Stanwood baseball team concludes season with district loss

Michael McCune, shown here bunting against Marysville-Pilchuck earlier in the season, batted 3-for-4 in a losing effort to Monroe in the district tournament last week. The 8-7 extra-inning loss to the Bearcats ended the Spartan baseball team’s 2010 campaign with an 8-11 overall record. An 8-7 extra-inning loss to a rallying Monroe team marked the end of the 2010 season for Stanwood’s baseball nine last week.

After battling to a 6-6 deadlock after the regulation seven frames, the Sparts’ Michael McCune’s sacrifice fly brought in the goahead run in the top of the eighth inning.

The Bearcats, however, tallied twice in the bottom half of the eighth to win the loser-out Northwest 4A District contest held at Everett’s Memorial Stadium.

McCune went 3-for-4, including a double, while senior teammate David Gerdes was 3-for-5 for the day to lead the Spartan effort at the plate.

Colby Knutson’s club scored first in the second inning before the Cats countered with three runs in the bottom half.

Monroe tallied once in the next frame and then matched the Spartans’ two runs in the fifth with a pair of their own, making it 6-3 Monroe.

A huge three-run rally in the sixth knotted the game at six runs apiece, thereby setting the stage for extra-inning fireworks.

The locals finished the season with an 8-11 overall record after winning four straight regular-season games to qualify themselves for the post-season.

A narrow 2-1 loss to then-No. 3 ranked Marysville-Pilchuck in the first round set up the loser-out game with Monroe.