Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tritons Wrap Up Home Play in Style

Sophs Kelly Hanson, Madisyn Napier and Laura Ramos
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LYNNWOOD - EdCC and visiting Bellevue College split a North Region doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Triton Field. Edmonds defeated the Bulldogs 5-4 in the opener with BC taking the nightcap 7-4.

Edmonds closed out the 2014 home schedule in terrific fashion, not only by claiming a split against the perennial powerhouse Bulldogs, but by sending off its three sophomores in style. Playing in their final home games were Kelly Hanson, Madisyn Napier and Laura Ramos. The trio has helped turn around the once dormant EdCC softball program.

The Tritons also wore pink jerseys and put on a BBQ to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Fight for the Cure against breast cancer. 

The turnaround is such that the Tritons now sit alone in fourth place in the North standings with a 5-9 region mark (8-12 overall). The top four teams will qualify for the NWAACC Championship Tournament in May.

EdCC will have a tough road ahead as the team heads to first-place Douglas for two on Saturday and then ends the season with twinbills at Skagit Valley and Olympic. OC is right behind the Tritons in the standings.  

Edmonds Pitcher Sierra Card stepped up in a big way against the powerful BC line up Tuesday. She limited the Bulldogs to just four runs on eight hits in the opener. The Bulldogs scored all of their runs in the second and third innings.

Meanwhile, the Triton offense went into the bottom of the third trailing 4-1 but evened the score when Alex Deaver tripled home three runs. 

The score was knotted at 4-4 until the fifth. Deaver started the inning with a single and later scored on a single from Faith Clark.

Clark's RBI would hold up thanks to Card who blanked the Bulldogs over the final four frames.

Card (4-8) would go the distance in the nightcap as well but the Tritons were held mostly in check by BC starter Hannah Sauget. Down 4-0 in the fifth, Edmonds scored three runs but could get no closer as BC ended up winning by three. 

Deaver and Ryanne Fazio had two hits each in the loss. 



Monday, April 28, 2014

EdCC Baseball Splits with Everett - Again

Austin Lee improved to 6-0 Sunday

LYNNWOOD – For the second straight day Edmonds and defending NWAACC Champs Everett split a North Region baseball doubleheader. The first two games of the four-game weekend series was at Everett. On Sunday the series shifted to Triton Field where the visiting Trojans won the opener 7-4 with EdCC taking the nightcap 5-1.

The NWAACC No. 2-ranked Tritons head into a bye week with a 16-4 region mark (28-6 overall), trailing only Bellevue College in the standings. The Bulldogs have played three less league games than has EdCC, however, and will play six games this week before meeting Edmonds for the final series of the year the weekend of May 10.

Everett (14-17, 7-9 North) scored four runs in the top of the third inning off Triton starter Matt Becker but EdCC would put up four runs of its own in the fifth inning. The big hits of the frame were a 3-run triple from TC Florentine and a RBI single from Ryan Budnick.

The Tritons could not maintain the momentum, though, as EvCC plated a run in the sixth and two more in the top of the seventh for the final 7-4 score.

Taking the loss was reliever Kameron Minor who allowed the go-ahead run to score in the sixth. Reliever Jake Thomas was the winning pitcher for the Trojans.

Becker and Tyler Baker each had two hits for Edmonds in the loss. Combined with Saturday's game two loss, it was EdCC's first two-game losing streak of the year.

Edmonds reversed its fortunes by jumping out to a 5-0 lead after four innings in the nightcap. Florentine drove in three during that stretch with Baker and Ryan Archibald collecting one RBI apiece.

Triton starter Austin Lee did the rest, allowing just two hits and one run over eight innings of work. The EdCC freshman improved to 6-0 on the season. Tyler Reeves entered the game in the top of the ninth and worked out of a jam to preserve the victory.

Baker went 3-for-4 in the win. 

