PREP BASEBALL: Cedarcrest pitcher silences Sehome

The second consolation game, also at 11 a.m., will have Lynden taking on Lakewood. The winner of that loser-out game plays the Sehome-Burlington winner at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for third and fourth places.

Sehome’s offense will have to be more productive on Saturday that it was on Wednesday, but credit Cook for that. The tall, lanky right-hander used a fastball that was impressive in terms of both velocity and movement, alternated with an effective mix of offspeed and breaking pitches. He walked five and struck out only three, but the Mariners’ hitters were constantly swinging late — Cedarcrest second baseman Matt Coltom had seven assists.

“We haven’t seen pitching of that caliber in our league this year,” Sehome coach Gary Hatch said. “And it seemed like their second baseman was playing catch with their first baseman.”

Cook said he usually throws even harder.

“It was hard because I didn’t have my stuff, but I was able to rely on my junk,” Cook said. “Sehome has some great hitters, but my team pulled me through.”

Cedarcrest coach Scott Goldsberry said Cook continues to pitch well in the postseason, as he did a year ago when the Red Wolves reached the state semifinals. Cook struggled with a shoulder injury earlier this season, Goldsberry said, so he’s been brought up to speed gradually.

“He has a bright future,” Goldsberry said.

While Cook was putting a chill on the Sehome bats, the Red Wolves had no such problems. Cedarcrest pounded out 13 hits and while the Mariners defense made play after play,

the Red Wolves had runners on base every inning.

Cedarcrest (17-5) took a lead it wouldn’t relinquish with two runs in the second inning. Craig Chittenden, who had three hits, singled to left field, but the burst appeared to be stopped short when Tommy Edwards chopped into a 6-4-3 double play.

But the ensuing two-out rally proved to be pivotal. Mark Bishop singled, and Jared Klingenberg drew a walk off Sehome starter Dane Siegfried. Coltom singled to right field to score Bishop, and leadoff hitter Jeffrey Coble followed with a single that scored Klingenberg.

Sehome closed the gap with one run in the third. John Albert walked, and Jared Vera hit the first of his two singles. Wes Drilas’ sacrifice bunt moved both runners up, and Derek Handy’s infield hit scored Albert.

That would be all the runs the Mariners could manage in the inning, however. Sehome executed a successful double steal while Ryan Williams, the next hitter, was at the plate, but Cook forced Williams to pop out to Coltom for the second out and got the third when Anthony Pitsch grounded out to Edwards at first base.

Cedarcrest added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Chittenden, who Goldsberry said has hit around .400 this season, drilled a double to right-center, and Edwards singled him home.

The Mariners got two men aboard in the bottom of the seventh when Tim Niebruegge was hit by a pitch and Vera singled with two outs. But Cook struck out Wes Drilias with a kneehigh fastball on the inside corner for the game’s final out.

Edwards, Coltom and Klingenberg each had two hits for the Red Wolves, who will play for the district championship against Archbishop Murphy at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Siegfried had trouble with trouble with the aggressive Cedarcrest lineup, giving up nine hits in three innings. Conor Long came aboard in the fourth and held Cedarcrest to its run in the seventh.

“Long came in and did a great job,” Hatch said. “Cedarcrest can really swing the bat, and they got their hits at the critical time.”