Wesco AAA Baseball Playoffs -- Sehome Pushes Record To 23-0

MARYSVILLE - Kyle Strode picked the right time to throw his first strikeout in last night's Western AAA Conference baseball championship game.

With two runners on base and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the left-handed junior on Sehome High School's second-ranked baseball team faced James Jeske, perhaps the best hitter for fifth-ranked Edmonds-Woodway.

Jeske, a senior third baseman, batted .457 last season with six home runs and a dozen doubles. And Strode, who had listened carefully to the scouting report, knew how lethal Jeske could be at the plate.

Having already thrown two strikes, Strode pitched a high fastball, striking out Jeske and stranding two Warriors on base.

Strode's steady performance, along with a pair of clutch double plays, led the second-ranked Mariners in a 4-1 victory at Marysville-Pilchuck High School and preserved Sehome's unbeaten 23-0 record.

"Strode has pitched great this whole year and comes up big every time,' said Sehome first baseman Adam Kim.

Sehome advances to play the third seed from the South Puget Sound League on Friday at 2 p.m. at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. Edmonds-Woodway will play Cascade, which beat Shorewood 10-0 yesterday, at 1 p.m. at Marsyville-Pilchuck High to determine WesCo AAA's second seed to the regional tournament.

With the help of an error by Edmonds-Woodway, Sehome's Joel Summers batted in the game's first run in the top of the third inning.

Baxter committed Edmonds-Woodway's third error of the game when he tried to catch Sehome junior Jason Osborn leading off second. Baxter's throw sailed wide of the base, Osborn scored and Summers advanced to third.

Fred Havellana batted in the Warriors only run in the bottom of the seventh on a triple to right field.

Strode finished with one walk and two strikes, and the one that got Jeske remained the game's highlight.

"Before the game started, I knew he was a great hitter," said Strode, who has a 1.90 earned-run average.

Sehome won its first league title in 1968, when Coach Gary Hatch was a first baseman and pitcher. The Mariners last enjoyed an undefeated league season when Sehome went 22-0 in 1982 before placing third in the state.