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Edmonds and Everett Split League Twinbill

Coach Juarez talks to her team between games Saturday
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LYNNWOOD -- Edmonds CC and Everett CC split a North Region doubleheader Saturday at Triton Field. The Tritons claimed game one 13-5(6) with the visiting Trojans winning game two 15-4.

After the mercy-rule split, EdCC's record is 7-11 overall, 4-8 in the North. The Tritons and Olympic College are in a virtual tie for fourth place in the standings. Only the top four teams in each region qualify for the NWAACC Championship Tournament in May.

Sierra Card (3-6) went the distance in game one, the freshman fanning six batters and allowing five runs. 

The EdCC offense collected 15 hits in the game paced by 3-hit efforts by Ryanne Fazio and Mallori Cossell. Fazio drove in three runs, including the the 12th and 13th runs of the game in the sixth which gave Edmonds the eight runs needed for the run-rule to take effect.

The Tritons scored twice in the first and then put up a five-spot in the third, Cossell plating two runs with a double in the frame. 

Kelly Hanson tripled in two runs in the EdCC's three-run fifth to give the Tritons a 10-4 lead. Everett scored once in the top of the sixth before Edmonds plated three in the home half of the frame.

The nightcap was almost over before it started when Everett scored eight first-inning runs.  The Tritons scored once in the second and twice in the third but a four-run EvCC fourth and two more runs by the Trojans in the fifth sealed the deal for the visitors.

Taking the loss was Faith Clark (1-3). Clark lasted just two-thirds of an inning before allowing eight runs. Card entered with two outs in the first but it was too-little-too-late for EdCC. 

Sydney Dixon (5-4) went five complete innings for Everett, allowing four runs on nine hits. Fazio and Cossell each had two hits, the lone Edmonds players with more than one base knock.

Edmonds will wrap up the home portion of the 2014 schedule when Bellevue pays Triton Field a visit on Tuesday. The twinbill starts at 3:00 pm. 

EdCC sophomores Hanson, Laura Ramos and Madisyn Napier will be recognized between games. Also, both Bellevue and Edmonds will be wearing pink uniforms in the "EdCC Swings for a Cure" breast cancer awareness game. Donations, which will go to a breast cancer charity, will be accepted. 

Tritons and Trojans Trade Triumphs

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EVERETT -- Starter Zach Johnson went the distance in Edmond's 3-1 game one before a trio of Everett hurlers combined on a 3-0 shutout in the nightcap Saturday at Everett Memorial Stadium. The split puts the Tritons' overall record at 27-5, 15-3 versus North Region opposition. EdCC is second in the North standings, just behind Bellevue.

After three quiet innings to start the opener, the Tritons struck first with two runs in the top of the fourth. Kyle Olson started the rally with a walk and advanced to second on a single from Ryan Budnick. Chris Osborne delivered a two-out double that plated both Olson and Budnick.

TC Florentine belted his fourth homer run of the year in the sixth to make the score 3-0 Edmonds. The Trojans finally got to Johnson with a run in the bottom of the sixth but that would be the last run of the game for either squad.

Johnson improved to a perfect 7-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 1.05 with the 7-inning effort. The sophomore lefty allowed just five hits and fanned 12 Trojans.

Osborne was 2-for-2 with two RBI with Conor Plaisance going 2-for-3.

The Tritons stranded 12 runners in the 3-0 game two loss. Everett starter Alex Koeplin went six strong innings for the Trojans to pick up the win, with Ben Tamm and Jake Thomas both entering the game in relief roles.

Everett scored twice in the second and added a third run in the fifth. It was just the second time all season that Edmonds was shutout. 

Taking the loss was Andrew Kemmerer (7-1), though the EdCC started went eight-complete innings in which he yielded just five hits and three walks.

The four-game series moves to Triton Field for two games on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:00 pm.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Tritons and Rangers Exchange Thumpings

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LYNNWOOD - The Edmonds CC softball team and visiting Olympic College each tallied lopsided wins during Tuesday's North Region twinbill. Sierra Card tossed a 3-hitter to lead the Tritons to a 9-1(5) victory in the opener. But Edmonds manged just two hits in the nightcap and fell to the Rangers 16-1(5).

