Skyview stumbles in bi-district baseball opener

It wasn’t the Skyview baseball team’s day Tuesday.

Fortunately for the Storm, they had enough good days this season so that Tuesday wasn’t their last.

Skyview lost to Kentwood 4-0 in the opening round of the bi-district tournament at Propstra Stadium.

But as the No. 1 seed out of the 4A Greater St. Helens League, Skyview (13-6) has a second chance.

The Storm can reach the regional round of the state playoffs by winning a loser-out game against Emerald Ridge on Wednesday in Kent.

“We put ourselves in a situation where we have two games to win one,” Skyview coach Seth Johnson said. “That is the best part about being successful in league. We just have to forget about what happened in this game.”

Skyview had just two base hits and five total baserunners Tuesday. That was despite an aggressive approach that saw a lot of balls put into play.

Those balls just happened to be hit right at Kentwood fielders. Dyson Johnson needed 89 pitches to pitch a complete game, striking out four and walking two.

Johnson retired the last 14 batters he faced.

“Their balls landed; ours didn’t,” Skyview infielder Tanner Jacques said. “We jumped on his fastball, but hit it right at them.”

Kentwood (15-5) advanced to the bi-district semifinals and clinched a state berth in the process.

The Kent school used small-ball to do it. Of the Conquerors’ nine hits, eight were singles. Bunts were laid down; bases were stolen.

Kentwood’s leadoff hitter reached base in the third, fourth and fifth innings. All three innings, that runner came around to score.

“Once you get to playoff baseball, every run is important,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to manufacture those runs, so we’re going to see more of those kinds of things.”

Kentwood added a fourth run in the sixth inning on a two-out single, followed by a double.

Meanwhile, Skyview did not have a baserunner after Brody Barnum’s one-out double in the third inning.

“Early on we had a really good approach,” Johnson said. “We were aggressive and hit a lot of balls hard. It didn’t fall our way today. But the best thing about baseball is that you always have another day.”

Barnum pitched all seven innings, striking out seven and walking one.

Senior Nick Jennings said Skyview will take the approach onto the road Wednesday.

“We just need to come back and be the team that we can be,” he said.

KENTWOOD 4, SKYVIEW 0

Kentwood 001 111 0–4 9 2

Skyview 000 000 0–0 2 3

Kentwood

Pitching — Dyson Johnson 7 IP, 4 K, 2 BB; Highlights — Tre-Sean Steele 1-3, RBI, 2B; Shane McGuire 2-4, R; Alex Yu 1-4, RBI; Cole Trotignon 1-4, RBI; Cade Harris 1-3, R; Dyson Johnson 1-3; Nick Roes 1-3; Tyler Tan 1-2, 2 R, RBI.

Skyview

Pitching — Brody Barnum 7 IP, 7 K, 1 BB; Highlights — Brody Barnum 1-2, Carter Hill 1-2.