After winning the Metro Sound division, the Wildcats suffered an embarrassing 12-0 loss to Bainbridge in the first round of the playoffs.

The team knew they had to bounce back if they wanted to make it to state. They matched up with Ingraham in a loser-out game on May 13.

West Seattle scored four runs in the first inning, and easily won 11-1. Junior Brandon MacKinnon pitched a complete game, giving up only two hits, and an unearned run.

Juniors Stephan Adams and Trevor Martin both hit home runs. The win against the Rams was expected, as it was the third time West Seattle had beat them this year. However, their next test was against Eastside Catholic, who beat the Wildcats 19-7 earlier in the year.

The Crusaders scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take an early lead. However, Westside clawed their way back and took a 6-4 lead after the third inning. The Wildcats couldn’t find any offense the rest of the way, meaning their pitching would have to be dominant
in order to hold on to the lead.

Ryan Wiggins did just that, allowing only two hits, and more importantly no runs in the last four innings of the game. It was the second year in a row that West Seattle knocked the Crusaders out of the playoffs. Last year, the Crusaders were ranked first in the state.

A winner-to-state game came next against Bainbridge. The boys had already lost 17-0 and 12-0 to the Spartans this year so they knew it would be an uphill battle. It was more competitive this time, but Bainbridge was able to win 7-2.

That loss meant the Wildcats would have to play a winner-to-state, loser-out game against third-ranked Liberty.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Wildcats scored two runs. Then Liberty responded with a three-run home run to take a 3-2 lead.

They were able to hold on and win by that score, ending West Seattle’s 2009 season.