The split puts the Tritons at 6-10 overall, 3-7 in North play. The Rangers are now 10-15 overall, 2-4 North. EdCC is fifth in the North standings, just behind OC. Only the top four teams qualify for the NWAACC tournament.

Card got out of a couple of early jams in game one, before settling in. The Tritons went ahead with five second-inning runs. Mallori Cossell, Ryanne Fazio and Alex Deaver each had a RBI hit during the outburst with Madisyn Napier driving in two with a triple.

Deaver and Arista Honey both plated runs with hits in the fourth and Napier hit a bases-loaded single in the fifth to score the eighth and ninth runs for EdCC. The game was then halted due to the 8-run mercy rule.

Card fanned nine batters and gave up just one run to earn her second win of the year. The Triton offense was paced by Napier's 3-for-4, four RBI game.

The victory was the third straight for EdCC and the first run-rule win for the program since 2006.

That momentum quickly disappeared in the nightcap, however.

The Rangers scored three runs off of Card in the first and added six more runs off of Napier in the third to go up 9-0. EdCC did not get its first hit until the third. The lone Triton highlight of the game was a double-steal in the frame that resulted in a run.

Olympic added a run in the fourth and then posted six more in the fifth to take a 16-1 advantage. Ranger pitcher Erika Henderson (6-4) closed out EdCC in the home half of the inning with that contest also being stopped via mercy-rule.

Card (2-6) suffered the loss with just one inning in the circle.

The Tritons will try to get back on track on Saturday when they host Everett for two games starting at noon.



Sunday, April 20, 2014

Tritons Post Two One-Run Wins

Colin Samuelson delivers a pitch Sunday
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LYNNWOOD -- Edmonds Community College notched two one-run wins against visiting Skagit Valley College Saturday evening at Triton Field, 6-5 and 5-4. The No. 2-ranked Tritons swept their weekend four-game series with SVC to improve to 26-4 overall, 14-2 against North League foes. The Cardinals dropped to 10-16, 5-7 North.

After two comparatively easy wins - both shutouts - at Mt. Vernon on Friday, the thinking was that EdCC would do more of the same when the series came to Triton Field on Saturday. Early on in game one it sure seemed that way as EdCC headed into the top of the fifth inning with a 5-0 lead.

The Cardinals scored two runs in the fifth inning of the seven-inning game, but Edmonds plated another run in the sixth and it still felt like the Tritons had nothing to worry about, especially when closer Tyler Reeves took the ball in the seventh. But Reeves wasn't as sharp as usual, hitting the first batter of the frame. An EdCC error, a base hit and another hit by pitch later and a run was in and the bases were loaded and there were no outs.

A fielder's choice was the first out of the inning but another run came in to make the score 6-4. Another Edmonds error allowed another SVC run to come home making the score 6-5 EdCC. Reeves escaped the jam by getting the next Skagit batter to line to third and then fanned Ryan Humphrey to end the game.

Colin Samuelson (3-2) picked up the win after 4.2 innings of work in which he allowed just one earned run. Kameron Miner threw 1.1 frames of spotless relief before giving way to Reeves in the seventh.

First baseman Ryan Budnick continues to tear up the league, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, including what would be the game-winner in the sixth. Both Conor Plaisance and Tyler Baker had two hits.

The Cardinals started the nightcap hot, plating three first inning runs off of EdCC starter Austin Lee. Meanwhile, Edmonds couldn't get anything started against Kevin Bovenkamp. Finally, in the sixth, Budnick singled home catcher Kyle Olsen to close the deficit to two runs.

The Tritons loaded the bases in the eighth. With no outs on the board, Budnick hit a chopper back to Bovencamp who went home for the first out. But Matt Becker's slide into home disrupted SVC catcher Jake Frost's throw to first base. The ball sailed into the outfield and two EdCC runs crossed the plate to tie the score at 3-3.

