The Reporter

The dream season continued for the Kentlake High baseball team on Friday night.

Trailing defending champion Richland 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Falcons plated a pair of runs to beat the Bombers, 5-4, in a Class 4A state semifinal game at Safeco Field.

With the win, the Falcons (21-4) advance to tonight’s championship game, slated for 7 p.m., against Snohomish (22-5). Snohomish upended Olympia, 3-2, in the day’s other Class 4A state semifinal.

Kentlake designated hitter Miles Nagel tied the game, 3-3, with one out in the seventh with a sharp single to center field, scoring Ryan Gallagher.

Two batters later, Kentlake’s Lewis Larson delivered the game-winner with a line drive into the right-center gap, scoring Bobby Joe Tannehill from third.

“It’s exciting,” Larson said. “I had to do it for the team.”

Richland had more than its share of opportunities during the game. The Bombers stranded 10 baserunners in the game.

Meanwhile, Kentlake sophomore right hander Zach Wright wobbled at times, but never cracked. He scattered seven hits and struck out 10 in six innings of work.

Andy Enders pitched a scoreless seventh inning to nab the win.

Enders also delivered the defensive gem of the game in the fifth inning. Trailing 4-2 with runners on first and third, Richland’s Houston Castillo launched a long drive to center field. Enders, who was playing shallow, made a diving, over the shoulder grab roughly 20 feet shy of the center field fence for the third out.

“He’s a fantastic outfielder and he gets the job done for us day in and day out like that,” Kentlake coach Jason Evans said. “He got a bad jump … (but) got back there quick and kind of looked like Ichiro out there.”

Nagel led Kentlake’s offensive attack, going 3 for 4 with three RBIs.