Meredith’s Homer Sparks Kiona-Benton

State A baseball

Chris Meredith was Kiona-Benton’s hit man Friday night.

Yes, Meredith did get hit twice by pitches in four plate appearances in Ki-Be’s 5-4 come-from-behind win against Vashon in the State A semifinals at Seafirst Stadium. However, it was the hit that he applied to Vashon that led to the beginning of the end for the Pirates.

With Ki-Be trailing 4-2 in the top of the seventh, Meredith hit a lead-off home run to cut Vashon’s lead to 4-3. That one swing of the bat did wonders for his team’s morale.

“I was looking for a base hit,” Meredith said. “But I got a fastball on the inside half of the plate and I just teed off on it.”

Even though Vashon pitcher Kelly Campbell gave up three walks and hit four batters, he had only surrendered two hits before Meredith’s home run and frustrated Ki-Be for most of the game.

But after Meredith’s homer, Campbell just wasn’t the same. After Meredith, he hit Joey Reid and was immediately replaced by David Delafield.

Delafield responded with a strikeout, but Steve Smith doubled to right field, which sent Reid home with the tying run. Also on the play, Smith advanced to third when Vashon left fielder Derek Shride overthrew the cutoff man.

Then, Junior Guzman executed a suicide squeeze bunt that allowed Smith to cross the plate for the game winner.

The win put Ki-Be in tonight’s championship game at 8 against Lakewood. Lakewood beat Naches Valley 5-2 to advance. Naches Valley and Vashon will play the consolation game at noon.

Last year, Rochester hammered Ki-Be 11-0 in the championship game. The Bears not only want a better showing today, they want to go home with the title.

“There’s no question that that was one of our big goals,” Meredith said. “This is a big game.”

Ki-Be coach Mike Hagen said the first goal of the season was to win league. It was the third-straight division title for the team.

“One of the reasons I’m really proud of these guys is that no one picked them to be here,” Hagen said. “They didn’t listen to that. They just went out and never quit.”

Vashon outhit Ki-Be 9-4 and could have put the game away in the third inning when it sent eight batters to the plate, but scored just twice and left three on to end the inning.

, DataTimes