The Cardinals managed a run off of Triton reliever Alex Kuniyoshi in the ninth to go ahead 4-3. But SVC closer Kevin Smith issued a free pass to Chris Osborne and a one-out single to Baker. A bloop single from Becker loaded the bases.

Olson then delivered a first-pitch double into the left center gap that scored two runs and gave EdCC the walk-off win. The game-winning knock was Olson's third hit of the game.

Kuniyoshi (2-0) was the winner with Smith suffering the loss.

The Tritons will take on defending NWAACC champions Everett for four games next weekend. The first two games of the series is at Everett's Memorial Stadium on Saturday, with the next two games at Triton Field on Sunday. First pitch for both is at 1 pm.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Johnson Tosses No-No in Edmonds Sweep of SVC

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MT. VERNON -- Sophomore Zach Johnson threw a seven-inning no-hitter in game one before Andrew Kemmerer and Torin Dooley combined for a shutout in game two as EdCC baseball blanked the Skagit Valley Cardinals 2-0 and 8-0 Friday evening.

The two triumphs ups the NWAACC No. 2-ranked Tritons' record 24-4 overall, 12-2 in the North while SVC falls to 10-14, 5-5 North.

Johnson improved to 6-0 on the year and lowered his ERA to 1.02 with the no-no. The lefty walked just one batter and fanned nine Cardinals.

The Tritons needed Johnson's effort as they were held to just five hits by Cardinal starter Javier Villanueva. Edmonds manged to score a run in the first and third innings, however. Ryan Budnick and Ryan Archibald each had a RBI.

Edmonds pitching was back in control in the nightcap with Kemmerer yielding just two hits and two walks in a seven-inning start. The sophomore struck out eight batters and is no 7-0 on the year. Dooley tossed the eighth and ninth innings, allowing just one hit.

The Triton bats got going too with Budnick doing some serious damage with a three-run homer in the third. His fourth round-tripper of the year put EdCC up 4-0. Edmonds added two more runs in the fifth and single runs in the seventh and eighth frames for the 8-0 final.

Edmonds has shutout opponents nine times in 2014.

EdCC pounded out 14 hits in the nightcap led by Budnick's 3-for-5, four RBI effort. Tyler Baker also collected three hits with Archibald, Kyle Olson and TC Florentine each contributing two base knocks.

The four-game series moves over to EdCC's Triton Field on Saturday for a twinbill that starts at 5:00 pm.



Gotta Have Faith, EdCC Sweeps

Coach Juarez talks to her infield Friday
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LYNNWOOD -- Faith Clark hit two homeruns and had a walk-off hit as Edmonds Community College softball swept a North Region twinbill from Skagit Valley Friday at Triton Field, 5-4, 7-5. The last time that EdCC took two games from a regional opponent was May 12, 2006.

With the two wins the Tritons improved to 5-9 overall, 2-6 in the North and have moved out of last place. The Cardinals fell to 9-20 overall, 1-7 league. 

EdCC starters Sierra Card and Madisyn Napier each tossed complete games and earned wins. Card (1-5) scattered nine hits in the opener and allowed three earned runs while striking out nine batters. 

Clark led the Triton offense in game one by going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a three RBI. She doubled in run in the second, hit a solo shot in the fourth and then roped the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh.

Arista Honey and Hollie Sharp had two hits apiece in the opener. Honey started the seventh-inning rally with a single and advance to third on a double from Alex Deaver. 

Napier (3-2) got off to a shaky start in the nightcap, surrendering three first-inning runs, though only one was earned. The Triton offense answered with three of their own in the home half of the frame, however. 

Napier helped herself out with a single, a stolen base and a scored on a triple from Deaver. Honey and Shawna Steele each had RBI hits in the first. 

