The game started well for the Seahawks and starting pitcher Marley Lucas. Lucas’s first pitch was a line drive hit right back to him for an easy out. The second Panther batter hit a towering fly ball to center field that was snagged for out number two. The third Prep batter was caught looking for a called strike three and one, two, three, just like that the Seahawks took care of the side.

The first Sealth batter, catcher Jake Jaramillo, slapped a single and was safe at first. Next up Isac Bauer showed patience at the plate and took four balls but not before Jaramillo stole second. Then #15 Aiden Behar was struck by a wild pitch and the Seahawks had the bases loaded with no outs. Jake Eddy was the next batter, and on the first pitch Eddy hits a floater over first base that lands fair by only two feet and rolls deep into right field clearing the bases with a standup double and Sealth is up 3-0. Prep starting pitcher Max Winkelhake was able to get out of the inning holding the Seahawks to three runs.

In the second inning Seattle Prep started to get things together and loaded the bases with aggressive hitting and base running, but Lucas held fast and got out of the inning without allowing a run.

The bottom of the second found Sealth threatening again with Mike Hafermann in scoring position on second base with two outs and the hit and run in place, but Hafermann is thrown out trying to steal third and that retired the side.

Seattle Prep continued their hit and run philosophy in the top of the third and was able to generate a run. Then with a runner in scoring position on second and with one out, the Panther runner attempted to steal third Sealth catcher Nick Jaramillo made an outstanding throw to third for the out. After a walk by Lucas Prep had runners on first and second with two away when the next batter lined a ball up the third baseline and third baseman Merle Rowan-Kennedy snatched it up and tagged the bag to get out of the inning but not before allowing a run and Seattle Prep was on the board.

Seahawk batters went one, two, three in their half of the third and after three the score was 3-1 Chief Sealth.

The top of the fourth inning proved to be disastrous for Marley Lucas. Seattle Prep batters began to figure out his pitching and by the time Lucas left the mound the Panthers scored four runs to take the lead 5-3. In the bottom of the fourth Sealth couldn’t get things going and at the end of four the score was still 5-3 Seattle Prep.

Coach Policarpio went for a pitching change in the fifth and sent Jake Eddy to the mound but Eddy quickly got into trouble with a bases loaded situation and an obvious hit and run on by Prep, Jake had a lapse in concentration and walked in a run to give Prep a 6-3 lead.

Chief Sealth’s bats started to come alive in the bottom of the fifth when, with bases loaded, #15 Aiden Behar laced a line drive just out of reach of Preps third baseman to drive in a run and the tying runs were stationed on second and third. The inning ended that way with runners stranded but Sealth closed the gap to 6-4.

Jake eddy got through the top of the sixth allowing only two hits leaving a Prep runner stranded on second and the Seahawks were still in business only down by two runs.

Sealth threatened in the bottom of the sixth when Merle Rowen- Kennedy crushed a double to lead off the inning putting the tying run at the plate. Next batter Marley Lucas gets hit by a wild pitch and Sealth has runners on first and second. Coach Policarpio wanted faster base running on second. He pulls Rowen-Kennedy and replaces him with the speedier Forrest Beck. Next batter up Shane Wexler lays down a text book sacrifice bunt and the runners advance. With two base runners in scoring position and one out, Sealth is poised to take back the lead with the go ahead run at the plate but Sealth can’t pull the trigger and strands the base runners. After six the score remains 6-4 Seattle Prep.
The top of the seventh became a pitching disaster for Sealth and Jake Eddy. After allowing five runs to score including one off of a bases loaded walk, Eddy was replaced by Isac Bauer. Unfortunately for Bauer the Seattle Prep batters took a page out of famous Yankee manager Yogi Barra’s handbook and “Hit ‘em where they ain’t”, dropping balls in every gap on the field. By the time Bauer left the mound the Panthers had extended their lead to 17-4. Normally the “Mercy” rule would come into play but because Sealth still had their half of the inning at bat the game continued.

Maybe because watching their opponent score eleven runs in one half inning was too much for them, the Sealth batters had nothing left to offer. They went down one, two, three and the game was- perhaps fortunately- over.

Three different Seahawk pitchers took the mound in a fruitless effort that led to a 17-4 thumping. The Seahawks played well but the Panther offense in the top of the seventh inning could not be ignored.

Sealth will have an opportunity to bounce back from this game when they host Lakeside on Monday April 8th at the SWAC. Game time is scheduled for 4pm.