With loss, M-P playoff hopes hang by a thread

EDMONDS M-P ace pitcher Brandon Kizer suffered his first loss of the season as Edmonds-Woodway defeated the Tomahawks 6-3 in postseason play May 5.
The teams sparred for two scoreless innings until a spurt on offense had things looking up for Marysville in the third inning.
Tomahawks Mike Gange and Kyle Mallory revved up the M-P offense with base hits to kick off the inning. Designated hitter Ricky Holm had a single of his own on the next at bat, beating an attempted double play by the Warrior defense that nabbed Mallory at second.
Then, with a mighty swing, next batter Kyle Bottins hit found the far side of the right field fence for a three-run homer.
It looked like third baseman Sean Moser might duplicate Bottins success, but Mosers hit flew toward the more distant left-center fence, bouncing into the outfield and notching a double.
The Tommies failed to convert Mosers hit.
Though the Warriors had some hits in the bottom of the third, it looked like Marysville had business well in hand on defense. M-P got a quick out when Warrior Scott Sheldon bunted to advance teammate Tyler Weber. Then, a few batters later, Kizer connected with catcher Bottin to stop Weber in a dramatic play at home plate for the second out.
But with a couple of Warriors on base, E-W second baseman Zach Houvener stepped up to hit an RBI double. He was followed by shortstop Kyle Long whose single batted in Owen Jones and Houvener to even the score at 3-3.
Kizer struck out Warrior Tyler Lang to end the inning.
Then, for several innings, the Tommies struggled to make anything happen at the plate.
We had a streak of three or four innings where we should have been waiting for more pitches but, to his credit, he threw pitches we had to swing at, Holm said later about E-W pitcher Kramer Scott.
It was stuff wed seen all year not JV, but not new, he added.
For a couple of innings, consecutive M-P batters were swinging at their first pitch and getting out.
In the top of the sixth, it looked like outfielder Shane McKinley was going to break the spell. Up to bat with two outs, McKinley battled to a full count. On the next pitch he had a foul. Then a fly ball to mid-right field, which looked bound for a Warrior fielders glove.
The ball landed between three players.
Unfortunately, it was not enough for Marysville, who landed two hits in the last four innings of the game. During the Tomahawks dry spell, Edmonds-Woodway scored three more runs, two of them coming in the fourth inning and the last in the sixth inning.
The loss ended an impressive winning streak. M-P pitcher Kizer assembled a perfect 7-0 record during the regular season, taking the reins after a junior season as a relief pitcher.
Brandon didnt have his best game, but Brandons our ace, said Holm, who trades starting pitching responsibilities with Kizer and Moser. Hes there for me, and Im there for him.
Holm pitched for Marysville in a loser-out game against Mountlake Terrace May 8, which took place after the Globe went to press.

At Edmonds-Woodway High School

M-P 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3
E-W 0 0 3 2 0 1 x 6