The Cardinals scored a run in the second but would be held in check by Napier -- and a solid EdCC defense -- until the seventh inning. EdCC would plate three runs in the fifth to go ahead 6-3, after a RBI triple form Honey and a two-run shot from Clark.

Edmonds added an insurance run in the sixth when Deaver doubled home Napier, who was 3-for-4 in the game.

Deaver and Honey had two hits apiece in the nightcap.

The Tritons host Olympic College (9-14, 2-3) for two on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 3:00 pm. 



Monday, April 14, 2014

Tritons Split Double Dip at Douglas

TC Florentine
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SURREY, B.C. -- Edmonds CC baseball, ranked No. 2 in the NWAACC, split a North Region double header with Douglas College Sunday at Whalley Park. The Tritons dropped the opener 3-1 and won the nightcap 3-2.

Winning up in Canada, against a tough Royal squad, isn't easy and Sunday was no different.

Matt Becker was the hard-luck loser in game one, though he allowed just three runs on six hits in the five-inning start. The EdCC sophomore lefty was out-dueled by DC's Shawn Anderson who held the Triton offense in check with a complete-game effort.

Only seven Edmonds' players reached base against Anderson and the only EdCC run came in the first inning.

Douglas (7-12, 6-6 North) would score two runs in the third and another in the fifth and let Anderson do the rest.

The Tritons came out on top in a close game two, EdCC breaking a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the eighth inning when outfielder TC Florentine scored on a two-out double by first baseman Ryan Budnick.

Austin Lee (5-0) picked up the win for EdCC after tossing eight strong innings. Lee yielded just one earned run on six hits. Tyler Reeves entered the game in the ninth and closed out Douglas 1-2-3 to earn his third save of the year.

Florentine drove in two of the Triton runs in game two. Catcher Kyle Olson was 2-for-4, the lone EdCC player with multiple hits.

EdCC (22-4, 10-2 North) will play Skagit Valley in a four-game series this week. The first two games are at SVC on Friday with the series moving to Triton Field on Saturday. Both DH's start at 5 pm.




Sunday, April 13, 2014

Johnson and Kemmerer Lead EdCC to Sweep

Zach Johnson delivers a pitch Saturday
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LYNNWOOD -- The NWAACC's No. 2-ranked EdCC baseball team swept a North Region twinbill from visiting Douglas at sunny (finally) Triton Field Saturday 10-4, 10-1. The two triumphs ups the Triton's season record to 21-3, 9-1 North. The Royals fell to 6-11, 5-5 North.

Zach Johnson and Andrew Kemmerer added to their impressive seasons with two impressive starts. Johnson improved to 5-0 with six innings of work in game one. The sophomore lefty allowed just one run on three hits and fanned 10 Royal batters. 

Though the final score had Edmonds winning by six, the opener was a 1-1 nail-biter until the bottom of the fourth. That's when the Tritons exploded for six runs capped by a bases-clearing double from Ryan Budnick. The EdCC first baseman drove in five in the game.

The Tritons put up three more runs in the sixth to take a 10-1 advantage. Douglas scored three in the top of the seventh for the final runs of the seven-inning contest.

Budnick, Tanner Wessling and Tyler Baker each had two hits for Edmonds in the win.

Kemmerer and DJ Oliver held the Royals in check during the nine-inning nightcap. Kemmerer last 6.1 frames in the start in which he earned his sixth win against zero losses this year. Oliver made his first appearance of the year count, blanking Douglas over the final 2.2 innings.

Unlike the opener, game two was quickly in EdCC's control after the home team scored nine runs through the first three frames.  Douglas put up its lone run in the third and were kept off the scoreboard over the final six innings.

Budnick and Kyle Olson each contributed two base knocks to the Triton offense. Both defenses had their issues, though, the two North squads combining for seven errors. 


The four-game series moves to Canada on Sunday for a doubleheader that starts at noon. The two games will be played at Whalley Park in Surrey, British Columbia. Address of the stadium: 13351 105A Avenue, Surrey, B.C. V3T 4B3. 


