Skyview baseball coach Seth Johnson didn’t spend much time talking to his Storm players about their extra-inning loss Tuesday, a game that ended when Colin Floyd walk-off RBI single capped five unanswered runs by Todd Beamer.
That’s because as quickly as he wanted Skyview to move past it 4A bi-district opening-round loss to the Titans of Federal Way 5-4 in eight innings at Propstra Stadium, he quickly shifted focus to what’s ahead: a quick turnaround, no less, to try to clinch a regional berth for the second time in two days.
The Storm now travel to Kent’s Art Wright to face a Sumner team that ended Battle Ground’s season, 9-2. First pitch is 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“At least we know we’ve done it before,” Johnson said, “and it’s the same group of guys who’ve done it before.”
Johnson is right. This is the exact scenario the Storm (16-4) were in last spring when it lost its bi-district opener to Kentwood, 4-0, only to rally the following day to beat Emerald Ridge, 3-2, to clinch as regional berth on its way to the 4A state semifinals.
Now, the Storm hope their path is a repeat feat from 2017 and will hand the ball to senior ace Daniel Copeland, named the 4A Greater St. Helens MVP this week. Copeland, in fact, threw 18 pitches in relief when the Titans cut Skyview’s once 4-0 lead to 4-3 in the sixth.
That’s when Floyd, Beamer’s clean-up hitter, first did damage when Skyview had a four-run lead entering the inning. His two-run home run was the first hit off Skyview starter Cooper Barnum since the first inning, and it cut Skyview’s lead to 4-2 as part of a three-run inning. Barnum had retired 14 out of 16 batters before Floyd’s shot to left.
“That’s a tough situation when I’m down in the count and I had to battle back,” Barnum said. “He hit it well … they’re a great hitting team.”
Beamer had six of their eight hits over the final three innings. Trystan Plunkett’s RBI hit made it a 4-4 tie, and Floyd’s game-winner in the eighth came with two outs.
Tuesday was another quality start for Barnum, the sophomore, Johnson noted, adding the two earned runs (three total) were the most the first-team all-leaguer’s allowed all season.
The Storm will look to Copeland, who threw one pitch and got lead-off hitter Tommy Davis to pop out to first baseman Michael Lundgren to end the bases-loaded threat.
Copeland, the only Storm player with a multi-hit game (3 for 5), said coming into pitch in a tense situation from right field gave him an extra edge. After getting lead-off hitter Tommy Davis to pop out to Michael Lundgren at first base, he pumped his first into his glove before being greeted by teammates outside the dugout.
“I definitely love it,” he said. “It kicks me into high gear a bit.”
Copeland even called Wednesday’s game a fun situation to be in: their season on the line and hopefully a repeat feat of 2017.
“Ever since I was little,” he said, “I love to compete and I know all these guys love to compete as well. It’s going to be great for us.”
Added Barnum: “We definitely have the potential to do it.”
