Klahowya's first state tournament wins set stage for semifinal appearance
Klahowya's baseball team had never won a state tournament game before Saturday. The Eagles erased that notable zero in a big way.
No. 3 Klahowya is moving onto next week's Class 1A state semifinals next week after knocking off a pair of opponents Saturday at Foss High School in Tacoma. Coach Eddie Beloate's team defeated No. 14 Chelan 5-1 in the first round, then demolished Deer Park 12-3 in the quarterfinal round.
Up next for the Eagles (20-2) is a date with No. 7 Cedar Park Christian of Bothell in the semifinals at Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham on May 26 at 10 a.m.
"We're not done yet," Beloate said. "We've got some business to do next week."
Klahowya never trailed against Chelan, scoring two runs in the first inning to take command. Sophomore pitcher Carson Langguth and junior pitcher Gabe Carpenter combined for a no-hitter. Langguth lasted 6 and 1/3 innings and worked some control issues that led to several walks in the early innings.
Against Deer Park, Klahowya trailed 3-1 before erupting for eight runs in the fourth inning. Sophomore pitcher Aiden Michael picked up the complete-game victory, rebounding after allowing an early two-run homer.
"He started throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters," Beloate said.
Both victories were examples of Klahowya excelling in multiple phases.
"When we're on, it's solid defense, solid hitting, solid pitching," junior Blake Robinson said.
With Klahowya coming into the season winless in eight state tournament appearances, the Eagles can taste that championship.
"We have a couples games to go," Beloate said. "It's going to be fun for the kids. This is the reward for these guys. They worked hard."
Out of the four West Sound baseball teams that competed in state playoff games Saturday, only Klahowya advanced past the first round.
Klahowya turned a 3-2 deficity into a 9-3 lead in the fourth inning against Deer Park. Three runs in the sixth put it away.
In 3A, No. 7 Bainbridge (20-3) fell in its opener 5-1 against No. 10 Liberty of Renton. Liberty scored twice in the third inning to go ahead 2-0, while the Spartans pulled within 2-1 in the fourth inning after Duncan Bos got into scoring position with a triple. Liberty added a run in the fifth and two runs in the seventh to seal the victory.
No. 12 North Kitsap dropped its 2A tournament opener against a familiar foe: No. 5 Lynden. The Lions prevailed 2-1, scoring two runs in the fifth inning when North Kitsap committed a pair of errors. Senior Jaxson Gore had an RBI for the Vikings (14-10). North Kitsap starting pitcher Noah Sorensen left the game after three innings with a sore arm.
The victory for Lynden marked the third time this school year that the Lions have beaten the Vikings in state tournament play in three major sports. Lynden beat North Kitsap in the 2A football title game in December and in the state quarterfinals in boys basketball in March.
In 1B, No. 12 Crosspoint dropped a 4-3 game to No. 5 Naselle in a first-round game at Larson Playfields in Moses Lake. The Warriors (9-8) had runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh inning before Naselle closed out the victory. The two teams met in the championship game in 2022 with Naselle winning 5-3.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Two wins earn Klahowya baseball a place in state 1A semifinals
