit batter and a 2-RBI single, so, 4-0, Hornets. And, one more run in that inning on a wild pitch, getting to the backstop, so, 5-0, after four completed, and, the game stayed that way until the top of the seventh, with five more for the Hornets.
So, a chance, early on, to stay close, as, the Hornets weren't that far away, only up a couple runs through three, but, nothing doing.

"Couldn't hit," said Brose. "The game could have been a lot different."

Could have. Perkins pitched strong, as, Whitman was catching for him and said he was solid.

"Danny hit his spots well," said Whitman, who is a freshman, but, was strong behind the plate, not letting many balls go by him, and, framing pitches well, too, for his pitchers.

"He has a nice curve ball, can throw a middle-out pitch for a strike, and, can put it in the dirt (curve ball)," said Whitman, speaking of catching for Perkins in the Hornets' loss. And, the same words could be said of Brose, another solid pitcher with a good repertoire of pitches thrown this season, including against the Totems.

But, like Rice said, the mentality was looking like it was, still, reliving the loss to the Totems' in that first game, as, is understandable. That said, the Pirates had some nice plays in the game versus the Hornets, including two double plays. Freshman catcher, Jacob Whitman made a nice catch of a bunt fail attempt, ball popped up in front of him, a bit, and, Whitman, hustling forward, throwing off the mask, making the catch, throwing to first for that double play. And, Perkins, at shortstop, made a nice catch of a line drive, and, threw to Finn Fosberg, playing second base, for that DP.

So, some good things, along with the bad, for the Pirates in both these games, as, hopefully, they learn to shut out the bad of a first-game loss in the future. Because with underclassman like TerLouw, and, Whitman, and, good coaching with Rice, Dave Larson, and, pitching coach, Luke Hagler, this team will, yes, miss, their strong senior hurlers, Perkins and Brose, and, Hines can pitch,too.

But, there's good promise for this Pirates' team, and, opportunity, in the younger players to step in for their departing leaders. These young bucs need to start now, not later, too, in preparing themselves for next season, strengthening themselves, working on toughening their mentalities.

And, kind of, on that note, coach Rice spoke to his team after the game and the just aforementioned words he alluded too, with wanting them to get some summer playing time in, too. He said things that these players need to do "right now," even though, the season is over now. Maybe, that's get together for a summer league team, or, just do things, individually, as they can.

"Lots of positives," said Rice, in closing words to the players, as, they sat on the Russell Road Park grass, looking dejected, tired, after their season was through. "Lots to work on, right now."