Trojans in First Place, Looking to Hold

Everett, WA - EvCC baseball rattled off three more wins over the Memorial Day weekend to position themselves for a potential spot atop the North Region standings for the second consecutive season and the 4th time in the last 5 complete seasons (2020 canceled due to COVID pandemic).  With four games remaining the Trojans are one game ahead of the Bellevue Bulldogs in the standings.  Bellevue has the advantage in head to head games, so if the Trojans can sweep Skagit Valley this weekend, the North Region Crown will once again belong to EvCC.  

Day one of the series was hosted at Everett Memorial. Trojan ace, and VCU commit Zach Boswell took the mound in game one.  It was a rough first inning for Boswell giving up 4 runs on 4 hits, but after the tough start he settled in showing real composure, allowing no runs and giving up just one hit over the next five innings.  Meanwhile the Trojan offense came alive in the 4th and 5th innings putting up 4 and 2 runs respectively.  Aaron Barber and Jordan Justice each came up with 2 RBI's (Justice's being a home run) and Michael Ball had a 3-4 day scoring 2 runs.  Jordy Luton came in to pitch three solid innings in relief, striking out 5 batters.  

Game two cruised through 6 straight innings without a run being scored.  Edmonds got on the board first with a run in the top of the 7th, but starter Kenji Miller worked himself out of the inning without any more damage.  Then, like an explosing, the Everett offense errupted scoring 9 runs in the bottom of the 7th, enabling them to cruise home to an 11-1 finish in the 8th inning via the 10-run rule.  Aaron Barber and Michael Ball both went 3-4, and Peter Furia came up big with a bases clearing, 3-run double. 

On day two, Edmonds showed grit and avoided the sweep by winning the first game of their final homestand of the season by a score of 4-1.  But the Trojans would respond in game four with a platoon pitching performance from Julian Taudin--Chabot, Carson Speegle, and Preston Moritz each going three complete innings.  Speegle closed out the final 7th, 8th, and 9th, allowing no runs, on just 1 hit, and striking out four.  Aaron Barber remained hot on the weekend going 3-5 with 5 RBI's.  

Over the weekend Aaron Barber hit .444 on 8 hits, driving in 7 runs, no strikeouts, and stealing 2 bases.  Michael Ball also had a solid weekend hitting .412 with 7 hits and scoring 4 runs.