Remember your enhanced license or passport if you plan on going.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Delaney Steps Down as EdCC Women's Soccer Coach

Coach Jeanette Delaney
LYNNWOOD – Jeanette Delaney announced that she is stepping down as EdCC Women’s Soccer Head Coach in order to have more time to spend with her family. 

Though she will no longer be the coach at Edmonds, Delaney plans to stay connected to the game she loves.

“Looking forward, my main goal in stepping down is to be able to share the game with my kids in a way that wasn't possible while I was coaching at the college,” Delaney said.” Now, I'll be able to coach my son and not miss a single goal he scores.  My daughter is still a couple years out from U5, but I look forward to her first coach being female and being me.”

Coach Delaney guided the Edmonds CC women's soccer team for nine seasons. She helped shaped the Tritons into a yearly contender in the NWAACC North, her squads reaching the postseason on four occasions.  

In 2013, Delaney led the Tritons to a 16-3-3 overall mark and a North Region title. Edmonds went on to win two postseason contests and finished as runners up in the NWAACC tournament. Delaney was selected as the NWAACC Coach of the Year at season’s end.

“I know separating from the program is the best decision I can make,” Delaney said. “However, there has been little comfort in redefining my role to my players.  I love soccer. I love coaching. I love using soccer to as a medium to teach about life and personal strength.”

Delaney reached out to her former players: “Thank you all so much for your individual and collaborative contributions to my career success. Special thanks to [assistant coaches] Kim Plumis and Allie Wirtala for giving so earnestly and selflessly to establish the bedrock on which we built this program. Your friendship and our shared love of the game kept me coming back season after season.”

Delaney is also the Director of Admissions and Recruitment and Interim Director of Testing at Edmonds CC, as well as the college’s Women’s Commissioner to the NWAACC. She will remain in those roles. 

"I understand and respect Jeanette's decision," said athletic director Jorge de la Torre. "Coach Delaney has done a terrific job with the women's soccer team for nine years. Her program's focus has always been on the right things: student success, community service and on building a great team. I wish her the best of luck and thank her for all that she has done for Edmonds Community College women's soccer."

Edmond’s 50-acre campus is located 20 miles north of Seattle in the city of Lynnwood, Washington. Some highlights include 28 computer labs, nine science labs, three eateries, two greenhouses, a digital recording studio, an art gallery, a theater, a child care center, a gym, Triton Field, a transit center, Rainier Place – an on-campus residence hall, and a university satellite center for Central Washington University.

EdCC soccer competes in the NWAACC North Region and plays on Triton Field, an all-weather, on-campus turf facility which is perhaps the finest in the league. A search for Delaney’s successor will begin immediately. If interested in the position, please contact Athletic Director Jorge de la Torre at jorge.delatorre@email.edcc.edu or at 425-640-1233. 

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Softball Loses Double Dip to Douglas

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LYNNWOOD – Edmonds Community College softball dropped a North Region doubleheader to Douglas College Tuesday at Triton Field, 9-6 and 16-6. The two losses put EdCC’s record at 3-9, 0-6 North. The visiting Royals improved to 11-1, 6-0 North.

The weather on Tuesday ranged from sunny and warm to cold and rainy. The Tritons’ play was nearly as skittish. Game one was mostly a well-played contest. Douglas led 5-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, but a two-run homer from Savannah Fortney and a two-out error by the Royals saw Edmonds score four runs and force extra innings.

Unfortunately for the Tritons, Douglas plated four runs in the eighth and ended up winning by three.

Sierra Card (0-5) suffered the loss, allowing 18 hits and seven earned runs, though the freshman battled with last year’s NWAACC runner-ups entire game.

The Triton offense was led by Arista Honey and Faith Clark, both of whom had two hits. Honey just missed what would have been a game-winning homer in the seventh.

