BELLEVUE — Wilder split a pair of games with Lakeside for the second time this year, putting themselves in good position to win the Washington Area 1 AAA American Legion league championship.
Wilder hasn’t won the league title yet, but has two league losses (8-2) to Lakeside’s three (11-3). If Wilder can win out, they will clinch the Area 1 AAA championship.
Wilder and Lakeside have split four games this season. Wilder’s only two losses all season have been to Lakeside, both with Lakeside’s Brody Liddle starting the game. Lakeside has lost twice to Wilder and picked up another league loss to Bellingham Post 7.
In Game 1, Liddle, who pitches at 4A Issaquah High School, and Wilder’s Brody Merritt had an epic pitchers’ duel. Liddle pitched the entire game, giving up seven hits, three earned runs and striking out six while walking one.
Merritt also went the distance, going six innings, giving up two earned runs on eight hits. He struck out one and walked three. The difference in the game was two unearned runs as Wilder made two costly errors in the game. Lakeside was able to score the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a passed ball. In the top of the seventh, Liddle struck out two batters while mowing down the side in order to preserve the win.
Milo Whitman went 2 for 2 at the plate with a run scored, an RBI and a walk, while Joel Wood hit a double and scored a run.
Ethan Flodstrom had a hit and an RBI and Wyatt Hall had a hit and an RBI. Gavin Guerrero had a hit and a run scored.
In the second game, Wilder got up 7-0 and then had to hold off a furious Lakeside rally in the bottom of the sixth inning.
After making Wilder sweat with its sixth-inning outburst, Lakeside kept coming in the bottom of the seventh inning as Wilder hung on tight. Lakeside got a hit and pitcher Flodstrom walked two batters to load the bases.
With the tying run at second base and the winning run at first, Flodstrom was able to get a fly ball out to end the threat and the game.
Hayden Woods started the game, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up two earned runs, while walking none and striking out four. Jadon Seibel pitched 2/3rds of an inning, giving up a hit and no runs. Flodstrom pitched the final inning, giving up one hit and two walks while striking out one.
Guerrero remained red-hot for Wilder, going 3 for 4 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Over his past four games, Guerrero is 12 for 17 for a .706 batting average.
Flodstrom was 2 for 3 with a double, a run scored, an RBI and a walk. Tyler Bowen was 2 for 4 with a run scored, while Whitman had a hit, a run scored and an RBI.
Wilder (11-2, 8-2) now gets ready to play in the Firecracker Tournament beginning Thursday at Civic Field.
Lakeside 4, Wilder 3
Wilder 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 — 3 7 2
Lake. 0 1 1 1 0 1 x — 4 8 0
LP: Merritt
Pitching
Wilder — Merritt 6IP, 8H, 2ER, K, 3BB.
Hitting
Wilder — Whitman 2-2, R, RBI, BB, SB; Wood 1-4, 2B, R; Guerrero 1-3, R, SB; Hall 1-3, RBI; Adams 1-3; Flodstrom 1-2, RBI, SF, SB.
Wilder 7, Lakeside 5
Wilder 2 0 2 2 1 0 0 — 7 8 2
Lake. 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 — 5 12 2
WP: Woods
Pitching
Wilder — Woods 5.1IP, 10H, 2ER, 4K, 0BB; Seibel 0.2IP, H, 0ER; Flodstrom 1IP, H, K, 2BB.
Hitting
Wilder — Guerrero 3-4, 2R, RBI, SB; Bowen 2-4, R, 2SB; Flodstrom 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB; Whitman 1-3, R, RBI; Wood 0-2, R, 2BB, SB.
