21-13 is a score you would expect under Friday night lights.
It came, however, Tuesday, April 24, under drizzly Oak Harbor skies when first-place Meadowdale defeated the Wildcat baseball team.
Making the score even more ironic, the two teams played a 1-0 game last Friday at Mountlake Terrace High School that Meadowdale also won.
The two losses put a dent in Oak Harbor’s playoff hopes. The Wildcats currently sit seventh; six teams qualify for district. The top four spots have been clinched with four teams (Shorewood, Everett, Lynnwood and Oak Harbor) scrambling to secure the final two.
The Wildcats (5-9, 7-10) have a bye Wednesday and Friday, and then finish with third-place Glacier Peak (8-4, 10-6), there Monday, April 30, and home Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Shorewood (6-6, 10-6) and Lynnwood (4-8, 5-11) play each other, then Shorewood faces Meadowdale (10-2, 10-5) and Lynnwood takes on Mountlake Terrace (8-4, 8-7).
Everett finishes with Meadowdale and Shorecrest (9-3, 12-4).
District starts Saturday, May 5.
In Oak Harbor’s 21-13 loss Tuesday, Meadowdale rolled to an 11-0 lead before the ‘Cats jumped back into the game with an eight-run third. The Mavs quickly took back control by scoring five in the fourth to go up 16-8.
Here’s a look at the numbers: 34 runs, 59 base runners, 35 hits, 13 half innings with at least two base runners, 12 walks, nine pitchers, seven errors and one three-up-three-down half inning (the Oak Harbor first).
Meadowdale started the mess in the second when it scored seven runs on only one hard-hit (very hard hit) ball. The Mavs mixed four walks, a bunt single, a bloop hit and a grand slam for the seven-spot.
An inning later they added four more runs on four hits, a walk and two Wildcat errors.
Just when it appeared Oak Harbor was dead, it pushed across eight runs in the third.
Anthony Stewart got on on an error, Nate Stanford was hit by a pitch and Zach Zimmer walked to load the bases. Jack Richter’s infield single scored one run and Sam Glavick’s ground out scored another.
Austyn Walker walked to reload the bases. Andrew Snavely singled in one run, and David Kusnick forced in another when he was hit by a pitch. Cory Cameron’s single scored a run, Stewart’s fielder’s choice, which included a throwing error, scored two and Stanford singled in the final run.
The Mavs got five back in the fourth on five hits and a hit batter.
Richter and Walker singled in the fourth and scored on Kusnick’s two-run hit to make it 16-10.
Mike Maletto and Richter singled in the fifth, and Maletto scored on a throwing error.
Meadowdale added two in the sixth on an error and two hits.
Oak Harbor matched the two in its half. Kusnick and Cameron singled and Stewart walked. Stanford’s infield hit scored one and Maletto’s ground out the second.
The Mavs finished the score fest in the seventh with three runs on four hits and a walk.
Richter was 3-for-5, Stanford 2-for-3 with two RBI, Walker 2-for-4 with a double, Kusnick 2-for-3 with three RBI, Cameron 2-for-4 and Snavely 2-for-5.
Friday’s 1-0 game featured just six hits and 12 base runners.
Grant Schroeder pitched for Oak Harbor and yielded just five hits and no walks while striking out five. The Wildcats had only one hit, a single by Cameron, received five walks and left seven men on base.
The lone run was scored in the fourth on a double, ground out and balk.
Oak Harbor coach Tyson VanDam said three mistakes crippled the ‘Cats. Along with the balk, Oak Harbor had a runner thrown out at third while trying to advance on a ball hit to the shortstop and another picked off. Both base-running gaffes came with the heart of the order coming to bat.