The nightcap was played in steady rain and was a sloppy affair from both sides. EdCC had an early 2-0 lead but its pitchers walked 13 batters and allowed 14 hits. The game got out of hand quickly as Douglas scored a run in the third, five in the fourth, three in the sixth and seven in the seventh.

Napier (2-2) took the loss after giving up six runs in three innings of work. Card threw 2.1 innings of relief, allowing three runs and Clark yielded seven runs in 1.2 frames.

Napier and Mallori Cossell each had two hits in the loss.


The Tritons have a few days off before hosting Skagit Valley next Friday, April 18, for a home DH that starts at 3:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

EdCC Baseball Splits DH with Olympic

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LACEY -- Edmonds and Olympic split a North Region DH at the Recreational Athletic Complex in Lacey on Monday, the Rangers wining the opener 3-2 with EdCC taking the nightcap 11-2. The No. 1-ranked Tritons won 3-of-4 with the Rangers and are now  19-3 overall, 5-1 North. 

Colin Samuelson (2-2) was hung with the loss in game one though he only allowed one earned run in five innings of work. Kameron Minor tossed a scoreless sixth but the Triton offense was stifled by two OC hurers: Chris Uzzell and Cody Apilado. 

Uzzell (1-0) lasted 4.2 innings, yielding two runs with Apilado blanking EdCC for 2.1 frames of one-hit relief.

The Rangers scored twice in the second and one in the fourth to go ahead 3-0. The Tritons scored both of their runs in the fifth after a Ryan Archibald homer and a Matt Becker RBI ground out.

EdCC followed that lackluster outing with a dominate 11-1 victory, the Tritons pounding out 16 hits which included bombs by TC Florentine and Chris Osborne.

The Tritons opened up the game with two first inning runs and then plated five in the fourth. The game was quiet until the ninth when Edmonds added four more runs to its tally. The Rangers scored their lone run in the home half of the frame.

Both Becker and Florentine had three hits Conor Plaisance and Tyler Baker each adding two hits to the Triton totals. Florentine drove in three and Osborne drove in two runs.

EdCC utilized five pitchers in the nightcap. Earning the win was Austin Lee with a five-inning, four-hit performances. Torin Dolley, Alex Kuniyoshi, Tyler Reeves and Roman Mitchell each went one inning.

The Tritons welcome Douglas College for two on Saturday, first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.



Monday, April 7, 2014

Softball Drops Two at Bellevue

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BELLEVUE -- The EdCC softball team dropped a North Region doubleheader at Bellevue Saturday, 10-1 and 8-5. The two losses puts the Tritons at 3-7 overall, 0-4 North. The Bulldogs improved to 12-8, 3-1 North.

The opening tilt was halted due to the 8-run mercy rule because the Bulldogs scored two in the first, seven in the third and one in the fourth. The Tritons scored their lone run in the third inning.

Suffering the loss was Sierra Card who allowed five earned runs in three innings. Faith Clark returned to the circle and yielded one run in an inning of work.

Edmonds had a 4-3 lead in the third inning of the nightcap against the perennial powerhouse Bulldogs and entered the sixth tied 5-5, but BC pushed across three runs in the home half of the inning to claim the sweep.

Card (0-4) went the distance, giving up eight runs and striking out four. 

Alex Deaver went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the 7-hit EdCC attack. Shawna Steele belted her first homer of the year and drove in two and Savannah Fortney was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. 

The Tritons return home on Tuesday to host 9-1 Douglas. First pitch is at 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Edmonds Baseball Blanks Olympic Twice

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LYNNWOOD -- Edmonds CC, the NWAACC's No. 1-ranked baseball team, shut out Olympic College twice at Triton Field on Saturday, 4-0 (7) and 10-0 (8). Starters Zach Johnson and Andrew Kemmerer both went the distance.

EdCC plated three runs in the third inning of the opening game when Ryan Budnick doubled home two runs and Bryan Orendor doubled home another. Chris Osborne scored in the next frame after a Ranger error for the fourth run of the game.

