Story Photos
 Photo by Bill Wagner Bellevue shortstop Kyle Montgomery starts the celebration after his throw to first completed a double play to seal the Bulldogs' 3-0 win over Skagit Valley in Monday's title game. |
Dogs have their day: Bellevue's Lee shuts down Skagit Valley in title game
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 7:51 AM PDT
By Ben Zimmerman
Printable version
E-mail this articleA prophetic colleague had a message for Bellevue coach Mark Yoshino before the NWAACC Baseball Championships began.
"Gabe Sandy, the Mt. Hood coach, told me we were gonna win it," Yoshino said. "He told me it was my year."
Sure, the Bulldogs were on a roll coming into David Story Field last week, flaunting an impressive record, bottomless pitching depth and the No. 1 ranking in the coaches poll. Yoshino was in a groove himself. He was married in December, and he and his wife, Lisa, are expecting their first child in November.
But something else convinced Sandy that Yoshino was a lock for his first title in nine seasons as the Bulldogs' skipper.
"We had to re-locate our wedding," Yoshino said. "Twenty-four hours before we were supposed to get married, we had no power. We had to re-locate all the stuff from Leavenworth to Seattle."
So Sandy reckoned that Yoshino had one more break coming his way.
"He was right," Yoshino said.
Bellevue sophomore Mike Lee stuffed Skagit Valley for seven shutout innings, and a solo home run by tournament Most Valuable Player Kyle Decater was all the offense the Bulldogs would need as they won 3-0 on Monday and clinched the school's first baseball championship since 1979.
"You beat someone four out of five, and you always wonder if your turn to lose is going to come up," he said.
Watching Skagit Valley complete a stunning, come-from-behind win over Green River in Monday's early game added to Yoshino's consternation. The Cardinals trailed 8-2 after two innings before scoring 10 unanswered runs to claim a 12-8 victory. A two-run homer by Eddie Sobczak made it 9-8 Skagit in the eighth-inning and was part of a six-run rally.
Yoshino and his team watched the uprising from the left-field bleachers.
"I was concerned that their charge came late," he said. "Whoever won, I had hoped that the winner would get an early lead. I was worried that they might carry that energy into the second game."
Bellevue players were less affected by the Skagit surge. Lee was plotting his game plan for the potent Green River offense, but calmly turned his thoughts to a more familiar line-up as the tide turned Skagit red.
Decater was disappointed. He was hoping to avenge Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Gators.
Bulldogs catcher Connor Rankin didn't mind seeing Skagit a sixth time, because Bellevue "had beat 'em four already," he said.
And despite the gaudy display by Skagit's offense that was unfolding in front of them, the 'Dogs knew they held a devilish trump card.
"We had our aces ready to go," said Decater.
Reid, a bullet-throwing freshman right-hander from Decatur High School in Federal Way, was the No. 1 starter for Bellevue all season, but Lee got the start because it was his turn in the rotation.
Not that there's much difference in quality.
"It's nice having two No. 1's," said Yoshino, who had five pitchers "fresh and ready to go" on Monday.
Lee took the mound and seized the game by the throat. Wielding superb command of his fastball, change-up and curveball, according to Rankin, Lee surrendered only one hit over the first four innings and did not allow a Cardinals baserunner past second base until the sixth.
That happened to be the only inning that Lee failed to retired the leadoff batter. It also featured Lee's most impressive sequence of clutch pitching in a tourney defined by the brilliance of the Bellevue staff.
Skagit's Kyle Boe reached on an error to start the sixth. Lee, who said "fastball right down the zone" was his most reliable weapon on Monday, struck out the dangerous Sobczak on three straight curveballs.
Boe stole second and took third on Brad Tracy's single to center. With a 2-0 lead to protect, Lee got a visit from Yoshino before facing Cardinal Zach Jacob.
"We just pitched it backwards," said Rankin.
That's baseball lingo for soft stuff first, cheese second. Lee spun a pair of curveballs by Jacob for a 1-2 lead in the count, then froze him for a strikeout looking on a chest-high heater. Trent Henderson fouled out to first, and Skagit's best threat of the day was nullified.
"Mike's best performance of the year," Decater said. "Pretty normal for Reid."
Reid desperately wanted to start the championship game, Yoshino said, but had to settle for being on the mound for the final six outs. Lee stranded a runner at first in the seventh, striking out pinch-hitter Ben Harty for out No. 3, and Reid entered in the eighth. He booked the side 1-2-3, and whiffed Jacob for the first out of the ninth.
Henderson walked, bringing Humphrey to the plate.
Humphrey tapped Reid's first pitch to second baseman Shane Hoey, and the Bulldogs twisted a 4-6-3 double play to end it.
"Our pitching and our defense were our biggest improvements this season," said Yoshino, who received a water-cooler dousing and a long smooch from Lisa while his players dogpiled on the turf.
Decater's homer came with one out in the top of the third off of Skagit starter Brent Botkin. Gana singled to score Kyle Montgomery in the fourth and plated T.J. Brown (2-for-4) with a base hit in the eighth.
Decater, who batted .474 in the tournament, called Yoshino "a great coach, the best I've ever had."
"I'm glad we got him his first (title), and I hope we can get one for him next year," he added.
Maybe next year will be Yoshino's year, too.
NWAACC Baseball Championships
At David Story Field
Sunday's games
Semifinal
Skagit Valley 12, Green River 10
Championship
Bellevue 3, Skagit Valley 0
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