Skyline baseball defeats Eastlake in extra innings 

In a close baseball game Monday, April 3, the Skyline Spartans eked out a win against the Eastlake Wolves, ending with a score of 5-4 in extra innings.

After two scoreless innings to warm up, the bats came alive in the bottom of the third, when Eastlake’s Blake Borup connected for a single, triggering a much-needed rally for Eastlake. Tyler Griffin came up to bat next, and Levi Joyce followed with another single. Bryce Johnson hit a double near the end of the inning, allowing runners Grady Woodward and Dominic Miller to cross home plate. As the inning ended, the Wolves added four runs in quick succession, as Griffin, Woodward, Miller, and Joyce all crossed home plate to take a 4-0 early lead. 

The third inning Eastlake rally clearly motivated the Spartans as they answered with a rally of their own. Jaxon Menold hit a single, followed by singles from Aiden Gerth, Hamilton Strain and Brenden Ryan. Menold, Gerth, Strain, and Ryan Tobler scored runs. With no hits for the Wolves and an amazing comeback from the Spartans, the game was tied 4-4.

The bats remained quiet until Eastlake came close to breaking the tie with a single hit and a runner on base in the seventh inning. Ultimately, the runner was left stranded, maintaining the 4-4 score, sending the game into extra innings.

After a long struggle and pressure mounting, Strain hit a triple for the Spartans, breaking the tie and delivering in the bottom of the eighth. With a much-needed hit from his teammate, Strain crossed the plate to a cheering Skyline squad and a 5-4 victory against their cross-town rivals..

The Wolves defeated Mt. Si, 3-0, on Wednesday, April 5. Eastlake won against Newport, 4-0, on Friday, April 7.

Skyline defeated Newport, 4-3, on Wednesday, April 5.  The Spartans lost to Mt. Si, 5-2, on Friday, April 7.