Johnson (4-0) was in charge from the outset, the lefty scattering three hits and four walks over the seven inning effort, with eight strikeouts. Johnson's ERA for the year dropped to 1.16.

Left fielder Keanu Puha went 2-for-3, the lone Triton with multiple knocks against OC starter Ty Donahou.

Edmonds (18-2, 6-0 North) jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings of play in the nightcap thanks to round-trippers from Budnick and TC Florentine.

Two more runs in the sixth and another in the seventh gave the Tritons a 6-0 advantage. EdCC would plate four more runs in the bottom of the eighth, the game being halted due to the 10-0 rule.

Kemmerer (5-0) allowed four runs and fanned three over eight innings on the mound. The soph's ERA also fell below 2 (1.54).

EdCC collected 12 hits in the game. Ryan Archibald was 3-for-4, with Budnick, Florentine and Tyler Baker with two hits apiece.

Olympic fell to 0-6 in the North. 

The four-game series moves to Bremerton on Sunday (weather permitting) for a twinbill that begins at 1 p.m.




Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Triton Fastpitch Adds Lirpa Sloof to the Fold

Lirpa Sloof delivers a pitch vs. Norway in 2012
LYNNWOOD – The Edmonds Community College softball team announced the signing of Finland National Team member Lirpa Sloof to a NWAACC Letter of Intent on Tuesday. Sloof is a right-handed power pitcher and an accomplished switch-hitter. 

Sloof last played in a 30-game tour against national competition in the summer of 2011. Against some of the world’s best teams she went 24-1 with a 0.32 ERA and 312 strikeouts in 199 innings pitched. The only blemish on her record was a 3-2 loss to team Canada, though Sloof accounted for both Finland runs by hitting two solo homers. During the tour she hit .650 with 17 round trippers and 34 RBI.

“I am amazed we got her,” said EdCC head coach Shawna Juarez. “Lirpa is an amazing athlete that could play anywhere. Lucky for us she is too old to participate at a Division I school. The fact that EdCC has a great on-campus facility and a fantastic ISS department attracted her to the college.”

Sloof, who is from Juankoski, Finland, moved to Seattle after the Olympic Trials in 2012 and has sort of established residency. She heard about EdCC through some friends who are already attending the college and living in the residential hall located just yards – in this case, meters – from the softball field.

“Lirpa came and took batting practice and pitched to a few of our hitters,” noted Juarez. “She was blasting bombs to every field and putting up zeros in the circle. It was ridiculous.”

Before she started playing softball at the age of 17, Sloof was the goalie for the Scandinavian youth hockey club that won three consecutive junior cup titles. She is also a third-degree black belt in Brazilian-style Jujitsu and an accomplished cricket player.

Sloof is instantly recognizable, not only from her 6-3 stature and menacing glare, but by the word “SISU” tattooed on the knuckles of both hands. Sisu generally means determination, bravery and resilience in Finnish, though the word is widely considered to have a lack a proper translation into any other language. Essentially, Sisu is about taking action against the odds and displaying courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity. 

“Yeah, she’s scary,” said Juarez.

Unfortunately, the many years of international competition -- some probably paid -- might mean that Lirpa Sloof will only have one year of eligibility at Edmonds.

“It’s a bit nerve-wracking hoping that there won’t any issues with the new NWAACC clearing house,” said Juarez. “But we have coached her on what to say and records over there are pretty sketchy at best. Besides they are in another language, I think.”

Coach Juarez also added with a laugh: “By the time anyone figured anything out the season will probably be over and we will have won NWAACCs. Heck, maybe we can get her here for two -- possibly three -- years!”


--- Unfortunately for EdCC, Lirpa has decided to pursue another career. On Wednesday she called Coach Juarez from her hotel room in Hollywood, California, where she signed a movie contract. Lirpa's first project is a cop/ buddy flick with Chuck Norris called "Chill and the Cowboy".