Northwest 4A Baseball: Jackson's big bats answer loudly

EVERETT — An hour before the first pitch of the Northwest 4A District championship game, Jackson baseball coach Alan Briggs jokingly worried about how his team might respond if it actually gave up a run.

In their first two postseason games, the Timberwolves had allowed two hits and no runs. On Saturday, Mountlake Terrace ended the scoreless streak, but Jackson responded with authority.

Trailing 2-0, the top-ranked Timberwolves from Mill Creek answered with a 10-run fifth inning in an 11-2 win at Everett Memorial Stadium.

"Thank goodness we responded well," said Briggs. "It took us longer than we hoped to get some runs. ... They put pressure on us and our guys responded."

Jackson (23-0), ranked No. 2 in the nation by Baseball America, plays Lake Washington (17-5) of Kirkland at 1 p.m. Saturday at Everett Memorial Stadium in a state-playoff opener. Jackson beat Lake Washington 3-1 in the season opener on March 14.

Mountlake Terrace (12-11) also advances and will play Auburn at 11 a.m. Saturday at Kent Memorial Park.

Andrew Knudsen's two-run single put Terrace ahead in the fifth. Knudsen was the losing pitcher, but was brilliant for four innings, holding Jackson to one hit and no runs.

In the big Jackson fifth, Jon Wahl started the scoring with a two-run homer, and also had a two-run single in the inning. Joey Lind added a two-run double and Joey Petosa had a three-run triple.

Arizona State-bound slugger Travis Snider, who has 10 home runs this year, had a surprise bunt single in the inning, taking advantage of a shift that left one infielder on the left side.

Cam Nobles (8-0), who pitched a no-hitter a week earlier, went six innings for the victory.

Other game

Snohomish 9, Cascade 5 (winner to state, loser out)

A five-run inning and a strong relief performance by senior left-hander Dylan Wood powered Snohomish to state. Wood entered the game with two outs in the first and went the rest of the way. Snohomish (18-5) will play Hudson's Bay of Vancouver at 11 a.m. Saturday at Heidelberg Park in Tacoma. Cascade, fourth at state last year, finished 18-5.