After suffering a heartbreaking 5-4 loss at Cedar Park Christian in the North Sound Conference championship-deciding game Friday, April 26, the South Whidbey High School baseball now needs to rebound as it heads into postseason play.
The Falcons (12-3, 17-3) open the eight-team, double-elimination bi-district tournament against the Northwest Conference’s No. 2-seed Mount Baker (9-11) at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at Bellingham’s Sehome High School.
Cedar Park Christian is in the bracket opposite of South Whidbey and plays the winner of a play-in game between Lynden Christian and the Emerald City League’s No. 2 team.
If the Falcons defeat Mount Baker, they will face the winner of the CPC game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bellingham’s Joe Martin Stadium.
If South Whidbey loses to Mount Baker, it will take on the loser of the Cedar Park Christian game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Sehome.
Cedar Park Christian 5, South Whidbey 4
The Falcons entered last week having to sweep the three-game series with Cedar Park Christian to claim the league title.
South Whidbey won each of the first two games 3-0, setting up Friday’s championship showdown.
The Falcons led 4-0 until the Eagles rallied late.
CPC scored twice in the fifth inning to make it 4-2, then with two outs in the sixth, Jacob Catey hit a game-winning, three-run, pinch-hit home run for the Eagles.
Drew Fry doubled with one out in the seventh, but was eventually stranded at third as the Falcons tried to retake the lead.
South Whidbey scored twice in the second inning when Dexter Jokinen doubled, Nick Black walked and Ethan Petty singled.
The Falcons added two runs in the top of the fifth.
Alex Black walked and scored on Fry’s triple. Then Kody Newman drove in Fry with a sacrifice fly.
CPC had only one hit going into the fifth inning when it scored two runs with two outs on three consecutive singles.
In the sixth, a single, fly out, walk and fielder’s choice preceded Catey’s big blast.
Fry finished with two hits, and Newman, Jon Bartel, Jokinen and Petty had one each.
