EVERETT Though 07-07-07 was supposed to be the luckiest day in a millennium, it proved anything but to Laces Baseball Academy, who dropped both games of their doubleheader.
Laces baseball coach Tony Churlin blamed weariness as the Laces baseball team gave up a four-run lead, falling 5-4 in game two to the Northwest Timberjacks.
The narrow loss was atypical of the team that had a 25-11 record by the days end.
Despite the loss, a couple of Marysville-Pilchuck baseball standouts stepped up with some good plays for Laces.
Right fielder Ricky Holm, who pitched for M-P during his senior campaign this spring, combined with fellow M-P alum and Laces first baseman Kyle Bottin for a first-inning double play. Laces held the Timberjacks to a three-and-out first inning.
Walked as the Laces leadoff batter, Holm seized the momentum from his outfield play, scoring on a single by Laces second baseman Riley Henricks.
Teammates Evan Churlin and Henricks also scored in the first inning as Laces jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
Bottin led off for Laces in the bottom of the second and, sustaining a hit from Timberjack pitcher Nate Rupp, also turned in a run off a Henricks single.
It was to be Laces last run of the game.
In the fourth inning, another Tomahawk Ryan DiMascio entered the game for Laces. Despite DiMascios assistance on fourth- and fifth-inning double plays, the Timberjacks offense started to find a rhythm.
The Timberjacks followed the fifth-inning DiMascio-Bottin double play with a couple of hits. An error put Timberjack Grant Williams in position to score when his teammate, Erich Armstrong, hit the RBI.
The Timberjacks narrowed the game to a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning as the Laces defensive woes piled up.
Both the second and third Timberjack runs came with two outs.
Laces relieved starting pitcher John Pennington with bases loaded in the sixth. Relief pitcher Evan Churlin threw two strikes against Armstrong. His third pitch, a strike, missed catcher Danny Parras glove and the Timberjacks capitalized on the error for their game-tying run.
Laces was unable to answer the Timberjacks game-winning seventh-inning run, also allowed on an error.
After the game, coach Churlin reflected on the loss.
(We had a) lack of focus today. Some mental errors, but also some physical errors we havent seen at all lately, Churlin said.
Today, I think the physical errors got us, he added. The catcher didnt move out to get the third strike.
But though the losses were out of character for the Laces squad, Churlin said the team has benefited from the addition of the M-P athletes. Both Holm and M-P grad Brandon Kizer are among Laces top pitchers and Bottin has ably filled in at first base in the seasons latter days.
Ryan DiMascio has been a great backup in our infield, he added.
Holm, Kizer and Bottin have committed to playing for Laces head coach Levi Lacey at Everett Community College.

At Cascade High School
NW Timberjacks
0 0 0 0 1 3 1 5
Laces Baseball Academy
3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4