PASCO — The Skyview Storm came up with a little saying back in the beginning of the season.
“Let’s play a bunch of games in May.”
The Storm only have one more to play, but it is the ultimate for a high school baseball team.
Ian Hamilton was superb on the mound Friday, Skyview was a two-out hitting machine, and the Storm ended up whipping Kentridge 10-0 in the Class 4A state semifinals.
Skyview will face South Kitsap at 7 p.m. Saturday at Gesa Stadium — with the state championship on the line.
“We’re going to try to carry this over until (Saturday), except with more energy,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton struck out 10, giving up two hits against the Chargers.
The Storm got a run in the first, second, and fourth innings, then scored seven runs with two outs in the fifth inning to end the game on the 10-run rule.
Brian Valentine went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs — the first and last runs of the game.
Innings just don’t end quietly when Skyview is at the plate. The Storm scored nine of their runs with two outs.
James Brooks has the never-say-die attitude, too. Brooks suffered a serious ankle injury in Monday’s practice and did not practice the rest of the week. He was not in the original starting lineup for coach Eric Estes.
“He told me I wasn’t going to start, and it kind of (ticked) me off a little bit,” Brooks said.
So he showed the coaching staff he could manage the pain, play the game, during pre-game drills. Estes changed his lineup at the last minute.
Brooks then went 2 for 2 and drove in two runs.
“It’s state, man,” Brooks said.
State baseball and Skyview have not had much of a history together. Until this season, the Skyview baseball program was 0-1 in state playoff games.
“Awesome. Awesome. This is like the ’06 football team,” said Valentine, referring to a team that went to the quarterfinals and started a strong winning tradition for that program. “They were the trendsetters. I hope we are the trendsetters for Skyview baseball. We’re trying to set the bar high.”
One more win, and the Storm will set it as high as it can go.
This was the second time Skyview has topped Kentridge this postseason. The Storm got a win over the Chargers in the bi-district tournament, as well.
“We had a lot of confidence,” Brooks said. “We knew the way we were playing, we could take them.”
Hamilton had a 1-2-3 top of the first, striking out all three batters.
“It definitely set the pace for the rest of the game,” Hamilton said. “I had a bunch of confidence, going straight after them.”
Valentine got the offense started in the bottom of the first with a single to score Curtis Perrin, who had drawn a walk.
Brooks smashed a double in the second, scoring Avery Schmidt from first base.
Skyview got an unearned run in the fourth for the 3-0 lead, and then sent 11 to the plate to end it in the fifth.
Schmidt, Brooks, Hamilton, Perrin, Brayden Maney, and Valentine all drove in runs with hits.
The Storm rushed the field like it was any other walk-off win. Sure, it was 10-0 so not exactly an edge-of-your-seat game. But the stakes were as high as Skyview baseball has ever played.
Until the next game in May — the last game of the high school baseball season.
SKYVIEW 10, KENTRIDGE 0
Kentridge 000 00–0 2 4
Skyview 110 17–10 10 0
Kentridge
Pitchers — Jeremy Rabauliman 42/3 IP, loss; Ken Williams 0+ IP; Daneil Torlai 0+ IP. Highlights — Zach Beatty 1-2; Travis McGuire 1-2.
Skyview
Pitcher — Ian Hamilton 5 IP, win, 10 Ks. Highlights — Hamilton 2-4, 2B, RBI; Curtis Perrin 1-3, RBI; Brayden Maney 1-2, RBI; Brian Valentine 3-4, 2 RBI; Avery Schmidt 1-1, RBI; James Brooks 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI.
