12-seed Mercer Island downs top-seeded West Seattle to reach 3A state title: 'You just want a W'
PASCO, Wash. — Mercer Island's 3-1 win over West Seattle in Friday's WIAA Class 3A state semifinals wasn't pretty, but it produced the intended result.
"You don’t care what it looks like, you don’t care what you have to do," Mercer Island coach Dominic Woody said. "You just want a W."
The Islanders, who were handed the 12-seed by the WIAA's state seeding committee, play Kennewick for the state title Saturday at 7:15 p.m. at Gesa Stadium.
To get there, they toppled the top-ranked Wildcats with two hits and a complete game start from junior Austin Cupic.
"His location was outstanding," Woody. said. "Total credit to him for getting us through it. Only had to use one arm, got everyone fresh and we’re load to bare for (the title)."
The right-handed junior, who is committed to Portland, struck out eight with six hits, one earned run and three walks allowed. He closed the game out with a strikeout and pop fly out with runners on first and second. It was his third straight complete game start.
Cupic said the development of his slider as his most reliable off-speed pitch allowed him to catch batters swinging and extend his starts with a lower pitch count.
The Islanders (18-6), who bested Bainbridge and Auburn in the regional round, withstood a five inning no-hitter in the They return to the Class 3A title for the first time since winning it all under Woody in 2015.
And they withstood five no-hit innings from junior Gonzaga commit Miles Gosztola, who struck out six with no walks. He surpasses a mark along the way he was all chasing all season: Cy Young Award-winner Blake Snell's 118 strikeouts in 2011 at Shorewood.
They did so by extending at-bats and breaking off foul balls. Gosztola finished the fifth inning with a strikeout just as he hugged up against his 105 pitch count.
West Seattle put up a run in the first inning when sophomore Caden Fahy's triple drove in catcher Jack Helmstetler.
The Islanders couldn't convert until Gosztola's night was done. With runners on first and second in the top of the sixth, senior relief pitcher Maddox Brent struck out Mercer Island catcher Halen Otte, then walked senior Jett Mai to load the bases with one out left.
Brent then hit a batter and walked the next and Mercer Island took a 2-1 lead, which it added to in the top of the seventh when sophomore relief pitcher Matthew Henning hit a batter with the bases loaded.
Wildcats season defined by program turnaround
Sophomore Matthew Henning drives a single to right field in the bottom of the seventh during top-seeded West Seattle's final comeback attempt.
Photo by Andy Buhler
West Seattle (24-3) head coach Dylan McLaughlin took over the program after serving as a JV coach for a year. His first-hand experience witnessing the talent in the program's youth was a driving force.
What he didn't know? That group would change the culture of baseball at West Seattle, which went 5-7 and 6-13 the past two seasons.
"We've changed the program for West Seattle," McLaughlin said of his team, which consists of four seniors and lot of underclassmen. "The community, the families, the team are all together now. You can feel it in the town. You see West Seattle hats everywhere all of a sudden where you didn't see them ever. That's the coolest thing about this whole season. And that's what I'm proud of ... I told them at the end of the day, I love you guys and it hurts, but you've changed this program for the rest of its time ... we'll go down one of the best ever here."
The future is promising, too. The Wildcats have just four seniors.
They still have a chance to end the season on a win against Mt. Spokane (22-6) Saturday at 12:15 p.m. in the third place game.
MERCER ISLAND 000 002 1 — 3 2 0
WEST SEATTLE 100 000 0 — 1 5 1
--Andy Buhler; @AndyBuhler.
